Holly H, Britain's biggest TikTok star
Credit: Tom Jackson
Becoming a Strictly star can propel a budding performer to heights they might never have otherwise reached. Comedians, soap stars and DJs can spend years waiting for the right call. The prize on offer is not just the glitterball but, perhaps above all else, fame.
For 22-year-old Holly H, though, her response to Strictly Come Dancing producers last year was “thanks but no thanks”. She just wouldn’t have had the time.
Holly H may hate the word “celebrity” but, for those uninitiated in the world of TikTok, it’s hard to describe her as anything but.
She is the biggest UK creator on the viral video app, having accumulated almost 17 million followers, and is rumoured to be able to charge as much as £60,000 from brands for just one sponsored post. When she posts a video on the app – typically 30-second snippets of her lip-syncing to music or dancing – she will receive millions of views.
‘I don’t feel like a celebrity’
Holly H admits she can’t walk down the street without being approached by fans – something she argues is “really incredible”, and not as intimidating as it sounds.
“But I don’t feel like a celebrity in any way whatsoever,” she says. “I spend most of my time sitting in my house and watching TV, cooking pasta.”
Holly H may not picture it this way but, increasingly, these internet stars have become the celebrities of the day.
Last year, in Britain, the pool of such stars ballooned as vast numbers of people turned to the internet for company during the pandemic.
@hollyh
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According to Ofcom, by April, the number of adults using TikTok had hit 12.9 million, up from just 5.4 million in January. Of those who are online, nine in 10 adults were using at least one of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Snapchat.
In August, adults were spending around 40pc of their waking day watching TV and online video services, including YouTube.
Jay Flynn hadn’t ever imagined he’d be among those attracting millions of viewers online. In fact, just before Covid-19 hit, he hadn’t even thought of running a virtual pub quiz.
When Britain imposed its first lockdown in March, Flynn set up an event on his own Facebook page, hoping to bring together friends by running the pub quiz from his living room. But, within days, half a million people had registered their interest.
Now, nine months later, Jay’s Virtual Pub Quiz is still going strong, with a loyal fan base of 190,000 people who tune in to YouTube every Thursday and Saturday.
Jay Flynn MBE, the man behind the viral sensation Jay's Virtual Pub Quiz
During this period, the 38-year-old has raised £800,000 for charity, received an MBE for his efforts and even been inducted into the England Lionhearts squad.
Flynn is not alone in being surprised at receiving a huge response online. Dr Julie Smith, a clinical psychologist who had first set up a TikTok account to provide short bursts on mental health in late 2019, has been overwhelmed by the reaction since Covid-19 hit.
In the first month of lockdown, she accumulated a quarter of a million followers, and now has more than 2.3 million people who watch her videos regularly.
“Obviously more people had time to check out social media, but I think there’s more to it than that. People are hungry for this information, and wanting to talk about things like looking after themselves.”
TikTok: Growth in adult users
Her view is echoed by Doctor Emeka, a medical doctor whose videos are part of the “Learn On TikTok” initiative, providing information on everything from the latest vaccine studies to medical tips. It is work that is being given growing prominence on the app as it seeks to clamp down on misinformation and, despite only launching his channel in April, he has grown to a following of 212,000 people.
Professionals and experts may be flocking to video apps, using them as a means to reach a whole new audience. Others are building careers entirely on their online presence.
James Lewis, a Cardiff-based artist who posts videos of his work on TikTok, is now reaching millions around the world.
Online, he has more than 3.6 million followers, the majority in America, aged between 20 and 30. “The potential is huge,” the 25-year-old says. “The reach for art is massive.”
Ofcom figures on social media sites
Matthew and Ryan, a couple from Southampton who use their channels to “spread love”, agree making a career on TikTok is “100pc doable”.
“We have,” says Ryan. “There are hundreds of ways you can do it.” They, for example, treat their TikTok feed as if it were a full-time job.
In part, they can focus on this because they receive cash from the TikTok creator fund, which was launched last year for creators to seek what are essentially grants for making videos on the site. But Matthew and Ryan also do paid partnerships with advertisers – weaving products into their pranking videos to put out to their 2.7 million followers.
The younger skew of the audience is something many of the top creators are acutely aware of. While TikTok says its app is “intended for users aged 13 and over”, and urges adults to “please not allow a child under the age of 13 to use the app”, around 31,000 of 10-12 year-old girls in the UK downloaded the app during the final three months of 2019. Creators know this is something they have to be aware of.
Florence Simpson, for example, started documenting her weight loss journey through TikTok, ultimately attracting a following of more than 600,000 people. But, she says, she’s been “really conscious about people’s mental health”.
‘People love drama’
Holly H says she “used to base what I was posting originally off my brother and he was about eight at the time”.
Still, she says, internet stars can make mistakes – something which, in the past, has led to so-called “doxxing”, where private information is shared about users, and them being “cancelled”, vilified by the community.
“I hate it,” Holly H bursts. “People love drama, they’ve always loved drama, just it used to be on television and now it’s online.”
Last year saw a swelling of internet stars, reaching audiences producers of many TV shows could only dream of. Now, it seems, increasingly, they’re tapping social media for top talent. The question is, will the new generation of celebrities answer?
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