Joe Lycett's Art Exhibition Features Tribute to Viral TikTok Nan
Comedian Joe Lycett's exhibition includes a painting inspired by Anne Hughes, who gained internet fame after an incident involving shop shutters.
Comedian and artist Joe Lycett has created a painting for his art exhibition that pays tribute to Anne Hughes, a Welsh grandmother who went viral on TikTok. The incident, which saw Hughes caught in shop shutters and hoisted into the air, was captured on CCTV and viewed millions of times online.
Lycett's painting is part of his first major solo art exhibition, titled "Everything Must Go," which is on display at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition focuses on themes of nostalgia, grief, and loss. Lycett, known for his role in "Celebrity Traitors," shared the painting on Instagram, calling it a tribute to Hughes, "who brought joy to millions."
Hughes' granddaughter, Lilly, expressed her appreciation for Lycett's artwork, stating that it has helped keep her grandmother's memory alive. "It's lovely, I would have it on my wall any day," Lilly said, adding that the painting means her nan's legacy has lived on. She also noted that her grandmother, who passed away in 2025, would have found the situation amusing.
The viral moment, which originally occurred in Tonteg, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, garnered significant attention, with views on the BBC News Instagram account alone reaching at least 58 million. Hughes had initially stated in a BBC interview that she was holding onto her trolley because her grandchildren asked why she was holding on, but Lilly later revealed her grandmother's real reason was to prevent her cigarettes from being stolen.
Lycett's artistic style for this piece, and others in the exhibition, is described as child-like, utilizing bold and bright colors. The exhibition also features other works by Lycett that celebrate "nostalgia, grief and loss," including a sculpture of an extinct mammoth and a painting of the late TV personality Cilla Black.
The viral incident involving Anne Hughes has continued to bring smiles to people's faces, and Lilly Hughes shared that it still serves as an effective ice-breaker in her work as a midwife. The artwork, along with the enduring popularity of the video, has ensured that Hughes' unique moment of internet fame lives on.