A Filipino drag queen impersonating Taylor Swift has taken South East Asia by storm with his own “Errors tour” after the pop star was accused of snubbing the region.

Clad in a sequin-studded leotard, floating ball gown or gold fringe dress, the 29-year-old performer, known as Taylor Sheesh, has proven a hit in the Philippines and beyond with his meticulous reenactment of Swift’s Eras Tour.

“My goal in life is to spread happiness, just like Taylor Swift,” Sheesh, whose real name is Mac Coronel and who uses male pronouns when not in character, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

With a long blonde wig and blue contact lenses, Mr Coronel has honed his own glamourous version of the singer-songwriter’s hugely popular tour for fans unable to see the real deal live amid fierce competition for tickets.

Despite her huge popularity in South East Asia, Swift disappointed fans in the region when it was revealed that she would only perform in Singapore and Japan on the Asian leg of Eras.

The move – which prompted many in capitals from Bangkok to Manila to book expensive flights to see the singer live – has sparked renewed controversy after Thailand’s prime minister suggested the pop icon was offered an exclusivity deal by Singapore.

Last week, Srettha Thavisin claimed that concert promotion company AEG told him that the Singaporean government offered subsidies of between US $2 million and US $3 million (between £1.6 million and £2.4 million) to perform in the city-state – where the first of Swift’s five sold-out shows is set to take place on Saturday.

“[AEG] didn’t tell me the exact figure but they said the Singapore government offers subsidies of between $2 million and $3 million,” Mr Srettha told a business forum. “But the Singaporean government is clever. They told [them] not to hold any other shows in [South East] Asia.”

AEG has not publicly responded to the allegations, but the Singaporean government has said publicly that the Tourism Board supported the event through a grant.

Swift has built a popular following in South East Asia, especially in the Philippines.

The star was the most listened-to artist in the country on Spotify’s 2023 Wrapped in the Philippines, while Google said Filipinos searched for Swift more than any other nation worldwide last year.

Mr Coronel has long been mimicking the Anti-Hero star, first appearing in 2017 at the Nectar Nightclub – a Manila institution featuring drag queens. But his lip-sync act surged to prominence nationally with his “Errors Tours” across malls in the Philippines; and then a clip on social media sent him viral.

Last week, he followed Swift to Australia and performed his own show to an audience of 10,000 people in Melbourne.

“I can’t believe that I’m well-known worldwide,” Mr Coronel said after the concert. “It’s actually overwhelming. We didn’t expect that Australian Swifties or other Swifties would come.”

After months meticulously watching hours of social media clips of Swift to “memorise and practise her nuances, her smiling, and choreography”, Mr Coronel finally got his own opportunity to see Swift live in Tokyo earlier this month – which was “totally worth it”.

He added that he understands that Manila and other South East Asian cities may not have the infrastructure to host such a huge gig.

But for now, Mr Coronel is determined to continue offering Filipinos who are unable to spare hundreds of pounds to Shake it Off at a concert overseas a glimpse of Swift’s show.

“Her last song was We Are Never Getting Back Together,” he said, referring to Swift’s encore during her 2014 Red tour in Manila. “She really meant it.”

Neither AEG or Swift’s team responded to requests for comment by The Telegraph.