Khaby Lame is the most followed person on TikTok without a word

(CNN) – Comedian Xabi Lam has become the king of TikTok, all without saying a word.

more than 142.9 million followersLame dropped teen dancer and content creator Charli D’Amelio to become the most followed person on the platform.

Lame, 22, who was born in Senegal, a West African country and now lives in Italy, makes videos in which he silently reacts to silly tricks, garnering millions of views and likes with every post.

In recent weeks, his fans have made an effort on social media to beat D’Amelio on TikTok. in InstagramLame has 78.3 million followers compared to D’Amelio’s 48.8 million.

Lame, (pronounced Lah-MAY), started posting videos after losing his job as a factory worker in Italy in the early days of the pandemic in 2020. He spent his days hiding in his parents’ home in the city, an Italian woman from Chivasso, looking for work. One day, he downloaded TikTok and started playing with it in his room, posting videos In the name of Khabi did not.

Initially, like many TikTokers, he created clips of himself dancing, watching video games, or doing comic stunts. In early 2021, he began mocking cheat videos flooding social media platforms, responding to them with silent mockery or an angry look.

“I came up with this idea because I’ve been watching these videos going around, and I like the idea of ​​making it a little bit simple,” Lame told CNN late last year. “I thought of a way to reach as many people as possible. The best way is not to talk.”

In addition to life hack videos, Lame also posts short comedies that showcase his expressive reactions, but without words.

His reactions sum up the term “head shaking,” or SMH for the Internet for short. After his logical approach to a task, Lame extends his arms, palms up, as if to say “duh”. Sometimes he rolls his eyes or shakes his head.

His calm and expressive reactions have made him one of the most popular digital creators on social media.

“You don’t need to talk to be seen or understood,” Cristina Ferraz, founder of the public relations agency, told CNN. thirty six five, headquartered in Houston. “Their discontent is related and the sentiment is universal.”

Lame’s rigid humor has attracted fans from all over the world, who regularly send him videos of people performing simple tasks in complex ways.

His demure facial expressions also made him a meme star, with his face being posted in interactive videos on social media.

Lame did not immediately respond to a request from CNN for comment on his new era as the most followed account on TikTok. But he told CNN last year that he doesn’t post the videos to gain fame.

“I don’t care if I was the first, second or fourth most popular on TikTok. I started making videos because I wanted to make people laugh during that lockdown period.” “And I still make videos with the same ideals. I’m happy with my accomplishments, but that’s not the main thing.”

Lamm said one of her goals is to work with her favorite movie star, Will Smith.