‘I’m the King of Benidorm and provides Brits their repair however TikTok retains banning me’

A British geezer hailed as the ‘King of Benidorm’ claimed that he’s been ‘wrongfully banned’ from TikTok four times – and ‘jealous’ trolls are to blame.

Nigel Pope, 62 and from Cornwall, moved to the Costa Blanca city known for boozy Brits and cheap pints after his 30-year marriage broke down.

For six years, Benidorm has been home for Nigel where he works behind a bar and even met his new wife Nancy. But, what he’s most recognised for is his travel guides that often go viral on TikTok.

READ MORE: Brit nicknamed ‘King of Benidorm’ insists ‘locals love us’ after tourists told ‘go home’

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From showing the hotspots and hidden gems to filming himself eating breakfast on his balcony, swimming with dolphins and holding mobility scooter races, Nigel has cemented himself as part of the local community – and built a global one on the social media platform.

However, Nigel now fears that he is going to be ‘de-platformed’ after his TikTok accounts have been either banned completely or restricted – stopping him from spreading Benidorm joy to all corners of the world.

He believes that ‘jealous’ trolls could be to blame for his consistent issues on the app.

In fears that he will no longer be able to give Brits their Benidorm ‘fix’, Nigel spoke with Daily Star and candidly shared: “I think the reason I get banned is because I have some haters.

“I always feel angry and depressed when I get bans and restrictions because I am following their Community Guidelines.

“I sometimes feel like giving up, but the support I get from my followers keeps me strong and so I continue on trying to keep them happy.”

Nigel started posting on TikTok four years ago to give followers an immersive insight to the Spanish coastal hotspot, even if they are hundreds of miles away. He’s even featured on Channel 5’s Bargain Loving Brits In The Sun off the back of it.

Since then he’s created four accounts, all surpassing 25,000 followers each. However, he’s had a number of restrictions and bans including violating the “adult sexuality and nudity” community guideline – something Nigel denies.

On one account, after appealing, the profile warning was lifted but live streaming had not been reinstated. His second account received a permanent ban even after appealing, with the third being banned from livestreaming.

On his current account, he received a week-long ban. Nigel, who makes a small income from his TikTok videos, says he has continually approached the social media site for assistance but claims to only receive ‘computer-generated responses’.

“I am very careful about what I show in front of the camera when I am on live,” Nigel said. 

“I was just talking to people who were dressed in Halloween outfits and got a strike of a 10-minute ban. I am on my fourth account, it’s crazy that I cannot reach anyone at TikTok to really look into who is doing this.

“The stress I am going through is dragging me down. I do all this to help others. Hundreds of people have come or are coming to Benidorm because I have shown it’s a fabulous place to come for a holiday.”

According to a spokesperson, TikTok notifies individuals of the moderation decisions and allows users to make appeals if they feel they have not violated the community guidelines.

TikTok uses ‘technologies’ and ‘moderation teams’ to review and, if necessary, moderate content and profiles that they deem to ‘violate’ guidelines.

However, despite appealing, Nigel has had no such luck in getting his accounts back in complete action. But, the Benidorm ‘royalty’ is persevering so he can show the world what the real Benidorm is like.

Jokingly, Nigel declared: “Don’t they realise that I am the King Of Benidorm? I help so many people and it’s crazy that I am penalised because of some idiots out there.

“I was the first person to go around Benidorm live on TikTok during and after lockdowns when no one was allowed to travel – I was their Benidorm fix.

“And I kept everyone informed about how Benidorm was surviving without them here. I also like to have a laugh, and many followers have told me how I helped to make them laugh and keep sane during the lockdown periods.

“A lot of my followers have met me and are now very good friends, always wanting me to join them when they are here, I have amassed a very big family here on TikTok.”