Olympic shooter beats Hawk Tuah and Chip Shop Diva to viral persona crown
Turkish sharpshooter, Yusuf Dikeç, who took social media by storm thanks to his laidback shooting performances in the summer secured the top spot, beating ‘very demure’ Jools Lebron
Olympic shooter Yusuf Dikeç has been voted viral personality of the year in the inaugural Fanvue “Viralies” awards.
The Turkish sharpshooter, who took social media by storm thanks to his laidback shooting performances in the summer secured top spot, beating Hawk Tuah (Hailey Welch) and breakdancing fellow Olympian, Raygun, to the coveted crown.
The Viralies were organised by content creator platform, Fanvue, who asked 2,000 content creators on its platform to rank which overnight viral sensation was most “memorable” to them in 2024 – ranking them between 1-10.
Making up the top five was Brit social media star, Chip Shop Diva, who ranked 4th, which the organisers put down to her exploding in popularity in the past month, while the “Very demure, very mindful”, Jools Lebron, who sparked a global trend – claimed 5th spot.
And the inaugural Fanvue Viralies were not just limited to humans, with Gizmo the Cat making a feline for the Top 10, ranking 6th overall – while viral Ring Girl at the recent Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, Sydney Thomas – a rising star – ranked 7th.
American couple Pookie & Jett were on fire too, in The Fanvue Viralies, sneaking into the Top 10 in 9th spot, while it really was an Olympic year for viral stars, as Pole Vaulter Anthony Ammirati, who went viral for his tight lycra and eye-popping manhood while performing, ranked 10th overall.
While some viral sensations have faded after their online starring, others have maximised their overnight fame and become creators in their own right. Megan Boni worked with David Guetta on a remix, while Raygun is regularly spotted on the red carpet in Australia, and Fanvue predicts Sydney Thomas could “earn millions” in commercial deals thanks to her star appearance at the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event on Netflix.
Hawk Tuah, Hailey Welch, has gone on to host her own podcast though has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in the past week, after her own meme coin crashed.
Max Kyte, creator acquisition manager at Fanvue said: “Our community of content creators have a keen eye for viral personalities, and clearly the Olympics – one of the biggest global sporting occasions in the calendar – had a significant impact on this year’s Fanvue Viralies Awards vote.
“We’re not surprised Yusuf landed the top spot. In a sport that isn’t often in the spotlight, his laidback shooting performances provided this massive moment of intrigue and entertainment on the biggest stage – and we all just wanted more.
“While certain viral stars might have got more likes or views in 2024, Yusuf’s moment felt like we’d all discovered something new. He’s now racked up over 1m followers on Instagram, and he’s massively deserving of the Fanvue Viralies crown.”
Viral success doesn’t necessarily mean financial success though according to Kyte, who added: “Social media moments can be so short-lived – 2024 has thrown up so many viral sensations which illustrates how we, as viewers, are constantly wanting that next viral hit. Only some are able to master monetising their new found stardom – and it’s usually down to the people around them, or the brand building experts that move fast to sign them up.”
Yusuf might have only won Silver at the Olympics, but he’ll cap off the year with Gold. Organisers of the Viralies have sent Yusuf an official trophy from London to Turkey to recognise his achievement – and are hopeful the shooting sensation will respond and accept his award on social media soon.
The 2024 Fanvue Viralies Top 10
- Yusuf Dikeç
- Hawk Tuah (Hailey Welch)
- Raygun (Rachael Gunn)
- Chip Shop Diva (Destiny Harold)
- Jools Lebron
- Gizmo the Cat
- Sydney Thomas
- “I’m Looking for a Man in Finance” (Megan Boni)
- Pookie and Jett
- Anthony Ammirati (Olympic Pole Vaulter)
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