TikTok star Sopha Dopha responds to THAT Tony Armstrong controversy

She went viral for an awkward exchange with Tony Armstrong at the TikTok Awards. But just who is Sopha Dopha? In her first interview since that incident, the influencer tells what really happened.

For someone who never set out to be an influencer, Sopha Dopha sure holds a lot of sway. She has garnered 1.7 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, devotees to her beauty hacks, clothing hauls and life advice.

But the person who may need the most convincing of her persuasive powers is the social media sensation herself.

“I wanted to, and still want to, be a paediatric oncologist,” Dopha, 20, tells Stellar over Zoom, where she is joined by her mum Susie. “From a very young age, that was always my goal. I never wanted to be a content creator.”

Up until three years ago, Dopha had been consumed with preparing for the HSC, admitting that she even prioritised studying over eating or showering.

Sopha Dopha has responded to THAT Tony Armstrong controversy. Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar

Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar

Then, suddenly, the Year 12 student was struck down with glandular fever and put on bed rest for nine months.

She couldn’t take her final exams and feared her dream of being a doctor was in tatters. While Dopha struggled mentally, she told herself that everything happens for a reason – including the boredom that led her to join TikTok.

Two months shy of her 17th birthday, in October 2020, she uploaded her first video. As with other influencers, make-up tips and outfit inspirations became her mainstay content. But in also being candid about body images and psychological issues, she lent an added authenticity to her voice.

Listen to the latest episode of Stellar’s podcast, Something To Talk About, below:

“It’s important to show young girls mental health is nothing to be embarrassed about,” she explains.

“Everyone is going through something. I take antidepressants, I’m very open about that. I talk about my body dysmorphia, which I struggle with. The replies that I get in my DMs – which is obviously not why I do it – when I post about that stuff, it just makes me so happy. Even when I post pictures of my cellulite on my bum, I get hundreds of replies saying: Thank you for normalising this.”

Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar

In just three years, Dopha has accumulated 124.8 million likes on TikTok and counting – and was a Creator of the Year nominee at the 2023 TikTok Awards held in Sydney in December. While she is proud of her success, the incredible scrutiny can be overwhelming.

Case in point: at the awards ceremony, Dopha became tabloid fodder when an interaction between her and one of the hosts, Tony Armstrong, went viral. In the video, the ABC News Breakfast star says to Dopha, “You look ecstatic”, to which she replies, “Thank you, wow, stop flirting with me.”

People were quick to accuse the influencer of not knowing the meaning of “ecstatic” and awkwardly flirting with Armstrong. Dopha is only too happy to set the record straight.

“I can’t even tell you how nervous I was. Honestly, I could have vomited on the mic,” she tells Stellar. “We were in the front row and I wasn’t really briefed that someone would be coming across the front. I would have liked to have – not a script, but just some idea. Because when you’re so nervous, you somewhat need a script.”

Next to her sat Andy Hearnden, a chef known on social media as AndyCooks. Prior to approaching Dopha, Armstrong asked Hearnden how he was feeling. His reply: “I’m good, happy to be here.”

As a result, Dopha recalls, “Tony roasts him for being dry, being boring. Everyone started laughing. So I’m thinking, Oh my God, I need to say something funny because I’m going to get roasted for being dry.

“So that’s the reason I said what I said – it was the first thing I could think of, it was so stupid. Also, the viral TikTok that was posted, they cut out the part where Tony said, ‘You’re looking great tonight’, which is the reason I said what I said.”

Noting that both were unfamiliar with Armstrong prior to the show, Susie interjects: “The internet made out it was super awkward and everyone was quiet. It wasn’t. Everyone laughed and cheered.”

(Dopha and Armstrong have not spoken about the incident, simply because – as Dopha puts it – there is no friction between them to be cleared.)

She credits her friends and family for getting her through the negativity that had led her “four or five times [to the point] where I’ve seriously considered quitting social media”.

Now, Dopha and Susie are working closely together on their clothing label, All For Mimi. Not that Dopha has given up on becoming a doctor.

“That’s something I would obviously love to do, and if I don’t get around to that, I still want to be involved in different ways,” she says.

“It’s easier going straight from school [and studying to be a doctor] because you’re in that study mindset. I haven’t studied in three years, so it would be really hard for me to do. But it’s always at the back of my mind.”

Listen to the latest episode of Stellar’s podcast, Something To Talk About, below:

Originally published as TikTok star Sopha Dopha responds to THAT Tony Armstrong controversy