Kiwi comic Tape Face has been slammed for 'fraud' from upset fans

Kiwi comic Tape Face is being accused of defrauding fans after complaints an impersonator has been performing in his place in Las Vegas.

According to reports, audiences who forked out up to $151 say they were expecting to see Sam Willis perform his unique show that gained popularity through his appearance on America's Got Talent in 2016.

However, fans were left disappointed with Willis using a stand-in to perform some of his shows at Harrah's casino.

But the former street artist, also known as The Boy With Tape On His Face, rejects claims he has been "defrauding" ticket buyers saying he always envisioned Tape Face as a character that could be adopted by others.

The 40-year-old says his act is like a franchise and always intended to have several Tape Faces performing in different cities. That scenario will reportedly occur later this year when Wills embarks on a UK tour while another performer, named T2, will do shows in Las Vegas.

"People who follow me on social media are aware that this has been very much part of my dream," he explained.

However, fans are upset that they were kept in the dark and left unaware they might not be seeing the original Tape Face, with Ticketmaster, Harrah's and the official Tape Face website all promoting the show with a picture of Willis.

Harrah's online advertisement includes the lines "as seen on America's Got Talent".

That revelation has not gone down well with fans taking to Trip Advisor to complain.

"An impersonator....really" began one post. "I just spent $600 to watch a person dress up and pretend to be Tape Face! I've seen the awful response from the PR people that Tape Face is a feeling, it's about being blah blah blah... and not about who is playing the "character". If that is the case then why are there only promotional pictures of Sam Willis as Tape Face?"

Another scathing review titled "The real TapeFace is gone...the show is a fraud" reads: "The stand-in was Mediocre, as he did not have any of the charisma or facial humor of the original.

"This was borderline fraud…If you are a big TapeFace fan like we are, stay home and watch the AGT videos on YouTube. The Harrah's show is a disappointment and a fraud. Very sad!"

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.