A Merseyside couple have become a global sensation after their TikTok videos amassed millions of likes and hundreds of thousands of followers.
Grandparents Joan and Jimmy O’Shaughnessy created their TikTok account during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 after seeing a friend share a dancing video on social media.
Before the pandemic hit, Joan and Jimmy regularly attended a dance club.
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Due to the lockdown, they needed a new way to dance, and thought attempting to copy the TikTok video might be fun.
This first video went well so they decided to make another, and it grew from there.
The Southport couple, who have been together for 48 years, are no strangers to dancing with over 20 years of dance lessons.
Joan and Jimmy, who have two sons and a grandson, currently have 869,000 followers on TikTok.
Since their rapid shoot to stardom, the couple has appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show in America, as well as a news channel in Australia, and many UK programmes including Have I Got News For You, ITV and BBC News, and Lingo.
They have been featured on news outlets from across the globe, and their dances have been recognised by famous TikTok users Snoop Dogg, Charlie Wilson and Chuck Berry's official account - to name a few.
Joan and Jimmy, 67 and 68, were married in 1973.
Joan worked in what was the Midland Bank Computer Centre in Bootle, whilst Jimmy was a Senior Manager at British Aerospace in Preston.
The pair came top of a recent list of UK influencers aged 55+, compiled with data from Fletchers Solicitors.
Joan told the ECHO : "We went dancing every week, and then obviously we couldn't go so we thought we'd give the video a go after seeing someone share one on Facebook.
"We didn't know what TikTok was before that.
"It went okay, and people started following us. We didn't really know why."
Although they created their TikTok account in the first lockdown, they are still creating around three videos a week.
Joan continued: "We have followers from across the world.
"People messaged us from Nepal asking if we would do some Nepali dancing, so we did it and they were so appreciative.
"Our grandson watches us dancing on the iPad and he loves it. Our sons are very proud, and they've appeared in one video, but I think that's their lot!"
Joan and Jimmy dance to a wide variety of music, with videos showing them bust a move to everything from Elvis Presley to garage and rap songs.
The pair say their dance club has reopened, but they haven't been back as they can't find the time.
Joan added: "We spend a lot of time with the videos, not just learning the moves and filming, but editing.
"I also spend a lot of time replying to comments and messages. I try and reply to as many as I can, though replying to them all is sometimes impossible."
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