GK Barry has spoken about the adjustment from viral TikTok fame to mainstream television, saying her time on Loose Women helped her learn how to handle a very different kind of audience.
The creator, whose real name is Grace Keeling, discussed the move during an RTS Futures event at the British Library. The Royal Television Society published its report on the conversation on 1 September 2026.
From TikTok to broadcast television
Keeling built a large online following through TikTok before expanding into television. Her broadcast appearances have included The Weakest Link in March 2024, joining the Loose Women panel in August 2024 and later appearing on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
Speaking about the difference between social media and live or studio television, Barry said Loose Women taught her to “read a room”. She explained that online creators are used to speaking directly to their own audience, while television requires more awareness of the people around them and the format of the programme.
The comments underline how creators who begin on short-form platforms are increasingly moving into established television formats. For Barry, that transition has involved keeping the informal style that made her popular online while adapting to the structure and pace of broadcast production.
RTS event explored the creator-to-TV transition
The discussion took place at an RTS Futures panel held on 15 July 2026 at the British Library. Barry reflected on the opportunities that came after her TikTok success and the practical differences between producing content independently and working within television.
Her route from TikTok to ITV programmes is part of a wider shift in which social media creators are being cast in entertainment, reality and panel shows after first establishing audiences online.
Severn News has based this report on the Royal Television Society’s published account of the event. Comments have been paraphrased except for the brief quotation above.
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