A drama student who is officially homeless has become one of Britain’s top TikTok stars with more than 10 million followers.
Ehiz Ufuah, 22, lives with his family in emergency accommodation after they fell on hard times and lost their council home 15 months ago.
Now his big ambition is to buy a house for his single mum, three sisters and two brothers after making a surprise breakthrough online – with a funny clip about doing the dishes.
Ehiz was stunned when it went viral – and now earns about £3,000 (Sh393,758) a month through the video-sharing platform. And he hopes his success might even help him achieve his ambition of being a Hollywood actor.
But all this looked like a pipe dream as the Greenwich University student and his family lost their council home in Romford, East London, and were temporarily moved into a Travelodge in January 2020.
Ehiz says he joined TikTok in February 2020 “to see what the hype was about”.
He posted a comic video of him pacing back and forth wondering whether to do the washing-up for his mum or leave it for his siblings – before racing to the sink as he hears her coming.
Ehiz was gobsmacked when it hit 750,000 views, saying: “I’d only had about three followers until then.
“My family and friends were texting me, telling me I was famous. I couldn’t believe all the attention that video got me.”
Since then he has never looked back with his TikTok account’s popularity rocketing.
“I was in Primark last December and I had to be escorted out as too many people were crowding around me to get a picture,” says Ehiz. His growing profile was spotted by TikTok influencer agency Yoke Network.
In March he was invited to make a Big Brother-style show for YouTube with four other TikTok stars in a Surrey mansion.
Ehiz said: “It was an incredible experience, having a pool and movie theatre to enjoy. And while I didn’t make money from the show, it really raised my profile. I get recognised all the time in the street.”
His videos have even been reposted on Instagram by some of the cast of Love Island. “Megan McKenna from The Only Way Is Essex has reached out to me,” he says. “But the person I was most starstruck by was supermodel Adut Akech.”
Now the drama student has his own dreams of stardom. He says: “I’ve always thought it would impossible to be a Hollywood actor but in recent years a lot of actors not from privileged backgrounds have made it.”
For now he’s content making £3,000 a month from the TikTok creator fund that helps users earn from videos and sponsorships.
Ehiz says: “The income is great but I’m not sure how long it’ll last. I’m still not in a position to buy property.
“One day I’d love to be able to buy my family a home. Miracles do happen.”
