From the bird guy to the “bus aunt”: the real social media personalities who rise above the AI ​​floor

FFor years, social media fame has been associated with the glamor of the Kardashians and Cristiano Ronaldo’s red carpet mega-sports stardom, but millions of users around the world are increasingly turning their attention to unassuming everyday heroes.

TikTok says a range of accounts, from a bird lover to an Italian grandmother to a double-decker bus fan, are growing in popularity this year as social media users cling to authentic voices.

A Cotswolds pensioner has become an Instagram hit thanks to his posts celebrating his garden – including a penchant for red cabbage. Gerald Stratford, who has 370,000 followers, took part in a photo shoot for Gucci after his success in popular sports.

Rowland Smith, creative director at Billion Dollar Boy, a U.K.-based advertising agency that works with creatives, says Stratford exemplifies the authenticity and passion that…