KEY WEST, Florida — After eight previous tries, the husband of celebrity chef Paula Deen has won the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest held in the city where writer Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote during the 1930s.

Michael Groover won the contest held Saturday at Sloppy Joe's Bar, which is where the author often relaxed with friends. Deen applauded the victory of her 62-year-old husband, who is a harbor pilot from Savannah.

In this Saturday, July 21, 2018, photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Michael Groover, left, husband of celebrity chef Paula Deen, right, walks off the stage after competing in the semi-final round of the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Fla. On his eighth attempt, Groover won the competition, the highlight event of the island city's annual Hemingway Days festival.
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The contest was held on the 119th anniversary of Hemingway's birth and is a highlight of the annual Hemingway Days celebration.

Judged by former winners, the contest attracted 151 entrants. Semifinalists included entrants from Australia, Norway, and Ontario, Canada.

Groover said he shares Hemingway's love of fishing and hunting, and has written a book, "My Delicious Life with Paula Deen."

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Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com