20 people who went unexpectedly viral in 2020

With the coronavirus pandemic, multiple lockdowns, and ending with the joys of Brexit, it’s fair to say this year has been *a lot*.

We’ve had to change the way we live and interact to limit the damage of the virus. But while doing so, we never lost our collective sense of humour.

Thanks to TikTok, Netflix, Twitter and other forms of online entertainment, we were able to stay connected through the many hilarious moments that, in all honesty, kept us going through some of the hardest times.

From Chanel the African grey parrot to the many live TV moments that went awry, for some, it was their year to go viral and entertain us all. Let’s relive some of those moments:

We should have known 2020 was cursed when, back in January, actress Amanda Henderson appeared on Celebrity Mastermind and gave the most hilariously wrong answer to a question about Greta Thunberg - “Sharon".

Sandra Hannah from Liverpool became an internet sensation after live streaming in desperation as her pet African grey parrot, Chanel, flew off. Thankfully, the pair were soon reunited.

Though it feels like an age ago, Love is Blind was one of the success stories of lockdown. And who could forget the moment Jessica not only gave wine to her dog, but out of her own glass!

Singer Charlotte Awbery made a name for herself after absolutely nailing ‘Shallow’ from A Star is Born completely off the cuff in a tube station.

Possibly the most tasteless, tone-deaf, cursed video of the year was celebrities singing ‘Imagine’.

Other moments were much more chill. Nathan Apodaca’s longboard, Fleetwood Mac and juice session was a vibe.

Elon Musk and Grimes confused the internet with their *innovative* baby name - X Æ A-12.

Poor Zara McDermott has had a year of it, topped off by an emotional argument with her boyfriend going viral and becoming a meme.

YouTuber Nella Rose also found herself going viral after the audio from one of her videos became a TikTok trend, "Are You Not Ashamed Of Yourself?”

Health secretary Matt Hancock caused a stir when he started to cry live on Good Morning Britain. Some people aren’t buying it.

In a much more wholesome moment, a bowls player went viral after stunning people with the most precise shot. Even people who know nothing about bowls were thoroughly impressed.

In the post-election celebrations after Joe Biden won, a French news reporter found himself joined live on TV with a happy reveller. The result was absolute gold.

Speaking of live TV moments, 80-year-old Iris Jones made things very akward as she discussed her sex life with her 35-year-old lover in far too much detail on This Morning.

With working from home very much a ‘thing’ this year, one parent found themselves in a pickle as their child walked in during an interview live on BBC. The reporter handles it beautifully.

One situation handled slightly less gracefully was when chef John Terode accidently set fire to his tea towel during a live cooking segment.

TikTok became huge this year, and one some of the best moments were ones that happened by accident, like this mail lady who photobombed some teenagers’ video.

In a very cringe clip, a contestant on BBC music game show The Hit List thought he’d correct an opposing contestant on her Rihanna knowledge, only to realise he didn’t know the answer half way through. Awks.

As Joe Biden won the election, CNN anchor Van Jones emotionally summed up what four years of Donald Trump had meant for him

In a bizarre election campaign moment, of which there were many, Vice President Mike Pence went viral when he was upstaged by a fly. Memes instantly ensued

And finally, hilarious resurfaced clips of broadcaster Leta Powell Drake put today’s journos to shame.