Woman drives to fake grocery store listed on Google Maps and ends up on a TV show set
Published on Jul 22, 2025 at 8:36 AM (UTC-4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Jul 22, 2025 at 1:14 PM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
It was a bit of an embarrassing moment for this woman who accidentally drove to a fake grocery store listed on Google Maps and ended up on the set of a TV show.
We can understand her confusion as the Lidl in question was listed as an official supermarket on Google Maps. But she was left red-faced when the Economics and Public Affairs Director of the TV broadcaster set her straight.
The grocery store was located in the fictional location of Fair City in a TV show of the same name, produced by the Irish public service broadcaster, RTÉ.
The woman was redirected to a nearby real grocery store to do her weekly shop. But it just shows how realistic the set was if it was confusing members of the public.
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She drove to a fake grocery store listed on Google Maps
Google Maps is usually a very useful piece of navigation technology. But sometimes it can mess up a bit and be confusing for people just trying to go about their day.
A woman in Ireland was left red-faced when she drove to a Lidl grocery store listed on Google Maps as being located in ‘Fair City’.
Unbeknownst to her, Fair City is a fictional location from a TV show of the same name, produced by the Irish network, RTÉ.
When the woman attempted to get onto the TV set to do her weekly shop, she was intercepted by the Economics and Public Affairs Editor of RTÉ, David Murphy, who recounted the interaction on X.
Met a lady outside RTÉ trying to get in to do her shopping in the Lidl on the Fair City set this evening. It’s listed on Google Maps. I gave her directions to Tesco. pic.twitter.com/w5RZjbdYiq
— David Murphy (@davidmurphyRTE) July 21, 2025
When your weekly shop ends up on the set of a TV show
The incident has led to the fictional grocery store being removed from Google Maps to spare further blushes. But it shows how genuinely convincing the fake Lidl store looked.
David Murphy pointed the woman to a real-life Tesco near RTÉ’s Donybrook campus where the set was located so that she could actually do her shopping.
Props to the set designers, they accidentally made their supermarket set too realistic, and this poor woman paid for it.
Daisy is a technology and automotive journalist covering artificial intelligence, consumer tech, Apple news, cryptocurrency, emerging technologies, and transportation innovation. Since joining the team in 2025, she has reported on everything from AI-powered startups and major iOS updates to viral car stories and the latest developments shaping transportation and the digital economy. Drawing on her background in automotive journalism and a degree in History and Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London, Daisy specializes in breaking down complex topics into clear, engaging reporting for a global audience. Her work spans cutting-edge technology, innovative vehicles, and the people driving change across both industries. Daisy has gained first-hand access to some of the world's most talked-about technologies and innovators, including meeting Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot during its first European appearance in London. She has also discussed the future of space exploration with an astronaut, bringing unique insights and real-world perspectives to her coverage of emerging technology.
