If you have been online in the last few years, and especially if you were bored during the lockdown era, you’ve likely heard of TikTok. TikTok is one of the newer social media platforms, born of its predecessor Music.ally and favoured by Millenials and Gen Z audiences around the globe. Tiktok takes on a short-form video format, with punchy music, dancing, fashion, food, and comedy at the forefront. The algorithm used means that your feed is catered for you, so the topics you see will be from an extremely broad pool and will definitely pique your interest.
Here in the land of Oz, we’ve got some real talent making waves on the platform. From spooky dancers, to comics, even to amazing food reviews, here are some of the best we Aussies have to offer. Strap in for an entertaining ride.
Caleb.finn
Caleb is an oldie but a goodie in the land of the tok. The 28 year old influencer started his career as a school teacher in Victoria, but found significant fame on tiktok for his creepy Five Nights at Freddy’s dances and snappy dancing edits. He is currently sitting on 15.9 million followers on the platform and his content has evolved over time as his life has expanded. He travelled to America to party and collaborate with fellow influencers just before lockdown and has multiple brand deals. Caleb’s popularity on the platform even got him fired from his teaching job, as it became a danger to his students as his fans tried to find him during work hours! Caleb’s channel can be described as fun, emo, and playful in style, and has evolved further with the birth of his son and cameos from his partner Soup. He’s a fascinating character.
Butisitactuallygoodtho
Are you in Melbourne and sick of trusting paid reviewers to tell you what to eat? Check out Noey. He’s a Melbourne local that refuses food sponsorship deals and goes out to all of the new and trendy food places in town to give genuine reviews of desserts, fast food, and more. His most recent adventures have taken him to the local haunts of Agatha, LUNE, 1800 Lasagne, Saint Dreux, and more. The conclusion? Gordon Street Bakery is one of the best-rated, at 4.5 out of 5. Thanks for the tip man, I’m off to get myself a croissant!
Fettuccinefettuqueen
Gabbi Bolt shot to fame with her political commentary on Scott Morrison in 2020. Hailing from Bathurst NSW, Gabbi sings and has created short comedy sketches on TikTok that have seen her become a famous (and touring) comedian in her own right. Her work has even inspired a broadway musical about Ratatouille. Gabbi started her career with the intention to write love songs, but has instead found fame as a local funny woman.
Msloan98
Speaking of political commentary, if you’re into politics and history then Msloan98 is for you. His videos cover everything from WW2, Russia, and even the emu wars. They’re set to old-school goofy music, often from the 80’s and 90’s. His style includes lots of zooms and facial expressions for dramatic effect, with text over the footage to give context to the content. Msloan98 rarely talks in these videos, but has also recently added longer-form videos that are of a more serious nature and give valuable historical background for those enquiring minds out there. He’s both entertaining and informative.
Smacmccreanor
Sarah MacCreanor, otherwise known as “Smac” proudly describes herself as a professional idiot, and is one of our newest Aussie exports to L.A. Thanks to her goofy but incredibly talented dance routines on TikTok, Smac has a following that’s 2.6 million people strong, and is now a regular on US television commercials. All of that from dancing to mimic animals and food crushing trends! She’s recently landed a TV role in Dancing with Myself and is definitely that perfect combination of confidence and shamelessness that we all need to see over a cuppa during our work breaks throughout the day. An absolute delight.
100percentthattim
Tim Collins is one to watch if you’re a millennial that isn’t afraid to laugh at their emo phase, or a kid of a millennial that wants to have a good laugh at the dramatic lives of teens and young adults who knew it just “wasn’t a phase” back in the 2000’s. Usually donning a heavily side-parted black wig and dark eyeliner that would make even the toughest drag queen’s eyes water, Tim has no qualms about celebrating his youth while having a bit of a laugh at the drama of it all. If you have a visceral reaction to that first G-note in Welcome to the Black Parade and you wore more than your fair share of studded belts back in 2007, you might love this guy. Hey, you might hate him too, but definitely give him a watch for nostalgia purposes.
Purplepingers
“Helllloooooo”…..would you like to commiserate with your fellow renters by looking at some of the worst rental properties in the country? Jordie van den Berg is your guy. His dry-witted content is a stark but also very funny look at the mess that is the current Australian rental market. His work has made waves, as he rifles through inspections and property photos of recently listed houses, showing us all the nightmares that could be ours for just *checks notes* upwards of $600 dollars per week. Would you like a kitchen with permanent leaks? A front verandah that is falling down around you? Look no further. His content, although a little dark, is highly entertaining and has even led to some houses being taken off the market! A fantastic Aussie influencer that is drawing attention to a common issue faced within the rental market, making a difference, and having a great time doing it.
Ritalinprc
If you’re a pop music fan, you might already know that this is the personal TikTok account of the now world-famous Peach PRC. Peach, otherwise known as Sharlee “Shaylee” Curnow, screamed into the music scene after gaining huge traction on the app for sharing her funny, brutally honest, and down-to-earth conversations on mental health, life, and performance art. Her song “Josh” was an overnight sensation thanks to the combined efforts of TikTok and Triple J, reaching number 38 on the Australian charts and winning ARIA gold. Peach has been a breath of fresh air with her talks on hard-hitting topics such as domestic violence, ADHD, addiction, relationships, and life in the limelight.
Himynameispriya
If you’re a fan of beautiful views, vegan cooking, relaxing vibes and #vanlife, Priya Sharma’s TikTok channel is probably your cup of tea. Priya and her partner spent a solid few years living in their van and travelling around Australia, finally retiring from full-time van living and moving on to new ventures at the beginning of 2022. With a cool 1.5 million followers, you know she’s recorded some fantastic sights along the way. Priya is also well known for her delicious vegan recipes, her new tiny home, and her travel vlogs all around the world. If you’re after a bit of escapism or a delicious new recipe to try, this is the channel for you.
It’s easy to see from this list that TikTok caters to people from all walks of life and all tastes. It’s been a pleasure to take you through some of Australia’s top TikTok influencers, and I hope that you find one that really tickles your fancy. If not, just spend a little time on the platform and discover a few for yourself. There will definitely be something there that hits the spot.
