Viral videos see Facebook phenomenon Cian Twomey in TV talks

Love him or hate him, Cian Twomey’s a Facebook phenomenon producing some of the most-watched viral videos.

The young Cork filmmaker and vlogger behind the 90-second ‘when your girlfriend...’ comedy clips inspired by his real-life girlfriend, Emily, could be coming to a TV screen near you soon.

The 20-year-old set up his Mr Cian Twomey Facebook page in October 2013 — it has just soared passed the 1m fans mark while his videos have been watched over half a billion times.

He has been in serious talks in recent days which could take his career to another level. He has declined to discuss the nature of the talks but he could be on the brink of landing a major TV deal in the UK.

If he clinches a deal, it will be a dream come true for the former Coláiste Chríost Rí student who has produced some 700 videos since setting up his page, some of which have been shared by stars like Lindsay Lohan and Jackass star Bam Margera.

“It started out as fun but this is a business now. I don’t see this as a full-time job though. I’m using it as a stepping stone towards TV presenting or acting,” he said.

Cian, working as a relief DJ with RedFM, took a lot of flack in the early days for his videos slagging off Irish mammies and grannies. “I was told the worst of things but it doesn’t bother me any more. You have to develop a thick skin,” he said.

In recent months, his audience has rocketed — 63% of his audience are female, aged between 18 and 24 — thanks to the videos inspired by Emily Rochford, 20, from Co Waterford, a tour guide at Waterford Crystal.

He takes her ordinary, everyday, comments and develops crazy scenarios around them, like ‘when your girlfriend loses her temper’, ‘when your girlfriend reads a bad horoscope’, and ‘when your girlfriend talks about marriage’.

Once a script is nailed down, Cian, who stars as himself, records the clips in minutes on his iPhone 6. They are edited using Viva Videos, and uploaded to Facebook most evenings.