LucyLane, Priya, Millie For: TikTok stars making a difference| Full list
From Sydney’s most popular German shepherd to hilarious impersonations of mean schoolgirls, TikTok celebrates all kinds of weird and wonderful talents. Check out who is making an impression on your FYP (For You Page).
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TikTok has soared in popularity recently, fuelled by Covid-enforced lockdowns around the world. From life hacks to comedy skits and, yes, even dance videos - we can’t deny that we’ve at least learnt a thing or two while scrolling through our FYPs (for you pages).
A number of Sydney TikTokers are making an impact on their respective communities. With TikTok providing a platform for people to make content at lightening pace, we’ve seen local Aussies shoot to fame notably from western Sydney, the North Shore, the inner city suburbs and even a face or two from regional NSW.
TikTok Australia and New Zealand general manager Lee Hunter said the social media platform will continue to provide a space where content creators can prosper.
“TikTok is such a special place because of the diverse and inspiring voices of our community. It’s home to so many talented creators from different backgrounds who are making a real impact. It‘s exciting to see local creators from our own backyard finding success and making connections with people from across the country and all over the world,” Mr Hunter said.
Here are 16 TikTokers, from across Sydney’s suburbs, who are making a difference in their online communities.
LucyLaneTheGSD - Lucy and Zac Ward - 1.4 million
Racking up about 1.4 million followers, Lucy Lane has to be one of Sydney’s most famous TikTokers.
Lucy’s social media bloomed from humble beginnings with owner, Zac Ward, wanting to document his time with his furry companion.
“It all stemmed from one guy who said he wished he’d taken more photos with his German shepherd and that stuck with me which is how I started making content,” Ward said.
“She grew pretty quick over the last COVID period on TikTok. I think it’s because she’s quite a highly trained German shepherd and I’ve taught her how to pose. So, now, whenever she sees a camera, she’ll prop herself up and pose on almost anything,” added the Balmain local.
“I’ve had people messaging me saying that Lucy’s content makes their day better. A quick 15 seconds with Lucy could drag you away from your bad day which gives me another reason to keep doing it,” he said.
Aside from bringing smiles to people’s faces as she graces their FYP (for you page), Lucy stands for much more than just being a photogenic doggo. She’s a stigma fighter.
“I enjoy creating TikTok content around Lucy because German shepherds have a lot of stigma around them being vicious dogs, attack dogs, police dogs and they’re known for those job roles because they’re very good at them,” Ward said.
“Sometimes, people like to focus on those things and they don’t realise that German shepherd’s are actually very sweet dogs as well. So, with my content, I really wanted to hone in on what a great family dog German Shepherds can be,” he said.
Additionally, the pair also advocate for spending more time with pets.
“To me, a dog is very much part of the family so we really encourage people to get more involved with their pets so they can do more with them like off leash hikes or going to restaurants. It contributes to an active lifestyle for both parties,” he said.
Next on the cards for the videographer and his 3 year old doggo is a creative venture.
“Once COVID lockdown is done, we plan to take a road trip around Australia. It’ll all be from Lucy’s perspective while we travel through the great outback so we’re excited,” Ward said.
Paharikawa - Pahari Kawa - 1.3 million followers
This 23-year-old inner Sydney TikToker has gathered a huge following over a short amount of time.
Going by the alias, Pahari Kawa, the Tiktoker of Pakistani descent tends to speak about history and mythology from all over the globe but maintains a key focus on the South Asian region.
While the platform became famous because of dance videos, Kawa’s algorithm catered to content that was of interest to him which led him to start an account.
“Last year when the pandemic began, I had just downloaded TikTok and noticed that things like social issues and history were being discussed. After watching, I decided to also begin making videos discussing interesting topics about South Asian history and culture. The positive response motivated me to further speak about such topics but regarding regions around the world,” he said.
“Unlike Instagram and Twitter, TikTok’s unique algorithm delivers content to people that tend to genuinely have an interest. I’m able to present my topics to thousands of people that can contribute to wider discussions and others that simply enjoy learning,” Kawa said.
Having always had a fascination with history, Kawa decided to start a TikTok that catered to his interests while simultaneously battling misconceptions.
“I’ve noticed that in the West, the knowledge of South Asian cultures, ethnicities, history and languages is quite limited, with our people being associated with a short set of offensive stereotypes,” he said.
“I hope that through my content, I’m able to mould the perception people have of South Asians.”
He’s noticed a trend when it comes to content that performs well for him.
“The sort of content that tends to get the best response is when I debate others. Videos where I disprove what I perceive as false information or statements I don’t agree with tend to receive more views. The audience that I’ve accumulated has formed into a community of people that share my interests, which I’ve become incredibly grateful for,” he 23-year-old Sydneysider said.
When asked where he sees himself going from here, this is what the history enthusiast had to say.
“This is a difficult question because it’s something I’m still working out myself. I have many dreams and I feel like my presence on TikTok can help me work towards them.”
HiMyNameIsPriya - Priya Sharma and Sid Madiwale - 817.1K followers
If you’ve spent time scrolling through TikTok, you’ve probably seen one of Priya Sharma’s many tutorials and heard her famous intro “Hi, my name is Priya”.
The account started from humble beginnings with Priya initially hopping on trends that were relatable to her upbringing.
“It was September of 2019, pre-COVID and everyone was talking about TikTok in my podcasting world so I downloaded it. I had no intention of making content. At the time TikTok was very much about trends, not so much anymore. I'm a estern Indian who grew up in Australia and there were so many western Indians on the platform joking and talking about our cullture and making relatable TikToks. So, I started making content like that and the rest is history,” she said.
Priya Sharma, 27, and her fiance Sid Madiwale, 28, noticed their success on the platform and decided to give up their careers as explosives/mining engineers to pursue TikTok full time and they’ve never looked back.
“We both kind of have the same story. We grew up in Australia. Sid grew up in Prestons, I grew up in Pennant Hills. We both decided to do mining engineering and that's how we met. Then we moved to Queensland and were living in the middle of nowhere, working 14-hour days and we decided enough was enough - there's more to life and we quit our jobs,” she said.
The two love birds got engaged earlier this year.
They now travel, live out of a van and sell spices as part of their new business venture.
The pair acknowledge how their choices make them role models for their communities.
Sharma (whose family is from Haryana) and Madiwale (whose family is from Pune), know that they have followed an unconventional path by cultural standards and they encourage other people from similar backgrounds to pursue happiness first and foremost.
“Sid and I went on exchange to Austria for six months when we were in our last year of uni and it completely changed our perspective on life. We realised we don't want to work forever and I don't want to wait until I'm 60 to experience this again - travelling for six months - because when you start working you can’t just take six months off,” she said.
“That experience changed our trajectory in life. We were going to do the conventional thing - get married, buy a house, have kids and wait until retirement to travel. But now we've got the travel bug and decided we need to work towards a life where travelling is something that we can just do sustainably,” she said.
Breaking the news to those closest to them wasn’t easy.
“Telling my family and friends went how you think it would go. It was easier to tell them because I hadn't seen them for 11 months. We were in peak lock down and I couldn't fly back from Queensland, where I was working, to Sydney. For a person living with their parents, the conversation would never end but I could tell them and hang up. But I still went through all the emotions,” Sharma said.
“What they were concerned about was stability. Like, how will you get money? And we're still figuring it out. We're living the dream, but we haven't found a way to keep living the dream but we're working on it,” she said
The pair shared an insight into why they left the stability of engineering for the uncharted waters of TikTok.
“In the traditional sense of being happy, I think success and security are co-mingled and confused. I think we’re taught culturally, especially as Indians, that security is some form of success but it’s about making that disconnect. Because a lot of people are building lives that are secure - we’re getting good grades, good jobs - but we might not be happy and that was certainly the case for us. We studied engineering for four years, got good jobs but there was something missing. I think because we’re not really talk to focus on our passions, dreams and happiness but rather security, that’s part of the problem. It’s always a big scary decision to leave your job and follow your dreams, it was for us, but you have to do it,” Madiwale said.
“What we want to inspire people to do is pick your happiness over what may look successful. We need to start judging success as happiness rather than how much you earn at work, or when you bought a house or can. We need to start asking, are you happy? And that’s it,” Sharma said.
Milligram96 - Millie Ford - 756.4K followers
This TikToker has brought back memories for all Aussies, young and old. With her uncanny impersonations of mean school girls, to teachers and even retail staff - she’s bound to bring a smile on the faces of whoever's FYP she lands on.
Millie Ford, 25, has become TikTok famous because of her niche humour but this specific genre wasn’t a recent discovery for her.
“I’ve always been super creative and have loved mucking around with acting and creating content my whole life. I have two brothers and a sister, and growing up we had the most weirdly specific and niche humour which couldn’t be explained to others. People called it Ford humour and it kind of became this well known thing amongst our friends,” said the North Shore local.
“I think that might be why I love focusing on niches in my content, because I find it absolutely hilarious when you can describe a scarily specific moment in time that everyone seems to have experienced - it’s the most satisfying feeling.”
The TikTok sensation joined the app in 2019 after being encouraged to create an account by her employer at the time, MTV.
“The first year I was posting random clips from my life with one or two videos gaining a few thousand likes but no real traction. I then had a stupid fringe trend video blow up which earned me 28,000 followers and then a couple of skit type videos took off as well. Then, in February this year, I jumped on the POV-niche (point of view) bandwagon and re-enacted an encounter I’d had with a condescending girl from high school. As it turned out, so many people had had a similar experience so it blew up and the people wanted more.”
So Ford delivered what the people asked for.
“From there, I started to get super creative, and introduced multiple characters I’d experienced from my life, not realising everyone else had too,” she said.
“I try to focus on relatable and nostalgic Australian moments from my life but in particular, the really niche and wildly specific memories that most of us have forgotten about, which I enjoy unlocking for everybody. In terms of characters, people seem to particularly love my teacher and mum impressions.”
Ford now has a massive soft spot for the platform that shot her to viral internet fame.
“The thing I love about TikTok is that there is absolutely no pressure for content to perform well but there is a chance that it could; the chance of virality on TikTok is part of what makes it highly addictive,” she said.
“I also love the TikTok community – it’s such a beautiful and positive place and you really feel like you’re connecting with friends not strangers. I love to make people laugh and reading the comments and realising we all had the same experiences growing up absolutely kills me.”
More than being a comedian, Ford is a huge advocate for self-care, personal growth and mental health.
“In high school, I started to feel anxiety and depression like a lot of young people. I had really low self esteem and self worth. I was confident, yes, but I didn’t feel special. I was a late bloomer and coming out of high school prompted my self love journey and I grew into myself,” she said.
“That journey evoked this interest in self-love because I felt like social media was so superficial and I participated in putting this perfect image out there that didn’t even represent me that well. It was about instant gratification from likes and followers. But that contributed to my anxiety post-high school. I was having panic attacks and didn’t know what was triggering them.
“Mental health was being discussed more by then and that’s when I started to look into it. As I matured, I became an advocate for learning about yourself to a deeper level and developing emotional intelligence as much as academic intelligence. I don’t think we prioritise it enough but it’s such a big part of your relationships with yourself and others.
“The reason I’m so passionate about it is because I don’t want young girls to grow up in the same environment I did and social media perpetuates damaging high levels of unattainable perfection. So calling attention to being kind to yourself is really important to me.”
Hu_Jeffrey - Jeffrey Hu - 494.6K followers
Hurstville local, Jeffrey Hu, is bound to get your feet tapping and your body moving. Since starting his TikTok channel last year, he’s earned his claim to fame with tutorials and dance content but he wasn’t expecting such rapid growth.
“I started my Tiktok channel during lockdown because there was not much to do and I just wanted to make some videos for fun. It turned out people really liked them so I just kept making them,” Hu said.
Being creative is nothing new for the Tik Tokker who has had previous success on YouTube and Instagram.
He uses this platform to advocate for self expression, physical activity through dance and education.
“I have always been huge on creating valuable and inspirational content for viewers so they're not just wasting their time scrolling through their phone. I always try to add an educational aspect to my content involving dance so they can hopefully take in the information and study more about their body and dancing in their spare time,” Hu said.
“I do this to encourage others to be more proactive in new ways, or more specifically through dancing, and as a result allowing them to be able to express themselves and simply have fun.”
He boasts quite an expansive demographic range when it comes to his audience.
“I have quite a big range of audiences on Tiktok, ranging from young teenagers to parents up to their 40s. They seem to really like my tutorial contents where I break down simple dance moves for the viewer, and that way they can learn something from just watching a short video online,” Hu said.
He has big dreams for the future and we’ll be keeping an eye out for his new content to drop.
“I would love to tap more into other fields of personal development in the future, with things like motivational talks and useful tips for their daily life, looking after their mind, body and soul etc. I just love to create useful content for people based on what has helped me along the journey of life.”
SmurfGoPopPop - Steven Yannopoulos - 431.5K followers
This TikToker came into fame for fascinating the TikTok community when he graced their FYPs (for you pages) with his facial structure that reminded people of Zayn, Maluma and even Fawad Khan.
But Steven Yannopoulos is much more than just a pretty face. He advocates for mental and emotional well-being, clear communication and personal growth.
“TikTok is great because you can do so many things. I’ve boxed myself in with my content in the past but I don’t want to do that anymore and TikTok allows you the freedom to create anything from mental health to a cheeky thirst trap,” Yannopoulos said.
“I have so many interests like mental health, gaming, sports and gym. I like versatility with my content which mirrors me as a person.”
When it comes to moving forward Yannopoulos plans on just being himself and seeing where it takes him.
“I live unapologetically, in the most respectful of ways to stay in alignment with my inner truth. My content will reflect that going forward,” he said.
“When you post for views, you lose authenticity. That’s why I post whatever I want. My content is pretty random.
“In a general sense I would like to keep growing so I can make an impact on people and have more cool experiences. There’s no big goal with my content creation. It’s just about moving forward, not boxing myself into a stereotype and just staying creative.”
Through his content, Yannopoulos has built a strong bond with his followers.
“I love the human interaction that comes with TikTok. You get to talk to people from around the world. Like last week I got some sunflowers at the door and it just made me smile,” he said.
“People also tend to send me artwork. My mum loves this drawing that we’ve put in the living room and she’ll sit in front of it to look at it. She’s so proud.”
The young gun, in his early 20s, is also a pioneer for education and expression of opinion. He has grand aspirations about changing his community through educational interactions.
“Teaching is the goal. My English teacher changed my life and that’s what I want to do for kids. She taught me about life and I think we should have a life class that talks about taxes and life skills and what it is to be a good person. I’d want to contribute to that process,” he said.
When he’s not on TikTok, he spends his time wisely.
“I’m usually spending all my time with family or friends, working or I’m at the gym,” he said.
The Tiktoker revealed that you may often see him around western Sydney with his friends or while running errands.
For the most part, Yannopoulos likes to keep his life on the DL.
“I’m quite private online. It’s a crazy world and you don’t want people to know everything about you. You have to be sensible. I also try not to talk about myself too much because I’m here for everyone else and not just for myself,” he said.
For anyone looking to start up on TikTok or just gain confidence in general, this is his advice.
“Communication is at the centre of confidence and then there’s the acceptance part. There’s genuine effort that goes into being a good person. Confrontation and tackling things head on were also a core part of becoming comfortable as I am. A lot of self-evaluation and the ability to grow gave me confidence I have today,” he said.
DanaWang - Dana Wang - 293.1K followers
One look at Dana Wang’s TikTok account and you know you’re in for a non-stop scrolling adventure if you like educational content, Kdramas (Korean dramas), funny skits or even just relatable second generation immigrant content. She also has an affinity for food and travel.
While we know Wang as a TikToker, this successful young powerhouse has much more going on in real life.
“I am a lawyer based in Sydney and in my free time I enjoy watching kdrama, travel photography and making TikToks. Before TikTok, I was a food blogger on Instagram,” she said.
While Wang has had the popular social media app for quite a while, it wasn’t until last year’s lock down that she started using it. Since then, her following has grown exponentially.
“I had a TikTok account since 2018 but did not post much and mainly used it for watching other people’s videos. My current TikTok account, I created in April 2020 back in our first lockdown,” she revealed.
“My audience likes relatable Asian content and Kdrama content. Most of my audience are Asians who are born overseas as well as non-Asians interested in Asian culture and Kdrama.”
Wang harnesses the platform to connect to her online community who share similar interests. She also advocates for causes that are important to her.
“I like making content as, being an Australian-born Chinese, I am able to share content on relatable experiences I have encountered, different things about my culture and other Asian cultures. I am also able to use my platform to raise awareness and speak against the recent Asian hate events,” she said.
“I like TikTok because there is a community. For example, my videos on kdrama are shared and watched by people interested in kdrama and my For You Page shows other content creators who also like kdrama.”
Wang has her sights on further content creation which we hope to see pop up on our FYPs very soon.
“I see myself collaborating with more Asian creators on TikTok and other social media platforms in the future,” she said.
EessaVibe - Eessa Abdallah - 253K followers
He’s hilarious, cheeky and outrageously bold. If you’re looking for a good time filled with endless laughs, just click on Abdallah’s TikTok account and scroll to your heart’s content.
Once you’re done, you’ll no doubt find yourself mouthing his catchphrase “Sorry?” whenever you see his content.
Although the Canterbury-Bankstown local has experienced TikTok fame quite recently, with the platform skyrocketing in last year’s lockdown, the origins of his personality and humour come from his upbringing.
“I’ve always been an outgoing, bubbly person with a big imagination. I was also a very kiddy kid, I acted my age and never really grew up quick but things in my life made me grow up quicker and mature more rapidly. At my core, though, I’m still a kid at heart,” Abdallahm said.
“I definitely draw a lot of my banter from my background, childhood and upbringing. My humour developed as a way to cope with the tougher things I dealt with in my childhood. I like to put a positive spin to things so this is how I do it.
“A year ago, when I downloaded the app, it was all about dance trends but then the platform shifted and videoing yourself talking started to become a trend.
“Around the middle to end of last year, I was in a dark place in my life and I remember I picked up the camera and just recorded myself talking. On one of my first videos, I got 10,000 views and then it started from there.
“When I saw that I’d gained an audience through just being me, it gave me more confidence and enthusiasm to put effort into my content.”
His relationship with his audience is one of his favourite things about the platform.
“I have the best audience. They’re the funniest bunch of people. My comment section makes me laugh out loud all the time. And I’m glad they come from all ages, all cultures, all religions. That’s what I love,” he said.
“I feel like you just get people around you, from all around the world, that are on the same life level as you - they’re on the same flight or train, so to speak. It’s made me realise that there are people out there that like what you like. There are people out there that believe in what you believe and you just have to find the right audience for you. And I’m so grateful to have found mine.”
More than just comedy, he acknowledges how important his role is as a representative of his community.
“There’s always added pressure that comes with being a social media figure, especially with my background. I‘m an Arab and Muslim so I’m always mindful about what I do because I’m aware that I’m a representative of the community and proudly so,” he said.
He also uses his platform to touch on important topics like self-confidence, cultural issues faced by second generation immigrants and customer abuse in retail as seen by his TikToks.
Abdallah is aware of the power he holds on the platform and looks forward to using it for his advocacy in the future.
“One thing I‘ve noticed over the past couple of months, being on active on the app, is how strong a message can get tossed around. TikTok is an extremely social app. If you want to start something, you will find people to support you. You will find an audience for a campaign, a protest, whatever you name it. If people believe in it. You will get the audience and freedom to express what you want. It’s just very special app and I’m amazed at how much a click of a button can really just go all around the world so fast,” Abdallah said.
When it comes to where he sees himself going next, the sky really is the limit.
“This is just the beginning for EessaVibe. Stay tuned because it‘s going to be a fun, positive ride and I hope people still keep watching and supporting me. I can’t wait to see what the future hold.”
From impersonations to playful stitch reactions of other TikToks, Eessa’s content will leave you in stitches so be sure to check out his account, EessaVibe, when you need a pick-me-up after a long day.
Lawrence_Bing - Lawrence Bing - 204.2K followers
Blacktown local Lawrence Bing has taken the TikTok world by storm having garnered over 200,000 followers on the app.
The platform was recommended to the influencer who has been posting on it ever since.
“Funny enough, one of my friends told me to get on to TikTok in 2016 - and since then I haven’t looked back. I have been posting every single day or sometimes twice a day - I can’t get enough. I really enjoy creating content which makes me happy through an app which gives me so much creative freedom,” he said.
Bing uses his platform to create a safe space in which members of his online community can come to interact with his content and discuss relevant contemporary issues and topics. His page is LGBTQ+ Friendly & Related.
“When it comes to creating content on TikTok, the best part for me is the fact I can interact with the community and get them involved in important conversations that sometimes aren’t being had,” he said.
Bing said he consciously uses his platform to elevate unheard voices, provide an insight into his journey and educate the wider community on LGBTQ+ related topics.
“My TikToks give me a positive purpose and allow me to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and share voices that aren‘t being heard. I used TikTok to document my journey when I was transitioning and found a sense of community on the app which was really helpful. To be able to share and educate people is also really important to me,” he added.
“Oh and creating TikToks while in lockdown has hands down been fun - and a saviour.”
This TikTok star is heavily interactive with his audience and shares a tight bond with them.
“TikToks where I interact with my audience are the most popular. My followers love a good daily vlog where I ask fun questions like what‘s your favourite animal or favourite drink (I love to hydrate people). I try to create a kind, happy and safe space where everyone feels included and this is why people comment, react, share and duet with me,” he said.
Bing’s commentaries are powerfully educational and we look forward to seeing what content this powerhouse influencer comes up with next.
Pnuks - Paniora Nukunuku - 191.2K followers
This 27-year-old TikToker is a force to be reckoned with. Panlora Nukunuku is a youth worker and advocate who covers mental health, youth homelessness, youth advocacy and basically everything in between.
“I’m from New Zealand but also grew up in western Sydney. I come from a Cook Island Maori background so I’m Cook Islander as well. English is my second language and I’m also someone who lives with a disability,” he said.
While most people get on TikTok for fun, Nukunuku went in with a strategy.
“The purpose behind jumping on TikTok was to enhance my skills as a youth worker and find out what’s relevant for young people and teenagers. I was trying to follow the trends and topics that were popular and being discussed in these spaces with young people. So, while most people saw TikTok as an entertainment service, I saw it as a tool on how to be more relevant and aware of social issues that are happening not just locally, but also internationally,” the dedicated youth worker said.
His content is also highly educational and gives audiences a unique insight into his life.
“The content I started creating was around my disability as an amputee and I wanted to explain to people, friends and family on some of the benefits of having an amputated leg like free unlimited time parking and free education from TAFE. However, I was also highlighting the challenges on what it’s like to live with a disability as a young person,” Nukunuku said.
“I explained the challenges of being a young person with a disability by drawing upon life experience and explaining what it was like for me being a teenager and the level of discrimination I’d face in society because of the misconception that only old people or people with wheelchairs or visible disabilities can be disabled and no one else.”
Through his content, Nukunuku has reached out and touched the lives of many.
“A lot of my audience are young children and parents. I get heaps of parents inboxing me, thanking me for the content because it’s given them, or their child, the confidence to know that their child who has a disability can have a pretty normal life,” he said.
Aside from being a youth advocate and an advocate for people with disabilities, Nukunuku is also a very active activist commentating on a wide range of social issues.
“Throughout the many tragic global disasters that happened in 2020, I also dabbled in social issues like the Black Lives Matter movement in Australia which covers Indigenous issues and involves listening to the voices of First Nations people,” he said.
He also commentates on issues that exist within his own community, making him a point of contact for youth from similar backgrounds who may need specific help or understanding.
“I created videos covering issues like domestic violence and cultural educational challenges faced in the Pacific Islander community and I’ve faced tremendous criticism for highlighting these issues. There’s a mass denial of issues in the community and an upkeep of the family image that gets in the way of these issues being addressed, even if it comes in the way of a child’s mental and emotional well being,” he said.
When it comes to creating content that’s informative but engaging, Nukunuku seems to have cracked the code.
“I noticed that using humour or easily digestible bites of topics raises the engagement of the content I produce,” he said.
And we know he does it well because he’s attracted quite a large following.
Nukunuku said he hoped to continue to use his platform to engage with young people and make a difference.
“I count my lucky stars that I was able to get this level of engagement and have this small but very mighty community behind me on TikTok. I’m hoping to get verified to add a level of legitimacy to the things I do around advocacy stuff and use that to leverage the work I do as a youth worker and content creator,” he said
“I would love to make content creation a fulltime job and help other people in the community, those from lower socio-economic areas, to have the opportunity and ability to choose to do the same if that’s where their passions lie.”.
_VeronicaB_ - Veronica B - 190.2K followers
When you think Veronica B, the first thing that comes to mind are the words glamorous, hilarious and even-headed. You may know her for her popular character, Salma.
The TikTok starlet is known for her caricatures and impressions but has also used her platform to draw attention to and fuel discussions around serious issues on various occasions, usually via her Instagram stories. She also hosted the ‘The Real Glamours of Western Sydney’, an event that caught a lot of online attention.
More than just a TikToker, Veronica’s interests are widespread.
“I‘m a content creator, entertainer and speaker from Sydney. My passion is health and fitness, travelling, partying and obviously content creation,” she said.
Her content spouts from humble beginnings and, due to her experience, she now advocates heavily for self-confidence and the pursuit of dreams.
“I have been a small content creator for years and was striving for that breakthrough moment. So many people mocked me in school because I never gave up on trying to be where I am now,” she said.
“I was very reluctant at first to get the app because of the stereotype around the app being for kids. Then my friends kept insisting that this is the app I should be posting on, and one day I gave it a go out of force. I still hated it, until my account went viral after the 3rd video.”
Having reached her level of success and virality on the app, Veronica acknowledges her place as a role model for youth in the Arab community.
“Doing this like this, on social media and TikTok, is unconventional and it’s new to my community so I hope that my presence in this space encourages people to also do what they love, regardless of what anyone has to say,” the established TikToker said.
She’s always harboured an interest for this field.
“I‘m so passionate about content creation, you have no idea. I’ve always loved editing, filming, creative writing and making entertaining content for the world to see. I thrive off the engagement and interaction that my videos and posts receive,” she said.
The young influencer is thankful for her audience and interacts with them often.
“I receive many messages on the daily telling me how my content is putting a smile on people‘s faces during difficult times. Knowing that, by me being my natural self and doing what I love is making others happy, is one of the greatest feelings,” she said.
Veronica know what her audience likes, so she delivers.
“My audience like authentic, relatable content as well as the comedic skits based on middle eastern stereotypes. My raw personality is what they like to see,” she said.
Veronica said she was looking to the future optimistically with hopes of expansions and growth.
“I definitely have big goals that I‘ve always dreamed of doing and now it’s possible, well hopefully it’s possible if these restrictions ever end. I love to travel and vlog so one goal of mine is to be able to get trips paid for and vlog the journey; that would be insane.”
Nickdelahoyde - Nick De La Hoyde - 177.9K followers
More than being a TikToker, Nick De La Hoyde is first and foremost a talented musician with an interesting range talents.
“I am a musician and a movie fanatic. I’ve been spending most of my time writing music and as of recently making rings,” he said.
With music at the forefront of his mind, the young muso took to TikTok to expand his horizons but ended up falling in love with the app afterwards.
“I started my TikTok channel to help promote my music and to try and reach a new audience.
Being in the music industry you have to keep up with all the new apps that come out,” De La Hoyde said.
“But soon after downloading the app I fell in love with the freedom of the app and felt like I could be myself on there and post whatever I like. Also being able to reach a wide audience gave me more drive to keep going.”
Off late, the Kenthurst resident has taken a different approach to delivering his small dose of positivity advocacy on the platform.
“I like to spread positivity on the app and make something positive from a negative situation.
I make rings out of old vintage cutlery and give them away online to people that are going through a tough time or even to those who are also spreading positivity,” he explained.
De La Hoyde posts videos of his music, funny snippets of his family and his well known ring videos and it’s obvious he enjoys posting a range of content on his TikTok platform.
“I love the freedom of it and that it’s not too serious. I feel like it allows you to express yourself and not overthink your content,” he said.
When asked where the young gun sees himself going, this is what De La Hoyde had to say -
“I like to take each day as it comes. But expect a lot of music and rings from me on the near future.”
We keenly await more ring and music content from this TikTok superstar.
KookingWithAKoori - Nathan Lyons - 144.2K followers
Nathan Lyons offers up something a little different than what you would usually expect from TikTok.
The 35-year-old father-of-six from Penrith accidentally stumbled across TikTok fame after his culinary skills went viral.
“I had been watching a lot of other people doing their thing in the kitchen, I wanted to share some of our Aussie staples and indigenous favourites, I started out with the bully beef and that took off and now has over 400k views, from there people started throwing ideas at me and yeah that‘s how it all started,” Lyons said.
His videos are funny and informative but teach his audience a very important life skill.
“I offer up a bit of a giggle ... I thought I’d show some old school classics and how I feed my lot cheaply,” he said.
The platform has now turned into a place of social interaction for the TikToker.
“TikTok is a place where I can enjoy cooking, share and learn new recipes and trying new styles, I love being able to engage people on TikTok, whether it‘s by throwing in a fun cheeky one liner to make people laugh or stirring up footy fans while sharing my recipes. I’ve been able to connect to a community of foodies and educate them about my culture as well - which is great,” he said.
When it comes to cracking the TikTok algorithm, Lyons prefers to just go with the flow.
“It’s a hard one. Different videos have caught on over the time. Wookiee cake hack, bully beef and the Devon cake. It’s hard to judge what will catch on or will flop,” he said.
“I’m not sure (about the future), I’m just riding the wave of popularity, and if that ends tomorrow I’ve had an amazing ride. I feel very blessed by the attention,” he said.
One thing is for sure, we know we’ll be hitting up Lyon’s TikTok channel for some dinner ideas soon.
Fahad_Teaches - Fahad Khan - 75.2K followers
Western Sydney medical student, Fahad Khan, has hit TikTok virality on multiple occasions.
His cool, calm and collected demeanour while delivering information in accessible ways is a contributing factor to his TikTok success.
“I’m from western Sydney and people know me for my medical and dental school entry tips online. In the offline world, I’ve got a neuroscience degree and I’m now a second year med student at WSU. I’ve always wanted to be a doctor so I’m thankful to be in this position,” the Penrith resident said.
Advocacy is a huge part of what Khan does both online and offline.
“I’ve always been really passionate about helping people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds because I’ve come from there. I was raised by a single mother in a western Sydney and have faced lots of hardships so I try to incorporate that in everything I do. Even the content I make on TikTok is based on helping people who don’t have access to a personal tutor - I make access to information free online,” Khan said.
The 22-year-old med student started his TikTok channel a little while ago and hasn’t looked back since.
“My brother, Assad, is more into social media and advised me to start a TikTok channel. I got into it after that and it appealed to me because you don’t need huge production quality as long as you have quality content. TikTok is authentic in that way,” he said
“I felt like I’d be able to reach more people via TikTok since I was already helping people online through med forums. This way it gave everyone easier access to information and a face to put with the advice which I think is pretty helpful,” he added.
It sounds like Khan has a bright and busy future ahead with a handful of endeavours in his sights.
“In a short-term perspective, I see myself moving away from high school content and more into university topics. Beyond that, I’m working towards showing my personality in my work instead of my older content which was more stiff ‘how-to’ style stuff,” he said.
“In terms of business, I have a tutoring company, Neura Academy, that I’m running and it’s been great. The results have been amazing and I’ve helped lots of people and I’m working on a secret project at the moment which is in design phase. I’m diversifying myself from study content into broader categories,” Khan said.
We’re interested to see what that secret project is so we’ll be watching this space keenly in the interim.
Onyedkwe - Onye Agbarakwe - 61.7K followers
Onye Agbarakwe is a powerhouse. This 27-year-old, Sydney-based TikToker has a lot going on. By day, he works in pathology and is training to become a personal trainer. When he’s not doing that, he’s making successful TikToks. Just thinking about his schedule makes us tired.
Lock down was the inspiration behind the conception of Agbarakwe’s TikTok account.
“I was bored during lockdown, and was finding a lot of dead time in between when I woke up and when I go to work, as I work afternoon to morning. I also just love entertaining and making videos and content so Tiktok was the most accessible since I can’t go outside to take photos,” Agbarakwe said.
He is deeply in touch with his audience and delivers content he knows they’ll like. He also integrates positivity and self-growth advocacy into his work.
“My audience is mostly enjoying the positivity posts and the lockdown series. My page is all over the place with a side of it talking about the stresses and boredom of lockdown and another side discussing how to help yourself get through the hard time,” said the inner-city resident.
“My audience has been really good, I’ve not really come across negativity, which you’re
always going to find on the internet, which surprised me a little bit. My content is for all ages, I do have some things that a bit more mature but generally everyone loves dancing and a great vibe,” he added.
The world is sure to hold many great things for Agbarakwe in the future so, for now, he’s just riding the TikTok wave and seeing where it takes him.
“I’m just going to continue doing what I’m doing because I initially started it for my self improvement and to have as a diary of sorts. We’ll see how it goes,” he said.
JackTossol - Jack Tossol - 52.7K followers
Jack Tossol is a TikToker who’s very much in touch with life in regional Australia, both in NSW and VIC.
“I’m a true-blue country boy born and bred of cattle farmers on both sides of the family. I have however spent the last stint of my life in the big smoke through boarding school, university and currently as a faceless suit devoid of any personality working an office finance job,” Tossol said.
His TikTok, which initially started as a bit of a gag, has now morphed into an ample following for Tossol.
“I first started my Tik Tok account as bit of a joke to give my mates a bit of a laugh. In the depths of lockdown 1.0 last year I was bunkered down solo at my family’s house on the coast and it was that time when everyone was doing really weird stuff like baking sourdough, completing puzzles and, for me, creating a TikTok so my mates could get a laugh at my expense,” Tossol said.
“Long story short, my videos did better than expected. They started getting traction from others, not just my mates, so I kept punching out content. I’ve always been a bit creative and a bit of a joker,” he added.
TikTok seems to be the perfect place for Jack and the platform allows him to be himself online. The authenticity of the platform allows him to serve as a representative for the ‘true blue farmer’ narrative without being edited or polished.
“I like TikTok, its raw and organic, anyone can go viral on it. You’ll find everyday people on there, it‘s not as superficial and polished like other platforms,” he said.
Tossol’s content range is far-reaching so he’s sure to have something that tickles everyone’s fancy.
“My content is very dry Australian humour. I like to make fun of everyone under the sun, from tradies, to politicians on both sides to farmers ... especially farmers. It‘s sort of in the same vein as Paul Hogan, Russell Coight and the Betoota Advocate, a lot of self-deprecating content,” he laughed.
It seems Tossol’s audience is as expansive as his content.
“I like to think of my audience as quite diverse across Australia, my humour connects to ordinary Australians from truckies in Tamworth to real estate agents in Rose Bay,” he said.
“The content which connects to people the most is when I bring to light different stereotypes of Australian culture, whether it be over charging mechanics, farmers using drought relief to buy a new Landcruiser or people from Coogee who’d rather take a bullet to the leg than live west of Surry hills,” Tossol said.
The only direction for this TikToker is up and further up.
“I hope to gain a mass following of millions and make more money than you can poke a stick at so I can retire in my 20’s in Malibu and drink beers and surf for the next 70 years. Pending that maybe I’ll move into comedy, maybe media appearances, who knows? At this stage, I’m happy to roll with the punches and see where it takes me,” said the jokester.
Tossol’s dreams sound like heaven and we wish him all the best with his endeavours. In the meantime, we’ll make sure to stay tuned and consume more of that dry Aussie content that he’s so well known for.
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