TikTok Award nomination for James 'Protein bar' Doyle
Mullingar creator, James Doyle, has been nominated for a Creator of the Year Award in the first TikTok awards for Ireland and the UK. He is one of 11 Irish creators to be nominated.
The TikTok awards, with presenting partner Sky, is for the most influential creators in categories ranging from fashion, beauty and sports, to education, food, comedy and more.
“It’s an absolute honour. I’m really overwhelmed by it to be honest,” said James. “To be nominated in my category, it kind of gives me a nod – I must be doing something right, connecting with so many people.
The Westmeath native went viral two years ago, thanks to his Mullingar accent and his ‘Protein Bor’ videos. He started out with gym and food reviews and general fitness-related videos until his unique comedic style took centre stage.
“Sure look, my life has totally changed in all fairness,” he said. “April 2022, I created my first TikTok account, bored one lunchtime, eating a protein bar in the front of a work van on a building site.
“I could never have imagined the opportunities that TikTok has given me. I will be forever grateful I’m doing a job that I love. (Going viral) happened organically. It wasn’t really planned. I love making content and try to never take myself too seriously – I did that long enough as a kid and a teen.”
James has gained some 1.4 million followers on the platform by posting lighthearted videos of his day-to-day life, and he’s continuing to get noticed.
He is one of six creators in the Creator of the Year category and is up against some popular UK accounts. But he’s taking it all in his stride and is confident he stands a chance.
“Look, I’m a tough opponent,” he laughed, “but I’m the only Irish lad so I’m up against the best content creators in the UK. As you can imagine, they have a massive following, but sure look, I’ll give it my best shot. I’ll need the entire country behind me! I’m just delighted to be nominated.”
If you’d like to support James, you can do so by voting on TikTok. If you don’t have an account, “go and get one”, James said. You can vote daily by searching for ‘TikTok awards’ on the app and choosing the ‘creator of the year’ category.
“I would like to thank all my followers – without them, none of this would be possible,” James concluded.
Follow James on TikTok: @jamesdoylefitness.