From Michael Barrymore to Airline star Jane Boulton: Noughties TV celebrities are enjoying a resurgence on TikTok and gaining a new Gen Z following

•  A slew of noughties TV stars are making a comeback – on Gen Z platform TikTok
• READ MORE: ‘I’m the busiest and happiest I’ve been!’: Michael Barrymore, 71, on his comeback as TikTok star and theatre director – 22 years after pool tragedy 

Cast your mind back 20 years ago, to where the media landscape was a very different place.

There was no Facebook, no Instagram, and most definitely no TikTok, and just five channels to flick through on terrestrial TV, so it may come as some surprise that some TV stars from that simpler time are finding a new audience: Gen Z TikTok users.

Among the blasts from the past who are enjoying a second wind of fame thanks to the social media platform are Michael Barrymore, with a staggering 1.7 million followers and more than 50 million likes.

Less prolific on TikTok, but still earning new fans thanks to their content are noughties TV names like Leigh Francis and Dick and Dom.

Here, FEMAIL reveals noughties TV stars who are enjoying a resurgence on TikTok…

Michael Barrymore

TIKTOK FAMOUS: Michael Barrymore (pictured) was a regular on television during the nineties and early noughties, until scandal ended his career almost overnight. But now he has a huge TikTok following

When a young man was found dead in his swimming pool following a drug-fuelled house party more than 20 years ago, Michael Barrymore practically disappeared from public life.

The TV presenter lost his job at ITV shortly afterwards in 2003, and he was rarely seen again until he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2006 – managing to finish in second place.

A series of career revival attempts followed but they were often overshadowed by the ongoing investigation into the death of Stuart Lubbock, the 31-year-old found dead at Barrymore’s Essex mansion in the early hours of March 31, 2001.

Between that year and 2019, Barrymore and others were arrested and questioned on multiple occasions, but no charges were ever filed and the star ultimately sued Essex Police for wrongful arrest, although he dropped his compensation claim of £2.4m after a court ruled he was due ‘nominal’ damages.

But the now 71-year-old is taking his career back into his own hands by building a loyal fan base on the social media app TikTok.

Barrymore posts multiple videos per day and has amassed 1.7million followers, many of whom leave him messages of love and support.

Jane Boulton

THEN AND THEN: Jane Boulton was a favourite on early noughties reality television show Airline (pictured, left). And now she has gained a whole load of new Gen Z fans thanks to TikTok (pictured, righT)

Two decades after appearing on reality TV show Airline, Jane Boulton, whose surname is now Lee, has found herself going viral on TikTok.

Jane made her mark on the iconic fly on the wall show Airline, back in 1998 when she was working on the desk at Luton airport for EasyJet.

Now a married mother-of-three living in South London, Jane famously had to put up with some very angry passengers.

Jane, who boasts 54,000 followers on TikTok, no longer works in the airline industry and quit the business in 2014. She now runs her own company called Party Paradise UK.

The show ended in 2006 and Jane said she still keeps in touch with co-stars Leo Jones and Katrina Leeder.

She has now gone viral TikTok with clips of her comeback from the show still being sent around.

The videos have been viewed more than 26 million times.

Timmy Mallett

Timmy Mallett was best known for his catchphrases and giant foam mallet during his career heyday (pictured, left) but he is still popular with fans, thanks to content creation on TikTok (pictured, right)

TV host Timmy Mallett, whose TV career arguably peaked in the 80s, has seemingly spent the last decade fairly quietly.

At the height of his small screen  fame, he was best known for his brightly coloured outfits, including his vibrant shirts, oversized glasses, and giant foam mallet.

He was also known for his catchphrases – ‘utterly brilliant’, and ‘blaaaah!’, as well as for his artwork.

Since then, he’s enjoyed quieter pursuits, last year cycling 4,000 around the UK coastline, capturing its ever-changing scenery and skies along the way in his paintings.

Speaking about his artwork, he has previously said: ‘I see painting as part and parcel of what I am and what I do.’

And now he is bringing his inimitable style to a new, Gen Z audience, sharing clips on TikTok.

The veteran entertainer boasts some 66,000 followers on the platform, where he posts videos of his travels. 

Dick and Dom

Dick and Dom have spoken out about their difficulties in getting their TikTok handle due to their name appearing rude

Following a successful career presenting children’s television, Dick and Dom were amusingly left stumped when they tried to embark on their TikTok journey.

The stars, best known for presenting In Da Bungalow which ran on CBBC from 2002 to 2006, revealed last year that they were struggling to get around the platform’s guidelines.

Richard McCourt, 45, and Dominic Wood, 44 – revealed on Twitter last year at the end of January that they were having difficulties signing up to the video sharing app as the nickname ‘Dick’ was deemed ‘rude’.

When they tried to sign up, they received a message from the platform.

The message read: ‘This phrase may be associated with behaviour or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok’s top priority.’ 

However, since then, the pair have been able to sign up for TikTok, using the handle @dickndomofficial.

Their account, whose tagline reads ‘Spanning the Millennial, Z & Alpha generations!’, now boasts more than 55,000 followers, and the pair share a range of clips inlcuding comedy vignettes.

Trinny Woodall

Trinny Woodall (pictured left and right) has built a very solid social media following thanks to her engaging videos and skincare advice

Best known for presenting the noughties classic show What Not To Wear, Trinny Woodall is now perhaps best known for her make-up range, Trinny of London.

With a burgeoning presence as a beauty guru on social media, the 59-year-old has successfully transitioned from her noughties TV fame to social media stardom.

And part of that is her TikTok presence.

With more than 92,000 followers on the platform, and a portfolio of videos that focus largely on fashion, she has brought her specialist subject to a new Gen Z audience.

And the young audience is looking for very different content than those watching her early 2000s show.

In 2002, Trinny, along with her co-host Susannah Constantine published a comprehensive 160-page wardrobe guide to accompany their show – which had just been renewed for another season.

UK-based TikTok user Aimee made a video looking through the book, commenting that the kind of advice shared is why ‘every millennial has got body dysmorphia’.

Among some of the comments in the book, the hosts warned women to avoid wearing tight lycra, lest they risk looking ‘like too much meat stuffed into a sausage skin’.   

Andi Peters

Andi Peters (pictured , left, around the year 2000 with Ed the Duck) is enjoying his new Gen Z fans who are following him on TikTok (pictured, right)

While Andi Peters still appears during short segments on morning television shows, the presenter arguably had his heyday around the time of the millenium.

The 52-year-old enjoyed a number of presenting jobs, notably a stint on Children’s BBC for The Broom Cupboard, succeeding Phillip Schofield in 1989.

Now the self-described ‘bloke off the telly’, is sharing snippets from behind the scenes of his career with Gen Z-ers and other TikTok users.

With a respectable 40,000 followers on the platform, Andi shares a range of videos with viewers.

Among his most viewed clip, is a comedy vignette, in which he mocks television presenters.

Leigh Francis 

BEFORE AND AFTER: Comedian Leigh Francis first rose to prominence some 20 years ago (pictured, right) and now has a healthy following on TikTok (pictured, right)

Leigh Francis, 50, is perhaps best known as his comedy alter-ego Keith Lemon, often using that name instead of his actual moniker.

The comedian, who rose to national prominence in the early 2000s, uses both names on his TikTok account.

With 417,000 followers on the platform, the funnyman is certainly bringing his content to a new generation of followers, with Gen Z-ers very likely to be among his TikTok fans. 

Among his offerings, are irreverent comedy vignettes, as well as clips from live performances and other videos. 

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