Walsall nan and grandson make it big on TikTok

Max Brown is hoping to raise money for charity after his nan, Chris Thacker, was diagnosed with dementia

A 21-year-old who makes viral videos with his nan is fundraising for a dementia charity with a running event.

Max Brown, from Walsall, shares videos with his grandmother Chris Thacker on TikTok, reaching millions of fans.

Known as "GymNan", the duo record their reactions to new trends and moments from video calls together.

Mrs Thacker is living with dementia and her grandson will take part in the Tough Mudder running challenge to raise money for Dementia UK.

Mr Brown, who has almost 200,000 followers on the platform, introduced his nan to his feed after she called him unexpectedly while he was filming at the gym.

"Nan FaceTimed me, as she always does," he said. "My camera was rolling and I thought, let's keep it rolling and see if anything happens.

"We had a hilarious FaceTime call which ended up getting over a million views.

"Everybody loved it and thought it was hilarious so then we carried on making funny videos."

Mr Brown said the videos help his nan recall their memories together

Since then, the pair have taken part in viral TikTok trends and Mr Brown has filmed his grandmother's reaction to everything from his new tattoos to tasting new products released by YouTubers.

He thinks the secret to their popularity is "the relatability of having a funny nan", adding that she is "just hilarious".

"What he's doing I follow," Mrs Thacker said. "It is funny, we do have a good laugh."

Mr Brown said after losing his grandfather last year, the family had taken on more of Mrs Thacker's care, but added they have "a very special bond".

"There's still lots of me in here but I'm not like I used to be," said Mrs Thacker.

"I just carry on with my life. I forget what I've got to do and I think, 'oh crikey', but it's just something I've got to do now."

Mr Brown said making the videos also help them make memories together.

"Whenever we do something, it might be that nan has forgotten it a couple of weeks later, but then we can watch the video back," he said.

He will take part in the charity race on 7 May and is aiming to raise £2,500 for charity.