When Coco Sarel picks up her phone and hits record, there’s no elaborate setup, no carefully drafted script—just her, her thoughts, and a willingness to let the world listen in. “I believe in maximum output for minimal effort, so if I have to do more than the bare minimum, I likely won’t do it. That’s why I just talk to the camera and post,” Sarel told BBC News. It’s a strategy that’s clearly resonated: as of October 2025, Sarel has amassed more than one million followers on TikTok, making her one of the UK’s most distinctive online personalities.
Sarel is just one of the many creators in the spotlight at the second annual TikTok awards, a celebration of the digital voices shaping the UK’s online culture. This year’s event features 72 nominees across 12 categories—including education, beauty, comedy, food, and sport—with a combined following that exceeds a staggering 83 million. The nominees themselves are as varied as the platform’s content: from jacket potato entrepreneurs and tap dancing brothers to a bus-loving aunty, a BookTok aficionado, and a film location fangirl. If you ever doubted the breadth of TikTok’s reach, this roster puts those doubts to rest.
For Sarel, the journey from casual sharer to award nominee has been as surprising as it is rewarding. Known for her unfiltered takes on everything from Love Island to everyday life, she’s found that authenticity is her greatest asset. “It’s mad people want to watch me yap,” she admitted. But that’s the magic—her audience gets “100% of me on the camera.”
Her success isn’t limited to the digital world. In 2023, Sarel stepped out from behind the phone screen to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe festival alongside other TikTok stars. The experience gave her a new respect for comedians. “With content, if people don’t like it, they scroll away, but if you bomb on stage, the whole room is looking at you like, ‘That’s terrible,’” she said. It’s a humbling contrast to the fleeting, often anonymous feedback of social media.
Of course, not all feedback is positive. Sarel has had to navigate the darker side of online fame. “The hate is always louder than the love,” she reflected. While she once engaged with critics, these days she’s more likely to ignore negativity, focusing instead on the community she’s built. She’s also become more selective about what she shares, explaining, “I started off like I was just talking to friends, but now I protect parts of my life I don’t want everyone’s opinion on.” Even major life events, like her recent marriage, get only a brief mention before she’s on to the next topic—“I’ve got ADHD, so I move on quickly.”
Henry Rowley, another nominee, has carved out his own niche with his “husky posh girl” comedy sketches. Rowley’s journey began at Bristol University, where he found himself surrounded by a world of “posh” culture that practically begged to be lampooned. “Some of those posh people were my friends and I found everything they said hilarious, so I started making videos about things they’d say on nights out,” Rowley told BBC News. His keen observations and sharp wit have earned him more than a million followers, but the transition to live stand-up hasn’t always been smooth. “It’s entirely different doing content and comedy on stage,” he said. “Stand-up takes a lot of work and before the Fringe and my tour, there were so many pubs and awful gigs where I did a 20-minute set to zero laughs. It’s certainly humbling.”
Like Sarel, Rowley is careful about how much of his personal life he reveals. “I mainly post characters and sketches so people who follow me don’t know that much about me, which is really nice. I like having that balance,” he explained. His advice to aspiring creators? “Don’t try and go viral but instead focus on doing something you are genuinely interested in.”
Among the most heartwarming stories is that of Bemi Orojuogun, better known as Bus Aunty. If London ever needed an ambassador for its iconic red buses, Bemi would be the clear choice. Her passion for the city’s transport system dates back to the early 1990s, but it was a spontaneous TikTok post that propelled her to viral fame. “I have always taken a picture of myself with buses and one random day I chose to post one on TikTok and it went viral, and now here we are,” she recounted to BBC News. One of her videos, now nominated for best video of the year, has been viewed almost 50 million times. In just over a year of posting, she’s landed collaborations with Burberry and Ikea, and become a fixture on the streets of London. “I get recognised in the streets sometimes and people say, ‘Oh, hello, Bus Aunty.’ I never thought people would be stopping me in my wildest dreams and it’s taken some getting used to.”
Bemi’s message is one of perseverance and inclusivity. “You’re never too old,” she insisted. “I would never have thought I could do TikTok and be nominated for awards, but here I am, having only posted for just over a year. Never give up on your dream because what I love about London has got me here.”
Then there’s Jack Edwards, TikTok’s resident librarian. Edwards’s path to social media stardom was paved with rejection—he started posting about books during lockdown while searching for a job in publishing. “My inbox was snorkelling in a sea of rejection and every email started with the word unfortunately. So I started talking about the books I was reading on social media,” Edwards shared. What began as a side project soon became his full-time job, and he eventually left publishing to focus on creating content. His advice for would-be creators is to find the unique intersection of their interests. “If you were to create a Venn diagram of them all, the crossover in the middle is what you should make content about. For me, the cross-section is books, travel and pop culture.”
Edwards is also thoughtful about his boundaries. “I talk about the books and art I love, but never the people I love,” he said. Yet the conversations sparked by his videos often go far beyond literature, touching on everything from trauma to politics to sexuality. The sense of community he’s fostered is tangible—“People say, ‘Hi’ in the street and it’s the best thing ever. We have a mini book club right there on the pavement, an instant Jane Austen love-fest, and I know it’s so strange but honestly it’s really special for me.” Fame, he admits, brings its own quirks: “Sometimes you get a message saying, ‘Oh, hi, I just saw you at the urinal.’ Being spotted in those kinds of places never gets normal.”
This year’s TikTok awards, as reported by BBC News, are a testament to the platform’s power to elevate diverse voices and passions. Whether it’s comedy, books, buses, or potatoes, the nominees have transformed everyday interests into digital phenomena. Their stories remind us that authenticity, resilience, and a dash of humor can turn even the most ordinary moments into something extraordinary.
As the nominees gather for the awards, one thing is clear: TikTok’s influence on British culture isn’t just about viral dances or fleeting trends—it’s about connection, creativity, and the courage to share your story, no matter how unconventional it may be.
