How the TV Chef became one of UK TikTok’s biggest stars

How the TV Chef became one of UK TikTok’s biggest stars

  • Gordon Ramsay is a British TikToker with nearly 30 million followers.
  • His videos often feature him shouting expletives while he speaks. “dunks”on the recipes of others.
  • Experts and TikTok users explain the surprise appeal of a 54-year old chef to TikTok viewers.

Gordon Ramsay — the 54-year-old chef who is often seen shouting, swearing, and cooking on his hugely successful TV cooking show “Hell’s Kitchen” — has become the second most-followed British creator on TikTok, an app best known for catapulting dancing teenagers to fame.

Amazingly, Ramsay has 29.4 million TikTok fans. This is more than the Australian population and almost three times the number of his daughter Tilly Ramsay (19 years old), whose 9.7million followers earned her a spot on the 2021 series of coveted spots. “Strictly Come Dancing.”

TikTok’s younger users are primarily associated with TikTok, with Charli Damelio (17 years old) being the platform’s most prominent star. Khaby Lame (21 years old) is closely following.

Ramsay may not be the typical TikTok user, but his popularity on the app gives us important insight into the evolving nature of influencers on this new platform. Insider talked to experts and fans about Ramsay’s rise to prominence as a TikToker, while not changing his core brand.

TikTok has Ramsay’s perfect TV persona.

Ramsay’s TikTok profile extends the TV personality that he has spent decades building. It can sometimes feature His recipesHowever, it’s mostly videos of him mocking food that his fans ask him to. “rate.”

Ramsay is known for his scathing criticisms of food preparation videos. He gives them a tough (and sometimes expletive-filled!) talking-to. “Man, what are you doing to that hotdog?!”He screams, “As!” molten cheese gets pouredAdd it to a frankfurter sausage. “You’re going to get whacked for this!”He shouts at the chicken nugget-based, “Italian tragedy“.

These videos offer Ramsay’s fans a 30-second glimpse of the character they love. Farren AlmeidaA 25-year-old UK tattoo artist made headlinesIn 2019, he held a contest where the winner would get a tattoo of Ramsay on their body. Insider was told by Almeida “his main connection with fans like me is his comedy side and the ‘character’ he is when he has outbursts at people — he’s hilarious with it.”

In these videos, it feels like viewers are getting a more informal, unedited version of Ramsay — he’s often standing in his kitchen without TV lighting and dramatic sound effects. Ramsay’s video isn’t the only thing we should be watching. “off-the-cuff”Hussein Kesvani (Internet expert and host of “TikTok”) said that the TikTok personas have not been carefully curated.Ten Thousand Posts“, “Human ErrorPodcasts are podcasts that explore technology and posting.

“His team have figured out how to use his sweary TV persona in very limited, marketing savvy ways,”He told Insider. “His character is given very clear limits: shit food,”He said this to refer to Ramsay’s TikTok main genre which features criticizing other peoples’ recipes.

Ramsay is able to sidestep controversy while maintaining a level of control on social networks could help him gain popularity. Ramsay uses a deliberately rude humor that does not rely on offense or anger. This delicate balance is something that many public figures in a similar age group have failed to achieve, like Piers Morgan, whom Kesvani said was a “strange” example. “good example of someone who didn’t define his character online, so now he just comes off as needlessly aggro.”

Ramsay’s content merges food and ‘dunking’ — two well-known ingredients for social media success

The biggest TikTok influencers are known for their unique dance routines and funny impersonations. Ramsay’s “trick” — berating other people’s food — sits in a sweet spot, where social media’s ObsessionTikTok’s unpolished, irreverent approach to food (and the posting of what we eat) is a perfect match for its more casual and informal vibe.

Kesvani claimed that food is one the best ways to engage on social media. “We all eat and we all have ‘food standards’, but the internet created a whole genre of food content designed primarily to make you mad,”He explained. “In the same way as sharing a meal is the classic communal-building ritual, sharing a picture of a meal is a classical way of communal engagement online.”

Ramsay’s food videos feel connected in a larger “dunking culture“That’s been gaining traction across social networks. Celebrities such as Chrissy TeigenAnd James BluntI have responded to celebrities, politicians, and commentators with an “epic takedown”Their online persona is based on their social media activity, which generates thousands of likes and comments. “personal brand”During the process.

Ramsay’s however “dunking”Ramsay’s interactions with his TikTok followers are very lighthearted in comparison to the political debates and discourse that populate Twitter YouTube Facebook. Ramsay’s interactions and TikTok followers are very defined. Both sides seem to have very clear boundaries. “in on the joke.”Because they know what to expect, it seems unlikely that someone would actually be offended by someone mocking their food.

Ramsay’s appeal may signal TikTok’s success expanding its userbase

TikTok’s younger users are what make TikTok so popular, but Ramsay’s longevity and celebrity status are driving TikTok’s popularity. Chris Stokel-Walker is a journalist and author of “TikTok Boom: China’s Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media,”Insider was told by Ramsay that 61% of his followers are over 25 according to TikTok data.

Ramsay’s success could be due to TikTok’s conscious effort at appealing to a wider audience. “When I’ve spoken with TikTok, they’ve been very keen to point out that they have older users now and that two-thirds of profiles are for people over the age of 25.”

Insider was also informed by TikTok that the app is popular among different age groups. The company’s advertising strategy seems to reflect this. UK TV ads have long-established celebrities who are familiar with older demographics such as the 64-year-old actor Stephen Fry, and TV duo. “Ant & Dec”(Antony McPartlin, Declan Donnelly), who exploded to popularity in the late-1990s/early-2000s.

Ramsay seems to encourage users to follow him (for some users, such as this writer), the profile is the first. “suggested account”After downloading TikTok in UK, you will be able to follow the instructions. Insider received a statement from Michael Djan (head of public figure partnerships at TikTok in the UK), stating that it recommends following the steps when users first join the platform. “popular accounts and creators to get you started,”The algorithm rewards content that is original and well-written. “timely, engaging, and appeals to our community that tunes in to be entertained.”

“For people who are new to TikTok and are maybe slightly uncertain as to what it is, Ramsay is a recognizable face from traditional TV and they know exactly what they’re getting from him,” Stokel-Walker said.

“If a celebrity like him is one of the first accounts you follow after downloading the app, you’re not going to be immediately confronted with content that’s bad or that you don’t understand.”

Check out Insider’s Digital Culture team for more stories similar to this.

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