Grace Keeling is better known online as GK Barry, the handle she began posting TikToks under (Image: GK Barry/Instagram)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy Notice With almost five million followers across her social media platforms, Grace Keeling has redefined what it means to be a successful influencer. But while the 25-year-old, best known by her catchy online handle GK Barry, appears to be bursting with confidence online, when she sits down for an exclusive chat with OK!, she admits she hasn’t always been so bubbly. “I used to be really nervous, to do anything or talk to anyone – but everything that I’m doing is pushing me out of my comfort zone and building my confidence,” she confides. Grace, who rose to fame thanks to her viral TikTok videos, now boasts a slot on the Loose Women panel, welcomes top stars onto her hit podcast and will soon have a second presenting gig on the Pride of Britain Awards red carpet.
She recently became the youngest ever Loose Women panellist
(Image: ITV)
It’s been quite a wild ride. Four years ago, she was working at Costa Coffee and trying to figure out where to go with her career. Now a household name, she admits her fame has not only given her a community, but also boosted her independence. “When I first started this journey, I wouldn’t even get on public transport on my own. I wouldn’t really speak to people, I was just too nervous to do any of that. Now I’m hopping on the Tube on my own, I’m interviewing everyone under the sun… it’s really made me a lot more independent and confident. It’s all quite surreal,” says Grace. Admitting that nerves still get the better of her occasionally, she says, “I get imposter syndrome all the time, especially when I’m interviewing people I’ve grown up watching on telly. I’m just like, ‘How on earth have I got here?’ It really is mental.”
Grace is also known for her podcast, Saving Grace, which has welcomed a number of celebrities
(Image: Saving Grace/Youtube)
Joking about how she overcomes that nagging self-doubt, Grace quips, “A glass of prosecco, that eases the nerves! But also, I just remind myself that I have every right to be here as well. It is truly a case of fake it until you make it for me.” Earlier this year, Grace became the youngest ever Loose Women panellist. And although it’s a far cry from daily vlogs, she’s clearly a natural on the ITV chat show – and adores the experience. “Oh my God, I love Loose Women! My mum is so happy that I’m doing it – she tells everyone. It’s such an amazing show to be a part of, because everyone’s so nice on it. “When I started Loose Women , I was very aware that most people who watch the show would have no clue who I am, so I did worry they wouldn’t get my sense of humour. But so far, touch wood, I’ve been received really well. I think people have been really welcoming of someone younger on the panel, offering different views and opinions.” Being on the show has brought Grace a whole new audience of fans. “I’m getting the older generation coming up to me in Tesco and being like, ‘I saw you on Loose Women. ’ I love it,” she laughs. Away from the small screen, Grace’s popular podcast, Saving Grace, has welcomed a myriad of famous faces, from Alison Hammond to Mark Wright. The venture has even seen her tour the country with live podcast shows, including selling out the London Palladium last year, which Grace says was the moment she knew fame had hit.
While she has bagged a presenting gig on the Pride Of Britain red carpet
(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)
“The podcast is so amazing, I love it,” she says. Asked who her favourite guests have been, she replies, “Rob Beckett, Alison Hammond and Tana Mongeau – they’re my top three.” Grace’s life might already sound like a whirlwind, but on 21 October she’ll be interviewing celebrity attendees at the Pride of Britain Awards for the second year in a row, which she’s looking forward to immensely. “Three years ago, if somebody had told me, ‘You’re going to be doing stuff on the Pride of Britain red carpet I’d have been like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I can do that.’ Now I love it,” she says.
Grace admits that previously she struggled with anxiety and couldn’t talk to people
(Image: WireImage)
“I’m not nervous, just excited. They’re building me a bar, so I’m going to feel very at home! I’m just going to have as much fun as possible, it’s an amazing place to be. Last year I was pulling people over left, right and centre. I had absolutely no decorum!” Keen presenter Grace has big plans for the future, admitting her dream is to be a combination of Stacey Dooley and Maya Jama. She also takes inspiration from Olivia Attwood, who has presented a string of ITV documentaries. Grace explains, “I’d love to present a documentary, a bit like Olivia Attwood does. I think that would be amazing. I would do everything and anything when it comes to TV. Anyone who wants to snap me up, I’ll do it.” The 2024 Pride of Britain Awards will be broadcast on ITV1 on Thursday, 24 October 2024 at 8pmStory SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnLoose WomenChat ShowDocumentaryMark WrightMaya JamaOlivia AttwoodStacey DooleyAlison HammondGK Barry
