TikTok sensation GK Barry is prepped to brave the formidable Australian jungle as she joins the line-up in the eagerly anticipated new season of ITVs I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here with nine other celebrities.
The much-loved reality series which is making its comeback on November 17 will see its participants experiencing life in a jungle campsite and facing gruelling tasks in pursuit of meals and fundamental comforts.
Grace Keeling, better known by her social media pseudonym GK, opened up about her nerves regarding her jungle stint. Talking to the Mirror, she admitted: “I hate bugs. I hate sleeping outside. I’ve never done it. And so I think that would be a lot. But I feel like it would also probably be good viewing for other people.”
However, you may be asking yourself: who exactly is GK Barry? What’s behind her celebrity status, and why does she look so familiar? Below we detail everything you need to know about this digital celeb’s climb to fame.
Early life and education
Hailing from Cambridgeshire, Grace was born on August 12, 1999, and was raised alongside her brother by her mum and stepdad. The now 25 year old showed early signs of a flair for video and film production during her typical teenage years, reports the Mirror.
She pursued Film, TV, Cinematography, and Film/Video Production at Cambridge Regional College and came away with top marks. Her academic journey continued at Nottingham Trent University studying Filmmaking and related disciplines where she achieved a commendable 2:1 classification.
While at university, GK got a taste of the television world, landing opportunities to assist backstage on the set of BBCs Doctors and contributing to a Netflix movie project titled Hood.
While studying at university and working as a barista at Costa Coffee, GK found her social media presence growing exponentially.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan in January, she reminisced: “When I hit 200k followers on TikTok, my current manager reached out. Within three months, I was getting off from 12-hour shifts and being asked to film social ads. My first brand deal was for some leggings, which [my followers] sold out.
“I was making under £1,000 a month [as a barista] and brands were offering me £600 per TikTok video.”
Rise to fame
GK’s rise to TikTok stardom began in 2020, amassing 3.6 million followers and receiving 277.4 million likes on her content. She revealed that she adopted the moniker “GK Barry” due to concerns about being recognised by school peers.
Her breakout moment on the platform came during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown with a humorous video capturing a man running outside her window, accompanied by GK’s commentary: “There’s a hunk in the neighbourhood, I’m going for a run.” The video quickly went viral, securing over 500,000 likes in just an hour.
Within a year of active social media engagement, GK hit the one million follower milestone, establishing her as a prominent online figure. Post-lockdown, GK noticed an increase in public recognition thanks to her popular videos.
Podcast controversy
The influencer, riding high on her success, launched a podcast named Saving Grace in 2022. Despite initial reservations about venturing into the world of podcasting, she has publicly confessed that it’s one of the highlights of her job.
The podcast has welcomed celebrity guests such as Alan Carr, Coleen Nolan, and Katie Price, but it hasn’t been without its share of criticism from listeners. Fans recently lambasted the podcaster for featuring an adult star in a recent interview, arguing that the episode’s content was unsuitable for her audience.
In October, GK aired an interview with Bonnie Blue, whose OnlyFans content revolves around sleeping with 18 and 19-year-old men, often university students, and interviewing them about their experience with her.
During the episode, Blue recounted a tale about an encounter with a father and son, which quickly drew the ire of listeners.
One individual on X voiced: “Bonnie Blue and GK Barry may be adults. However, a majority of her audience is 13-20-year-old girls. So yes, it does make it wrong. Promoting promiscuity, plus degrading women and objectifying them. How do you think this will be interpreted by young girls?”.
Another commented: “GK Barry having Bonnie Blue on her pod and AGREEING with the harmful s*** she was saying is beyond disappointing. Do better, babe.”
Blue has stepped up to defend GK amid the backlash, making it clear in a Metro interview that fans should have channelled their frustration towards her, and not the podcast host. She recognised the discontent over GK giving her a platform, while highlighting that the format of their conversation wasn’t intended as an interview or an interrogation.
Elaborating on the purpose behind GK’s podcast, Blue shared that it serves as a space for recounting personal stories and experiences, which is exactly what she contributed. Following the fan response, GK decided to take down the promotional content for the episode in question from both her Instagram and TikTok pages.
Who is GK dating?
Turning to GK’s personal life, GK is currently dating footballer Ella Rutherford, part of Ipswich Town’s squad.
GK has always been open about being in a relationship, although the identity of her girlfriend remained a secret until recently.
The speculation ended this August when Ella shared a heartfelt birthday tribute on her Instagram story, accompanied by the caption: “Happy Birthday babe I love you more and more everyday.”
I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!’ starts on November 17, on ITV1 and ITVX