Viral primary school pupil hailed as budding TV success
Carly, 11, and her dad Ryan Pollock, better known on the video sharing platform as Daddy & Carly (or Wee Mary and Jimmy Boy), first started posting comedy sketches online during lockdown. Now, the pair have taken the app by storm with their 'Pilton Tea' videos and Carly's presenter-esque "hello, my lovelies" catchphrase.
Talking to the Sunday National, Carly and Ryan shared how they ensure the youngster isn't exposed to trolling, the opportunities that have arisen from their online popularity, and Carly's hopes for the future.
READ MORE: 'It's just great': Japan ambassador tries Irn-Bru on visit to whisky distillery
'It started during lockdown, when Carly wanted TikTok. Me and mum were a bit hesitant at first, thinking she was too young, then I was volunteered by mum to do it with her', Ryan explained.
'I thought 'och we'll just have a carry on with it', so we started putting our own twist on trends and doing sketches where Carly was dressed up as an old lady and pretending Nicola Sturgeon was her pal. It ended up going quite viral.
'We did shoutouts on our page for a bit and ended up raising about £1000 for the NHS.'
When lockdown ended and Ryan went back to work, they stopped posting for a few years. A couple of months ago they started doing their 'Pilton Tea' series and from there, their popularity exploded.
Their original account was deleted, but within two weeks the new account amassed around 190,000 followers — alongside 9.7 million views on one particular video, leading to a special shopping trip for Carly and her family.
Carly said: 'There's so many more opportunities now. We got invited to Boots a few days ago and we have an agent now which is so cool. It's just amazing.'
Because of Carly's age, the account is run by and heavily monitored by her parents. They don't let the 11-year-old read any comments or make videos by herself, and ensure that any hateful messages left under their videos are deleted and the users blocked from the page.
Though she comes across as extremely confident and excitable online, the youngster described herself as actually being 'quite shy', noting that her on-camera personality is partially a character. She told the Sunday National that some boys were showing her videos through a window on her visit to a secondary school, but she seems to take it all in her stride.
'People from school watch my videos a lot, and sometimes it's a wind up, but most of the time they're being really nice. It's quite funny', she explained.
READ MORE: Edinburgh Film Festival to conclude with Irvine Welsh documentary premiere
The way she carries herself in her videos has led to an influx of comments demanding the TikTok star is given a slot on television, remarking she could be the next big thing à la Lorraine or Alison Hammond.
High praise and growing celebrity haven't went to her head, however — Carly 'So I want to go to acting school and hopefully one day be on the telly like all the comments say.
'But if not, I go to a lot of youth centres and one day I want to be a youth worker, open my own centre and do drama classes for other kids.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
30 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Molly-Mae Hague reveals the £18 secret to her summer glow – and you can get it even cheaper if you hurry
Plus, more about Molly-Mae's glow down MAE WE Molly-Mae Hague reveals the £18 secret to her summer glow – and you can get it even cheaper if you hurry Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MOLLY-MAE Hague has revealed the £18 secret to her summer glow – and if you're quick, you can get it even cheaper. The 26-year-old businesswoman recently returned from a holiday abroad and shared a makeup tutorial with her 4.1 million followers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Molly-Mae Hague has shared a makeup tutorial on how she achieves her summer glow Credit: Getty 4 She revealed her £18 secret to achieve the look Credit: Tiktok She revealed that she never wears makeup while on holiday, as the two don't 'really go hand in hand' for her. However, she decided to switch things up this time. Molly-Mae, who recently revealed that she is back with Tommy Fury, explained that she usually sticks to just one makeup look, but wanted to try something a little different. She began her routine by applying Refy's Face Sculpt Moisturiser, £38, and Primer, £24, followed by MAC Face and Body Foundation, £38, as her base. Next came Refy's Cream Bronzer in the shade 'Sand', £18, and a cream blush in the shade 'Malaya', £16, which she said gave her the look of a 'happy, rosy-cheeked girly.' She also dabbed some blush on the tip of her nose for a 'little bit more sun-kissed' effect. To set her under-eye area, Molly-Mae used a touch of Laura Mercier powder, making sure not to use too much in order to maintain her glowy finish. She followed up with Refy's Clear Brow Gel to set her brows, which she prefers to wear in a 'fluffy' style. For eyeshadow, she used Benefit's Hoola, £17, then applied Refy's Lash Sculpt Mascara, £20. Her lip liner of choice was MAC in the shade 'Whirl', £15, followed by Refy Gloss, £18, and she finished the look with Fenty Beauty's You Mist setting spray, £18. I feel sorry for myself but trolls were right - I was Quagmire but Zoe saved me from destroying my face, says Molly-Mae Molly-Mae closed the video by saying: 'I feel like holidays for me are just where I make my most magical and special memories that I just cherish forever.' Currently the Refy website has 15% for a limited time only. If you sign up to be a World member there is even a chance to get more discounts. Molly-Mae's video gained 2.3million views after one day of it being shared on her TikTok account. Her video also gained 569 comments, as many rushed to share their thoughts. 4 Refy's Cream Bronzer in the shade 'Sand', £18 Credit: REFY 4 Within 24 hours, Molly-Mae's video went viral as many beauty fans want to copy the look Credit: Tiktok One wrote: 'I also use the Refy primer and brush; they are both really good.' A second added: 'Obsessed!!!! You look stunning and I'll be recreating this look ASAP.' Whilst a third said: 'The Refy mascara is such a good product especially for sensitive eyes.' And a fourth added: 'She just gets more gorgeous honestly.'
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Sam Ryder's message to Remember Monday on Eurovision: Nothing can define you
The British trio, made up of friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele who attended school in Hampshire, finished 19th in May after receiving 88 points from the national juries for their song What The Hell Just Happened? The trio were the UK's first girl group entrant since 1999, and fared slightly worse than Olly Alexander who came 18th in Malmo in 2024, but better than 2023 representative Mae Muller, who placed second last in 2023. The UK's 2022 Eurovision entrant Ryder, 35, was the first British act to come second since Imaani in 1998, and the first to make it to the top five since Jade Ewen with It's My Time in 2009. Remember Monday was chosen by David May, who has been Ryder's manager, and headed up the BBC's search for the next Eurovision contestant. Ryder was asked on ITV's This Morning about Remember Monday, and responded saying: 'Nothing can define you past that point. 'It's about singing for the love of singing and writing for the love of writing, and it's a privilege to be asked to go, do you know what I mean? 'And there's a lot of people that are all hoping for a certain outcome, and of course, it can't happen for every single person. 'And I just hope that every single person that took to that stage can really understand what an amazing job it is to even get there, and it (Eurovision) doesn't owe you anything, because music's given you everything already. 'If you truly love this thing, and you love this craft and love pursuing what it does to your spirit, how can you put, like, a metric on anything else past that? 'So please God, every single person that was there on that night came home and feels like they were part of something magic, because that's what it is.' Ryder also said that those taking part deserve 'respect', and he was sending them 'loads of love', while being on the road during the contest last month. The contest in Basel, Switzerland, in May was won by Austria's JJ with his emotional song Wasted Love. Ryder, wearing a Dolly Parton T-shirt on This Morning, also said that he has put down 'roots' in Nashville, which is associated with the country singer. He added: 'It's been a dream for a long time (to move there) and, but I didn't realise… finishing the album, my studio's here in the UK, so (I had) to come straight back and get the album done, so the problem is I've had zero sleep.' Ryder, from Essex, began as a TikTok star. He signed to the Parlophone record label, part of Warner Music Group, and released his debut EP, The Sun's Gonna Rise, in 2021, before going to Eurovision in 2022. He was nominated for an Emmy for his Ted Lasso single, Fought & Lost, which he co-wrote for the hit Apple TV+ comedy. He has released new music including a Christmas single, You're Christmas To Me, which reached number two in the charts and a number one album titled There's Nothing But Space, Man!
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
I'm a sunbed hopper and I'm obsessed with tanning – but people accuse me of blackfishing, it's ridiculous
She also had to defend her decision to get braids GLOW WAY I'm a sunbed hopper and I'm obsessed with tanning – but people accuse me of blackfishing, it's ridiculous Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has revealed her love for sunbeds and tanning, which has caused controversy after people accused her of blackfishing. The TikToker, who is known as 'essexxink', has had to defend herself, explaining that she is 'not trying to be black' but simply enjoys using sunbeds. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A woman has had to defend herself after being accused of blackfishing Credit: Tiktok/@essexxink She shared a video on her profile after receiving a comment from another TikToker referring to her as 'blackfishing' due to how tanned she is. Blackfishing is when someone uses hairstyling or makeup to alter their appearance, making them look darker, as though they have black heritage or are mixed-race. Throughout the video, the woman also defended her decision to have braids in her hair. She explained that she is 'actually not as tanned' as she appears in her videos uploaded to her 46.2k followers, and that it's the 'lighting' that may make her look darker. The beauty fan clarified that her skin tone is natural, and the reason she opted for braids was because she was preparing to have a boob job and would not be allowed to get her stitches wet. She noted that she can keep her braids in for up to six weeks if she takes care of them 'properly.' The woman explained that this would save her from washing her hair and risking water getting on her stitches, which could lead to an infection. Talking about the salon where she had her hair done, she said: 'It's a black lady that did my hair and they had no issue with me getting braids, none at all.' She continued: 'I've used them loads over the years, and they've never ever accused me of blackfishing. 'They've always been very welcoming. So yeah, if I have caused offence to anyone, I am sorry, but that is not my intention.' I'm so addicted to sunbeds trolls say I look 'cremated' - I can't stop and am terrified to get dodgy skin mark tested She captioned the video: 'I had to speak on this as it's getting ridiculous. If I've offended anyone I AM SORRY. "But that is not at all my intention. Thanks and I won't speak on this matter again.' Within 24 hours of sharing the video, the TikToker gained 117.7k views and 532 comments, with many expressing mixed opinions. The TikToker also added in the comments section that her dad has naturally olive skin, which means she tans darker thanks to his genes. One person wrote: 'I wouldn't say you're blackfishing. 2 Her video gained over 500 comments with people expressing their feelings Credit: Tiktok/@essexxink "I think people are overreacting lol and I'm black. Only thing I'll say is be careful of the sunbeds, hun... for your health.' A second added: 'She is not trying to be black at all! Just because someone is tanned doesn't mean they are trying to be black! 'If anything, white people when they are tanned are closer to the skin complexion of Spanish and mixed people, far off from black!' A third said: 'I honestly don't get why so many people hate on you. "Your decisions do not affect anyone else! Good luck, girl.'
