The perils of going viral

For three days it ruined my life

Afternoon. Welcome to another An Omelette letter.

A few days before I went on holiday this summer I accidentally went viral. It was so unexpected, so ridiculous, that I didn’t quite know how to handle it (who, over the age of 25, does?).

Below is what happened. Read it and cringe along with me.

Your pal,
Katie x

It started innocently enough. I spend a lot of time in charity shops and often share my findings on TikTok. Look at this Sézane top, isn’t this kid’s book great, etc. I give these things scant thought, just a funny little thing I occasionally do. But I knew this one would be different.

Yep, 2% battery. What can I say, I like to live dangerously

Because I’d found a relic from a television quiz show. A prize, to be precise. The post blew up almost immediately, with TikTok turning detective. Who had donated it? A CELEBRITY? People started leaving comments, talking amongst themselves, trawling through Wikipedia, pouring over old episodes of the quiz show. The likes poured in, the comments never stopped. Suddenly journalists¹ started contacting me, asking me for my story. My story? What story? People messaged me all day long and I felt I owed them a reply. Everyone was so nice and I felt overwhelmed. 

Wait, I would say to my son, I just need to reply to this person wondering if it was that woman who was once on that program on Channel 5. 

SORRY, I snapped at my mother, who asked me how my day had been, someone wants to know how much the charity shop charged for the item. 

On and on this went until day three when I snapped and deleted the app from my phone. I felt old and tired. I went outside and touched grass, the long roots of the internet having finally wormed their way into my brain. I had accidentally gone viral and in the process I had inadvertently gone mad.  

In a way I was lucky — everyone interacting with my TikTok was pleasant, unnervingly so. I always expect the worst of the internet, yet somehow I’d found a small corner of nice, normal people. But it felt exposing.

I started popping up on my family and friends For You page. No one knew I’d been posting on TikTok and yet here I was, showing off my charity shop finds.Why, my aunt texted me, are you on my TikTok speaking with a posh accent? Oh, how I CRINGED. Although I had been a willing participant in sharing a small facet of my life, I also hadn’t been expecting so many eyeballs on it.

Three months have passed since I posted the original video and the likes and comments have yet to cease. I promised the hundreds of people commenting that I would elaborate more on my findings and — eventually — auction it off for charity. I owe people an explanation, I think. But the idea of engaging with a large audience again in video form is overwhelming. I need space. And I think that’s okay.

Have you ever found anything exciting in the charity shop?

1. I said no to the Daily Mail and the Sun and yes, it felt WONDERFUL