Meet Ann Russell, the 'TikTok Auntie' who shares her cleaning tips with 1.8m followers

She downloaded TikTok to ‘stalk a teenage niece’. Now, she’s about to publish her first book. From deodorant stains to washing up, Ann Russell shares her cleaning hacks with Denise O’Donoghue

TikTok star Ann Russell says despite her high following on the platform, in her mind she is talking one-on-one through the camera to the person who needs her most.

When I’m not tackling everyday problems in the ‘Life Hacks’ column every week in the Irish Examiner, one of the perks of my job is chatting to some very well-known people, but it was an upcoming Zoom call with a self-professed ‘very middle-class English old bag’ that had my friends and family in a tizzy. 

“You’re going to talk to Ann Russell?” my boyfriend Greg asked excitedly. “She’s actually a celebrity!”