Grieving relatives worried that their loved ones will not attract enough mourners at their funeral can now bump up the numbers by hiring ‘professional sobbers’.
A growing number of people are hiring out their services at £45 for a two-hour ceremony – and as well as attending the funeral they will weep and talk to friends of the deceased.
The trend started in areas such as the Middle East and China, but the rise of multiculturalism has made it increasingly popular in the UK.
Enterprising: A company based in Essex is hiring out professional mourners for £45 a go
Fake mourners, known as moirologists, are trained actors who specialise in the skill of appearing grief-stricken at public events.
Before the funeral services, they are briefed about the life of the deceased so they can talk to other mourners as if they had genuinely known him or her.
The unusual industry has become so popular that one Essex firm now has 20 staff on its books available for hire.
Ian Robertson, the founder of Rent a Mourner in Braintree, admits the idea may be unfamiliar to the British, but predicts it will soon catch on.
Trend: More and more British funerals are now involving professional mourners (file photo)
‘We were actually inspired by the market growth in China,’ he said. ‘The Middle Eastern way is to provide wailers – crying women – as opposed to the quiet, dignified methods we use.
‘It is growing in the UK – our bookings are up 50 per cent year on year.’
‘Our staff will meet with the client beforehand and agree “the story”, so our staff will either have known the deceased professionally or socially. They will be informed of the deceased’s background, achievements, failures etc., so they can converse with other mourners with confidence.’
The company says on its website: ‘We are typically invited to help increase visitors to funerals where there may be a low turnout expected. This can usually be a popularity issue or being new to an area, or indeed, the country.’
Origins: ‘Professional sobbers’ are currently more popular in the Middle East and China (file photo)
Consumer expert Jasmine Birtles believes multi-cultural Britain is experiencing a ‘cultural shift’ in the way its mourners say their final farewell.
Ms Birtles, the founder of personal finance site MoneyMagpie.com, said: ‘Hiring a stranger to weep at a funeral may seem strange, but it’s a deep-seated tradition in the East.
‘It’s still a niche market at the moment but demand for professional mourners is increasing year on year as more people from East Asian and Middle Eastern countries move to the UK, bringing their customs with them.
‘The rise in popularity shows a cultural shift taking place in how we choose to pay our last respects and like with many other cultural imports, it’s only a matter of time before it crosses over into mainstream culture.’
‘At the moment it’s not the sort of thing most people can treat as a career, but if it continues to increase in popularity then crying on demand could soon become a highly-prized skill.’
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