College lecturer dons dressing gown for mental health awareness

Local businesses came together in a unique fashion to welcome viral TikTok sensation Crazy Auntie Ann - all in their dressing gowns.

With more than 670,000 followers and 13 million likes, Crazy Auntie Ann’s light-hearted and authentic approach to TikTok captivated a global audience.

What began as a gesture of encouragement to her students during the Covid-19 lockdown morphed into a viral sensation centred around positivity and mental health.

Known for her infectious dressing gown dances, college lecturer Ann teaches level two mental health and counselling skills at Calderdale College.

“It’s all about staying true to myself and spreading positivity,” said Ann.

When the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns hit, Ann’s TikTok journey began with a simple goal: to bring joy and support to her students.

Using the platform her niece had set up as ‘Crazy Auntie Ann’ she created light-hearted videos to lift spirits during remote learning sessions.

“When we came out of the first lockdown, I said to my students, ‘You can do anything you want to do if you put your mind to it’.

“If you want to be an astronaut, you can be an astronaut. You must work hard, study hard, be very determined, and put yourself in places where your imposter syndrome thinks you shouldn’t belong. Knock on the door, say ‘I want to come in,’ and ask, ‘What can I do to get here?’

“You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”

The mental health advocate’s students were so inspired they set Ann a task to achieve 10,000 followers on TikTok.

With her trademark authenticity, positivity and trusty dressing gowns, Ann’s videos quickly gained traction, going viral and propelling her follower count to an impressive 70,000.

“I focus on mental health, happiness, honesty, and wellbeing,” said Ann. “I don’t use camera lights or filters. I only make a fool of myself, no one else. It’s all about staying true to myself and spreading positivity.”

It was down to one business owner’s scrolling that led to the chance discovery of online sensation Ann Chambers having local roots.

When Honley's Wired Coffee and Cake owners Katie and Oliver stumbled upon a TikTok video featuring a familiar face, they promptly shared the clip with social media queen Janet Bebb, of Social Progress, suggesting the lady dancing in a dressing gown was a doppelganger for Janet.

To their astonishment, they discovered that the woman in the heart-warming videos was Janet’s sister, Ann.

Local entrepreneurs Rachel Valli of Valli Optometry and Audiology - which has premises in Hebden Bridge - and Honley's ReDress Boutique, Liz Gill of Liz Gill Mortgages, Dan Heneghan of Heneghan Architecture, former Brighouse Echo reporter Sophie Seddon, of Sophie Seddon PR and Jennifer Hughes of Hug & Co, joined Social Progress and Wired to greet Crazy Auntie Ann – all in their dressing gowns.