WATCH: The Lichfield grandfather with 1.6 million TikTok followers
A Lichfield grandad has become TikTok famous with more than a million followers.
Joe Allington, known as Grandadjoe, has been filmed doing dances, dressing up and miming along to songs on the video-sharing app since January and has now gained more than 1.6 million followers.
The 87-year-old, who lives with his family in Hanch, says his favourite TikTok videos to film are the funny ones.
The video that raised the number of followers the most was Joe in a supermarket before the coronavirus lockdown, looking at empty shelves, and asking people to consider the more vulnerable when shopping.
The retired tanker driver said: "I absolutely enjoy doing them, we have tremendous fun.
"I do as I'm told for the videos, I don't make them up at all, I'm coerced!
"I can't believe the number of people watching, I really can't.
"You go to a football ground and see 40,000 people, you multiply that, it's unimaginable.
"I couldn't shake all their hands, my hand would be too sore."
Videos include Joe dressing up in a bin bag to protect himself, clapping for the NHS and a video of him dancing in front of a photo showing him in hospital after a heart attack a year ago, saying "I'm fine now thanks to the NHS".
Other videos include Joe "sneaking out" over the gate for a walk.
His daughter, Wendy Paintain, said she got him on TikTok after watching her 15-year-old daughter Brooke's videos.
She said: "He lives with me, my husband, my mother-in-law, and daughter.
"My daughter Brooke is always on TikTok, she's been doing it for years and I was watching her and thought I'd see what was going on.
"I thought the videos with grandads seemed to do well.
"He just does the acting, the dancing and the jokes, he's quite keen as he's a real fun-loving character, especially since we've all been on lockdown.
"His growth has been phenomenal, to get to how many followers he's got in just a few months.
"I don't think he quite takes it all in, he just says 'oh I've got a lot of friends now' and say 'yes dad you have'.
"He says the funny ones are his favourite, he likes to do jokes.
"I get him to do the heart-warming ones which touch a nerve, but he prefers the funny ones.
"We try to do a video daily, it's something to do, it gets us all having a giggle together."
