Amid the ongoing drama swirling around Kate Middleton and the conspiracy theories that continue to pop up, professional Middleton lookalike, Heidi Agan, is addressing some of the wild speculation that has arisen.
Agan spoke with ET's Kevin Frazier via video chat this week and opened up about the nature of her job -- which revolves around looking like and flawlessly emulating the Princess of Wales -- and allegations that she's been hired to stand in for Middleton by Kensington Palace.
As Agan explained, her career began when she was a waitress and people would often come to her place of work to snap pictures with her and to have her as their server.
"I didn't even think lookalikes were a thing, you know?" Agan explained. "Eventually... I sent my picture to a few agents and I got my first job like a week later. And then I quit waitressing."
According to Agan, the first time she remembers anyone calling out how similar she looks to Middleton came when Prince William and Middleton tied the knot in April 2011.
"My cousin, when they got married, she sent a picture to my mom and was just like, 'Wow, Heidi got married again, huh?' So we all kind of joked about in the family," Agan explained. "And then it just took off."
Being Middleton's doppelganger has been a lucrative opportunity for Agan, and she explained the effort that goes into emulating the beloved royal.
"It's a paid job, so I guess it's kind of like an acting job," Agan said. "You dress up like her when you go to work. I've traveled the world with it. I've been unbelievably blessed, and it really is one of the most fantastic jobs in the world."
While it may seem like simply looking like Middleton would be enough, Agan said there is meticulous research and practice that goes into the gig.
"I want to be the best at what I do, whether it's down to the perfume she's wearing or, you know, silly things that we have to know the name of the dog," she shared. "And we have to watch how she interacts with William, how does she interact with the children? What are her little quirks? How she holds her hands. All those kinds of things are kind of what makes the experience, I think, a little bit more realistic."
However, sometimes it can be tough to keep up with her style choices. "She got bangs once and it was a mistake for her -- and it was a mistake for me," Agan said with a laugh.
Still, the biggest challenge that comes with being a Middleton lookalike is the massive amount of attention she receives -- especially the attention that has exploded in recent weeks.
The drama with the royal mother of three started back in January when the Palace announced that Middleton had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery" and would be stepping away from public duties until after the Easter holiday.
When weeks went by without a single sighting of Middleton, many began to speculate about her health and whereabouts. Then, in honor of British Mother's Day, the Palace released an image of her and her three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — that was allegedly taken by William. However, shortly after, several news outlets, including the Associated Press, pulled the image, saying it was "manipulated," leading to even more speculation.
More recently, a video of the Prince and Princess of Wales at the Windsor Farm Shop surfaced, but conspiracy theorists weren't satisfied and suggested it was actually Agan in the video.
"Just the online stuff is, wow! People go crazy online and to experience that firsthand is disconcerting," Agan said.
When asked if she believes it was really Middleton in the farm shop video, Agan responded, "Yeah, I do, 100 precent."
"I know 100 percent it wasn't me," she added. "Personally, I think she's fine, and she will come back when she's ready and when she's healed, and we just got to give her the time."
Agan put a specific point on the topic, explaining, "I'm not employed by Kensington Palace. I'm self-employed, and I just go to fun parties and corporate events and things like that. Nothing as serious as actually impersonating her for her."
As for her advice for Middleton amid the online chaos, Agan said, "Just to keep doing what she's doing. If she needs to rest more, then she should. They lead busy lives, they do a lot behind the scenes that we don't see, and she needs to get better and come back."
For more on the ongoing drama surrounding Middleton, see the video below.
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