A pair of Australian ‘Twinnies’ have taken the internet by storm after a live TV interview showed them speaking in perfect unison while describing a carjacking. The identical twins, named Paula and Bridgette Powers, gave a surreal witness account on 7News, complete with matching outfits and synchronized responses, leaving viewers fascinated, unsettled, and somewhat obsessed. But the Powers twins are more than just viral stars; they’re lifelong wildlife rescuers with a legacy tied to Steve Irwin.
A carjacking, a gun threat, and a ‘Lynchian’ live interview
When 7News reported on a chaotic carjacking on Steve Irwin Way in Queensland, they interviewed a pair of twins on their eyewitness account of the event. Paula and Bridgette Powers, known locally as the Twinnies, fascinated the internet by answering every question simultaneously. The pair also wore matching outfits, which added to the surreal nature of the interview.
7News tweeted, “Witnesses are recounting the mayhem that unfolded on the Sunshine Coast. Two sisters have told of how their mother and a man raced to help when the carjacked SUV rolled on Steve Irwin Way, only to find the gun-wielding car thief emerging from the wreck.”
During the brief news segment, the Twinnies sisters described to the interviewer how their mother approached a car that crashed on Steve Irwin Way to check on the driver. What she didn’t expect, however, was for the driver to allegedly pull a gun on her.
“Our hearts started to pound. And I said Mum, where’s Mum?” the two women said in unison. They added that their mother managed to distract the alleged gunman to help them get away safely.
“But apparently, our brave mum, she goes, ‘Are you alright?’ Because he had blood all over his face. And he goes: ‘I’ll shoot you.’ She goes: ‘Hey, I’m here to help.’”
“Mum distracted him to make him look the other way, and he looked the other way, and mum ran into the bush behind the fence. The guy goes, ‘I’ll find you and I’ll shoot you.’”
Who are the viral Australian ‘Twinnies’ Paula and Bridgette Powers?
Beyond their newfound viral fame, Paula and Bridgette Powers have led lives dedicated to wildlife rescue. The Twinnies got their start under the tutelage of the late Steve Irwin and now run the Queensland-based bird rescue, Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue. It is a sanctuary that rehabilitates injured birds across Queensland.
According to their social media posts, just days before the carjacking incident, they celebrated the release of over a dozen ducks they had nurtured back to health, and they recently saved a pair of pelicans from fish hooks.
Studies show that twins often develop an uncanny sense of synchronization that other siblings do not. This is due in large part to their brains developing at the same time and in nearly identical environmental experiences. Further research into twins’ language learning and perception of the world confirms that identical twins’ shared upbringing results in strikingly similar neural pathways, making simultaneous speech more likely. However, this type of twin speaking typically stops in adolescence.
Why the internet is obsessed with the twins who speak in sync
Once the interview clip hit social media, folks couldn’t stop talking about the Twinnies’ synchronized delivery. Many on X, formerly known as Twitter, described their way of talking as “eerie” or “creepy” while others wanted to know if this was how they normally acted, or if they were putting on an act for the camera.
“They were trying hard to stay in sync. It’s an act they’ve clearly based their whole life around. Sad,” wrote @vintage1981.
Meanwhile, many Australians pointed out that locals have long celebrated the Powers twins, who remain minor celebrities on the Sunshine Coast thanks to their environmental efforts.
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