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The anger and polarisation often on display on social media have made it a stressful place to venture for many people, wary of its unpredictable pile-ons and bile-filled responses. Yet a 95-year-old Cheshire woman and her soft toy collection have become the unlikely stars of a trend to encourage kindness in the comments.<\/p>\n
Brenda Allen said she had been flabbergasted by the response to her recent TikTok videos, in which she talks about her quirky Jellycat figures. Encouraged by a staff member at her care home, she began by showing viewers a hat-wearing avocado named Florence. Her haul also features a cuddly pot plant and a squashy, smiling pain au chocolat.<\/p>\n
Her breakthrough video showed a flair for comedy, ending with her observation that her mushroom teddy was \u201ca very fun guy\u201d.<\/p>\n
Her videos have now amassed more than 2m views on the site, as well as thousands of comments from people across the world asking if they can adopt her as their social media grandma and calling her a national treasure.<\/p>\n
<\/span>95-year old woman shows her Jellycat collection \u2013 video<\/span><\/p>\n She has since been sent additions to her collection from Jellycat and John Lewis – and her videos have been reposted by Love Island contestants. The only negativity has come from her budgie, Toto, who isn\u2019t too keen on her cuddly blue tit and robin.<\/p>\n \u201c[The avocado] was my only one for a long time, then, gradually, some people have given me more of them,\u201d Brenda said. \u201cBut all of a sudden, after the media thing, I was inundated with people ringing me and wanting to send me toys and everything. It was quite incredible.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the girls asked me to do a video. I didn\u2019t know what it was for, really. She just said would I do a little video for her about jelly cats? So I said yes, and it\u2019s gone from there. It\u2019s gone mad. I\u2019ve had some lovely messages. Everyone thinks I have a nice voice, apparently.\u201d<\/p>\n One of her Majesticare care home\u2019s staff members posted the first video. It referenced the recent \u201cyou better be nice in the comments\u201d trend, which has gained momentum as users search for more wholesome content on their timelines.<\/p>\n It began in the US, where creator @yearningyardis posted a video of her boyfriend talking about his pot plants. She tells viewers \u2013 in a comically threatening way \u2013 that they better \u201csay something nice\u201d about him. That prompted others to make videos about the often eccentric hobbies of their friends and families. One even features a collection of tractor manuals.<\/p>\n Celebrities including Ant and Dec have also become involved. Their video features Dec showing off Ant\u2019s artwork, menacingly ordering commenters to be kind.<\/p>\n Brenda\u2019s daughter, Julie, said the family had been \u201cblown away\u201d by her newfound fame. \u201cWe don\u2019t quite understand it, but it\u2019s amazing and it\u2019s lovely,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat has blown me away is how lovely everybody has been. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen anything where all the comments are positive.\u201d<\/p>\n Care home residents venturing to the local garden centre have already been asked whether they know Brenda, as word of her notoriety has spread. She is now planning to auction her Jellycat toys and donate the proceeds to a local children\u2019s hospice.<\/p>\n Understandably, however, Brenda is content with only a brief moment of internet fame. \u201cI don\u2019t want to keep it on too long,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m 95, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n