Meet the man who has become a viral Tik Tok star

Last year, 22-year-old Max was just a regular student from Darwen.

His first real job was in a local chippy and his career goal in life was to work in digital marketing.

However, now that has all changed and Max has been thrust into the spotlight after garnering a massive following on a video sharing platform called Tik Tok where he is known as ‘Max Balegde’.

Now, Max works with huge brands, such as JD and Pretty Little Thing, and even rubs shoulders with high-profile celebrities.

This is all thanks to his Tik Tok account where he has amassed 1.4 million followers.

Max said: “I’m just a regular boy from Darwen.

“I had my whole career planned out â€" I would go to university, get an internship and work in digital marketing.

“Now I’ve been thrust into this whole other world of meeting celebrities and getting to work with them and giant brands.

“I never thought I would get to be that person and I am just incredibly grateful and confused and taking every as it comes.”

Max, who is also a student at Newcastle University, started his Tik Tok account early last year during the first lockdown.

He explained: “In my head I thought it was an app for children and I thought ‘I am a mature adult â€" I don’t want the app.”

However, he soon gave in and started making content on the video sharing app.

His first video amassed 1000 likes and Max kept the app going because he “thought it was funny” and that he would get to “share [his] own funny interests with people”.

“Now it’s become a full time job which is just bizarre to me”, he added.

Max doesn’t have an accurate description for his videos, which can amass millions of views.

He explained: “My best performing videos are the ones I don’t think twice about and ones I put up randomly because I’m hungover or out with my friends.

“I’m never wondering if a video will perform well or not â€" I just wake up in the morning and it’s got over a million views and it’s insane.”

His comedy videos often have his viewers in stitches and he is best known for documenting his nights out and also posting his experience of getting some pretty dodgy haircuts.

Recently, Max teamed up with BBC Radio One and he interviewed celebrities on the red carpet ahead of the radio show’s ‘Out Out Live’ event.

He spoke to several celebrities including Swedish singer Sigrid, Love Island’s Olivia Bowden and Burnley radio presenter, Jordan North.

Max said: “I love Jordan. I think as soon as you hear somebody with a similar accent you instantly feel a little bit of comfort.”

That isn’t the only opportunity that has come from his Tik Tok career.

Max explained: I get things gifted to me all the time. I’ve had the opportunity to work with companies that I’ve always bought from. Suddenly they’re sponsoring me to go to festivals and to go stay in a mansion with other influencers.

“I have had the opportunity to work with such amazing people and meet such interesting people and have experiences I never would have had in my entire life.”

Max said he would love to keep working in the world of social media, but would also like to venture in the world of television and radio.

He explained: “I’ve gone into this whole weird career venture with the thought process that it could end at any minute so I don’t get disappointed if it does. But it seems to keep growing and growing.

“I’d love to work in radio, tv or anything like that. I’m so grateful that it’s even happening to me.”

Max Balegde’s most viral videos

Here are some of Max’s best performing videos on the Tik Tok site:

In one video Max received a very unusual fan request. A girl paid for a Cameo video (website which allows celebrities to send personalized video messages to fans) asking Max to encourage her to lose weight.

This is what he made:

In another video, Max was desperate to beat a man to the train.

In another relatable video which has amassed more than one million likes, Max can be seen nursing a hangover in Marks and Spencer while trying to put a straw in a cup.

One viral Tik Tok had viewers in stitches â€" and all Max did was nip to the shop for toilet paper. At the time of writing, it has over 700,000 likes.

In one video which has amassed more than 500,000 likes Max unveils a £75 hair cut which he claimed makes him “look like Hitler.”

You can watch more of Max's videos over on his Tik Tok page.  

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