Apprentice star is reunited with lost AirPods after flying 4,000 MILES to track them down in Qatar
Video shows the moment The Apprentice star Lewis Ellis is reunited with his lost AirPods after he embarked on a 4,000-mile journey to Qatar.
Mr Ellis, 31, lost his wireless headphones on a flight five months ago. He then spent nearly £2,300 travelling to Doha, Qatar’s capital city, after Apple‘s Find My feature revealed the AirPods were located in the Middle East.
The Manchester native is seen cheering after he found the missing AirPods and paired his iPhone to them.
Mr Ellis also shared he was stunned to learn his AirPods were on the move, having even visited Thailand and Nepal.
Despite having spent thousands tracking down the headphones, which retail between £119 and £239, Mr Ellis said it was ‘great’ that he found them and doesn’t have to purchase a new pair.
The marketing agency owner described the adventure as the ‘pettiest thing I’ve done in my entire life’ and noted how is own mother thought he was ‘mental’ for travelling around the globe to track down his headphones.
The Apprentice star Lewis Ellis, 31, embarked on a 4,000 mile journey to Qatar to track down AirPods he lost on an airplane five months ago
The marketing agency owner recorded his bid after spending months trying to track down the earphones that he left on a flight to Doha
Mr Ellis realised he had left his headphones behind after he got off a Qatar Airways flight from Bangkok to Doha, Qatar five months ago.
He said flight staff couldn’t allow him back in the cabin to retrieve them, but assured him he would be reunited with the AirPods after his layover.
To his dismay, four hours later, they were nowhere to be found and he left the airport.
He later had the idea of checking their location on the Find My app on his phone, learning his headphones went on an adventure of their own.
‘I then had the joy of watching them travel the world for no less than five months,’ Mr Lewis, founder of Hussel Marketing, told NeedToKnow.online.
‘I don’t know who took them but my AirPods went on the holiday of a lifetime.
‘I watched as they flew from Qatar to Katmandu, before heading to a small village in the Himalayan mountains overlooking Nepal. They then took a short jaunt to Thailand before finally coming to rest back in Doha.
‘I just couldn’t stand it any longer – so I decided to track them down.’
Ellis spent nearly £2,300 travelling to Doha, Qatar’s capital city, after Apple’s Find My feature revealed the AirPods were located in the Middle East
Ellis flew out to Doha and commenced the hunt for his lost headphones, constantly checking the Find My app so he could get as close as possible
Ellis was accompanied by his friend, Tom, and a local man called Karim who they met at the hotel they were staying at and was keen to help with their hunt
The group tracked the AirPods to an apartment block – the closest the app would get them – and then went floor-to-floor trying to connect to them by Bluetooth. The app would beep when he got within 15 metres of the headphones
What started as a joking dare from friends to go and retrieve them in person turned into an adventure for the entrepenuerer.
He flew out to Doha and commenced the hunt for his lost headphones, constantly checking the Find My app so he could get as close as possible, according to a video he posted to YouTube, documenting his journey to retrieve his ‘stolen’ AirPods.
Mr Ellis was accompanied by his friend, Tom, and a local man called Karim who they met at the hotel they were staying at. The former reality show star claimed Karim was keen to help.
‘We went hunting. It was an adventure and felt like I was in a lost treasure film, it was all very exciting,’ he said.
The group tracked the AirPods to an apartment block – the closest the app would get them – and then went floor-to-floor trying to connect to them by Bluetooth. The app would beep when he got within 15 metres of the headphones.
Finally, outside one of the rooms the headphones connected to Ellis’ iPhone.
‘We knew they were inside and I was determined to get them back. I would go back every day of the trip until I got them,’ he recalled. ‘I had the box with the serial number on it so was ready to prove they were mine.’
Mr Ellis, Tom and Karim were eventually allowed inside the residence, where several people were staying. He said the presumed-lost headphones were handed over without incident.
Mr Ellis realised he had left his headphones behind after he got off a Qatar Airways flight from Bangkok to Doha, Qatar five months ago. He said flight staff couldn’t allow him back in the cabin to retrieve them
Ellis also shared he was stunned to learn his AirPods were on the move, having even visited Thailand and Nepal
‘We high-fived and cheered, it was all fun and games and there were no hard feelings,’ Mr Ellis said.
‘As we left, one person apologised for the inconvenience, but I was just happy to have them back.’
Despite spending a total of £2,300 on flights, accommodation and food, Mr Ellis said he has no regrets taking the trip.
‘My mum thinks I’m mental but it was fun! We had no real plan but just hoped to find them again,’ he said.
‘The fact you can track tiny headphones around the world is unbelievable. I didn’t really expect to get them back and I joked that flying to Doha to get them is the pettiest thing I’ve ever done.
‘But it’s just great that we managed to find them – and now I don’t need to buy a new pair!’
