Louis Theroux has confronted social media influencer Harrison Sullivan, known as HSTikkyTokky, and Sullivan’s mother in filmed exchanges for a forthcoming documentary about toxic masculinity, pressing the 23-year-old over his online persona, alleged scams and outstanding criminal matters.
In footage shared on social media and reported by the Daily Mail, Theroux questions Sullivan about repeated online claims that he earns £20 million a year as an elite trader and about comments in which the influencer appears to embrace labels including "racist," "misogynist" and "homophobic." Sullivan, who has roughly 175,000 followers on TikTok, defended some remarks while also disputing that he is homophobic. The interview includes moments of tension when Theroux raises the subject of a March 2024 car crash in Virginia Water, Surrey, and subsequent charges linked to the incident.
Theroux reads a quote to Sullivan — "Call me racist, call me a misogynist, call me homophobic, call me a scammer – I'm all those things" — and asks if he genuinely sees himself that way. Sullivan replied: "That's my way of saying I don't care. Say what you want about me, I am that. Cool. I don't care." When Theroux pressed on the charge of homophobia, Sullivan said he had socialised with gay friends and rejected the label, but the exchange grew heated after Theroux cited an earlier remark in which Sullivan said he would "disown" a gay son. Sullivan then suggested that being gay could be "a product of parenting," a comment his mother, Elaine Sullivan, countered by saying "It's the way someone's born."
Theroux also asked about alleged criminal proceedings connected to a crash in which a £230,000 McLaren was involved. Surrey Police told the Daily Mail that the investigation into a collision on March 24, 2024, remains active and that Sullivan is wanted in connection with the incident after failing to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court in November. The court matter has been raised several times during the filmed exchanges; Sullivan declined to discuss it in detail and his mother threatened to end the interview when the topic resurfaced.
Sullivan has previously left the UK and relocated to Dubai, where his social media images show a lifestyle of luxury travel and high-end cars. The documentary footage and reporting by the Daily Mail raise questions about how Sullivan funds that lifestyle. The paper reported that records show four companies linked to Sullivan were dissolved over the last two years and that the influencer has been the subject of a Financial Conduct Authority alert. The regulator warned in March that a firm associated with Sullivan "may be providing or promoting financial services or products without our permission" and advised people to "avoid dealing with this firm and beware of scams."
The Daily Mail report and the filmed exchanges suggest Sullivan used rented or short-term access to luxury cars and properties to create the appearance of wealth. Neighbours quoted in the report said they saw flashy vehicles only briefly and that bailiffs had visited the family’s former rented home in Brentwood, Essex. Sullivan has admitted previously on social media that elements of his online persona have been staged; in March 2023 he posted that he was "broke" and later said the admission was part of a strategy to attract attention and, at the time, to promote other online ventures.
Theroux’s exchanges with Sullivan include moments of performative confrontation familiar from the documentarian’s earlier work. Theroux has previously investigated a range of subcultures and controversial figures, and the current film — understood to focus on so-called "toxic masculinity" among internet celebrities — places Sullivan among influencers whose online conduct and commercial activities have drawn scrutiny.
Sullivan operates channels on messaging platforms including Telegram, Signal and WhatsApp where he has offered trading tips and promoted paid subscription services. According to the reporting, he has urged followers to join paid groups promising trading "moves" and potential returns; critics and regulators have warned about the risks of unregulated financial advice disseminated through social media.
In the filmed exchange, tensions escalated further when Sullivan accused Theroux of being "friends" with the late broadcaster Jimmy Savile, and suggested Theroux had been involved with high-profile investigations incorrectly. Theroux listened and at times used extended silences, a technique seen in his earlier interviews. Sullivan also livestreamed portions of the encounter while Theroux filmed for the documentary.
It is not known when the film will be released. The footage has nevertheless intensified scrutiny of Sullivan’s online claims and business practices, highlighted regulators’ warnings and renewed public attention on the responsibilities of influencers who offer financial advice to large, often young, audiences. Surrey Police encouraged anyone with information to contact them and said they want Sullivan to hand himself in to UK police. The Financial Conduct Authority’s warning remains in place for those considering dealing with firms linked to the influencer.
The filmed material and accompanying reporting outline a trajectory from modest origins in Essex to a high-profile online presence, amid allegations of staging a lavish lifestyle, failed businesses and outstanding legal issues. The documentary’s completed form will determine how much of Sullivan’s public image is reframed by Theroux’s investigation and whether regulators or law enforcement take further action following renewed public attention.