Jacqueline Wilson is TikTok’s latest unlikely star, and the childhood nostalgia is real

Children’s author Jacqueline Wilson has set off a wave of nostalgia on TikTok after announcing an adult sequel to her popular ‘Girls’ series and sharing her delight at being named a “gay icon” after coming out publicly in 2020.

In one of a number of recent promotional interviews (posted to the BBC’s TikTok account), she describes being “touched” by the title.

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And check out this sweet surprise encounter with a superfan, organised by Penguin Books.

Wilson’s media presence has been a blast from the past for many TikTok users, though the memories of reading such heartbreaking books as My Sister Jodie and Vicky Angel are not the usual rose-tinted kind.

Watch on TikTok

Watch on TikTok

Watch on TikTok

There’s also the influence of Tracy Beaker, which had a generation of kids copying the title character’s cheeky catchphrase.

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Let’s just hear the inimitable Dani Harmer making it iconic.

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Of course, we’ve all grown out of that now. Now bog off and read something else.

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Source BBC Image Screengrab, Screengrab