What makes Betty TikTok?

ANOTHER week, another grandparent-turned-social media sensation.

79 year old Elizabeth Williams, who clocked up over one million views on Tik Tok of her dancing. Here she is throwing shapes on the video that her granddaughter, Olivia Alves, took and posted on the social media site. (28007092)

This week it’s the turn of local nan Elizabeth Williams, 79, who last weekend clocked up more than one million views on TikTok, with a short video of her dancing.

‘It was taken at the end of February at a birthday party,’ explained her granddaughter, 20-year-old Olivia Alves, who posted the video on the social media site. ‘I don’t know the name of the song but we were teaching nan the dance to it. She loves dancing. Within a couple of hours the video started attracting a lot of attention and now, just over a month later, it has over one million views and loads of lovely messages, including one from this year’s Love Island contestant, Biggs. He wrote “I love this”.’

Elizabeth, or Betty as she is known to friends, is self-isolating, so we sent her some questions about her new-found fame.

When you were Olivia’s age and went for a night out, what well-known places in Guernsey did you go dancing? Did you go and see any famous acts?

‘I loved dancing as a little girl and attended ballet when we moved to London during the war as a distraction.

‘I danced in every bar on Guernsey and my favourite was The Cellar Bar.

‘I was married to Ivan Robert from the Robert Brothers and I met the Beatles when they played in Candie Muesum. I used to enter dance competitions over here when I was pregnant at 20.’

Is there a favourite song you like dancing to – and perhaps a favourite type of dance? Why do you like dancing so much?

‘Rock ’n’ roll dancing and ballroom were my favourites.’

When Olivia first asked you to dance for the video, did you ever think it would be seen by more than a million people? Were you surprised by the many kind comments?

‘I never once thought it would get as many as I didn’t realise the platform it was going to. I did it for fun, for the grandchildren at the party that night, as they all love dancing too. I’m overwhelmed by all the lovely comments from all over the world. It has given me the feeling of confidence I used to have when I danced many years ago.’

Having been such a great success, what advice would you give to people about making the perfect TikTok video?

‘None. I didn’t realise I would be a success.I just had fun for the children. Effort and a smile goes a long way.’

Obviously, having more than a million fans out there, you can’t stop dancing now. Will we be seeing any more Elizabeth Williams’ TikTok videos?

‘If I learn some new dances there maybe some more of me.’

Keep on dancing, Betty.