Jimmy Fallon helped an 80-year-old Dua Lipa superfan make his dream come true and it's pure joy

Papa Richy meeting Dua Lipa on "The Tonight Show."
May we all find something that makes us as off-the-charts happy as this grandpa and his wholesome love for Dua Lipa.
For his 80th birthday, Papa Richy's granddaughter Kadie Bernstein knew she got him a gift he’d never forget (surprise tickets to see Dua Lipa in concert) so she decided to film his reaction. His literal squeals of delight became a viral sensation, and racked more than 7 million views on TikTok.
@kadiebernstein Happy birthday Grandpa! @Dua Lipa your oldest fan!! #dualipa #birthday #fyp #surpise #grandpa #OneSliceChallenge #StudentSectionSauce ♬ Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa
But thanks to Jimmy Fallon, Papa Richy’s birthday surprise became a double whammy.
As Fallon welcomed Dua Lipa onto his Thursday episode of "The Tonight Show” last week, he revealed that Papa Richy had been tricked into thinking that he had won “#1 TikTok of the Year” on a radio show. The show flew Papa Richy and his granddaughter to the studio for a fake radio interview. But instead, he was walked right on stage to meet his beloved pop star. Pure giddiness ensued.
Perhaps the best part: It didn’t instantly dawn on Papa Richy who he was sharing the stage with. But rest assured, as soon as it hit him, he completely lost it. This 80-year-old has definitely held onto his inner child.
They both hold hands, share a shimmy, he even praises her neon green outfit from an earlier show in Miami. Fallon saw it as flirting, I personally saw it as innocent fanboying. Papa Richy can do no wrong!
Making his exit, we hear Papa Richy shout, “I got to dance with Dua!” And the adorable moment won hearts all over the internet.
“So happy that sweet man got one of his dreams to come true,” one person wrote.
Another commented, “You have me crying and laughing at the same time. It's so adorable. So happy for him.”
Thanks Papa Richy (and Dua Lipa) for proving that joy truly is contagious.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."