TikTok turns two in the UK and we're celebrating with a new hashtag challenge #HBDTikTok! 🎉🎂🎉

So far, some of our biggest creators have already started celebrating with us, telling us what they love about the world of TikTok. Check out our favourite sausage dog @charlie.sausagedog getting all dressed up for our birthday and @matthewandryan sharing some of their best TikTok memories. Our favourite grandad @grandadjoe1933 has also been joining in the celebrations, along with inspirational football freestyler @lia.lewis and TikTok creators @itzshauni

We've also got a revamped 🎈 sticker so that you can celebrate with us! Use your fave song, sticker, or transition to say #HBDTikTok in your own special way. You could even use the classic Birthday tune from @annemarie for more birthday vibes 💃

In two short years, TikTok's community has produced an incredible mash-up of culture both on and off the platform. From massive celebs like J-Lo and Camila Cabello giving us some of our most memorable gender-bending #FlipTheSwitch videos, to essential workers dancing to #blindinglights to get some light relief during the coronavirus pandemic - TikTok users have brought their creativity to the platform in totally unpredictable ways 🤸‍♂️

To mark TikTok's second birthday in the UK, we're putting a spotlight on some of the most viewed TikTok videos, breakthrough artists, success stories and everyday TikTok heroes that have made the platform what it is today. 

Popular British TikTok Creators

Over the past two years British TikTokers have started new trends and influenced mainstream culture by creating entertaining, informative and inspirational videos, reflecting the creativity and variety found across the nation. Some of our top UK creators include:

  • Neffatibrothers - 25-year-old twins Jamil and Jamel Naffati have become famous for their dancing and comedy sketches. Living in Blackburn, but originally from Poland, the duo have amassed 2.5 million followers in just six months on the platform. They now have over 11M followers and their lively videos sees their popularity continue to soar. 
  • JamesLLewis - James started his artistic journey over seven years ago when he discovered a passion for calligraphy. Combined with his love of social media, he started sharing his designs on TikTok and now has almost 3M followers and over 71M likes on his videos, which satisfyingly introduce viewers to the world of art. 
  • Abbyrartistry - Make up artist Abby Roberts combines make up and art to create iconic transformations. With over 10M followers and 488M likes, she has gone from a bedroom makeup artist to an internet sensation, transforming into celebrities, cartoon characters and internet memes.
  • Drjuliesmith - Dr Julie is a psychologist who aims to help users overcome stress and anxiety by facing problems head on and discussing them openly. Having joined TikTok in the second half of 2019, she has rocketed to popularity and now has over 1M followers. Dr Julie's supportive messages about mental health have become a lifeline for users, and now says it is her "calling" to keep going. 
  • Holly H - 23 year old Holly Hubert from Guernsey has been creating snappy videos and posting them online since she was 16. An original musical.ly user, she has been on TikTok since its inception, and posts videos of her dancing and joking around. She has become so popular on TikTok that she now has 16.7M followers, and most recently co-hosted a special live event with Ellie Goulding for TikTok's first music takeover weekend. 

To celebrate the occasion, TikTok have announced a $70m TikTok Creator Fund to help support, nurture and promote TikTok talent! So if you're a budding TikTok creator be sure to find out more about how to get involved.

Popular British TikTok Celebs

British celebs of all ages from across TV, film, music and showbiz have embraced TikTok, taking part in quirky challenges, sharing unforgettable moments and surprising us with their sometimes hilarious dancing. Here are some of our most popular celebs on TikTok:

  • @gordonramsayofficial - Chef Gordon Ramsay has entertained his 3.1 million followers on TikTok with his dad dancing, stumbling his way through dance routines with daughter Tilly (@tillyramsay). He’s also teamed up with Jason Derulo for a virtual tasting session when the popstar made one of Gordon’s recipes. More recently, Gordon has started his very own TikTok challenge #RamsayReacts giving TikTokers the chance to to impress (or upset) the man himself, with their cooking creations and culinary skills. 
  • And whilst she might not have her own TikTok account, national treasure Dame Judi Dench and her 23-year-old grandson, Sam Williams, have warmed all of our hearts throughout lockdown by taking part in viral video challenges together. 

Popular TikTok Songs In The UK

TikTok wouldn't be TikTok without music. And there have been some massive tracks that have got us dancing in a big way over the last two years. What's even better is that new and emerging artists have been able to use TikTok to build a following and gain success off-platform. Here are some of our faves and how they became viral hits: 

On 10 March 2020, TikTok user Keara Wilson decided to post an original dance to Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage" on TikTok every single day until it went viral. By day five, the 60-second-long dance had been copied by millions of other users. It skyrocketed “Savage” from Megan Thee Stallion’s new album, Suga, landing it at No. 1 on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap chart.

Lottery gained momentum off-platform thanks to the video choreography of Jalaiah Harmon. It then spilled over to TikTok, where thousands of users replicated the dance, spurring the #LotteryChallenge or #RenegadeChallenge. Charlie D'Amelio, was said to solidify her fame due to her dance to the song, propelling her to the top TikTok elite. K Camp's music video to Lottery, also pays homage to the dance community. By early 2020, his management decided to change the official title of the track from Lottery to Lottery (Renegade), reflecting what users were googling for his track and the ultimate craze for the song. 

New Zealand-born, Joshua Nanai, who goes by Jawsh 685, originally posted the song Laxed (Siren Beat) in 2019 and sparked a viral dance craze, with users around the world dancing to the song and shouting out their own culture. Becoming known as the Culture Dance, the trend was hopped on by some of the biggest names on the platform and sees users transform mid-song into their traditional dress.

Emerging artist Doja Cat has had an incredible last 12 months, with numerous TikTok trends tied to her music catalogue. 'Say So', 'Candy', 'Cyber Sex' and 'Juicy' have amassed tens of millions of creations on the platform. In particular track 'Say So', which has inspired a generation to perform a memorable dance routine that's now been performed by millions of TikTok users. The track has amassed hundreds of millions of streams and subsequently charting globally.  

Originally released in 2019, Conkarah's track with Shaggy, Banana, got new life in 2020 with the #BananaDropChallenge, where TikTokers have been dropping their sunglasses down to their faces while dancing to the song. 


Come and join in the celebrations! New to TikTok? Well, it's never too late! It couldn't be easier to get set up, simply download the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon and get creating!