Stories

Thu, 22 Oct 2026

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 'I'm 96 and have 15 million followers': The grannies taking over TikTok

Grandma Droniak, Nonna Gracie, Viv Truran and Barbara Costello have all found fame on social media in their later years.

* Grandma Droniak, a 96-year-old woman from Connecticut, has gained 15 million followers on social media and earns enough money from brand deals to cover her $12,000 monthly nursing home fees.
* She claims that her appeal lies in showing younger people that life doesn't stop as you get older, and that she's still partying and having fun at her age.
* Her grandson edits her sponsored content, which includes partnerships with food and beauty brands.
* The money from her social media deals also goes towards a college fund for her great-grandchildren. Other grannies featured in the article include:
* Viv Truran, an 82-year-old from Cardiff who has over 800,000 followers on Instagram and makes two videos a day showing off her colourful outfits.
* Nonna Gracie (Grace Geramita), an 85-year-old Italian-American woman with millions of followers who watch her cook recipes she's made for decades.
* Barbara Costello, a 77-year-old former teacher who shares videos about cooking, cleaning, and homemaking skills on her Brunch with Babs accounts.