Who is Cilla Black and why is she all over your social media?
- Published
- comments
Why is this woman all over social media?
If you've spent any time scrolling on TikTok then you've probably seen a red-haired woman proudly singing cover versions of well-known songs, or spreading her arms widely, shouting "Surprise, surprise!" in a Liverpudlian accent.
Her name is Cilla Black, a celebrity from Liverpool who was a popstar in the 1960s and a very successful TV host in the 1980s, 90s and 00s.
At the height of her fame her television shows had millions of viewers.
One of the shows Cilla presented was called Surprise, Surprise - an ITV programme that aimed to make people's dreams come true - and included the catchphrase that she became known for saying or singing.
And it's Cilla singing that slogan which has been shared thousands of times as a meme on TikTok and Instagram.
But why is Cilla Black trending now on social media, almost a decade after she last appeared on TV?
Many of the videos being shared are poor visual quality and are of Cilla singing covers of well-known songs
Newsround spoke to Jamie Ryan, a journalist with BBC Trending - it's his job to look at why things are popular on social media.
'TV looked very different then'
Jamie says a lot of people's social media feeds are "covered with certain topics that are quite serious. There's climate, there's wars".
"And then you scroll and you're thinking; 'What on earth am I seeing?' Why am I seeing this woman on a train singing 'She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain'."
During her career Cilla often travelled to different parts of the UK and sang cover versions of well-known songs in her own unique style.
Jamie adds that a big part of the Cilla trend's popularity is due to the fact that television was very different then, compared to today, but she also seems to be enjoying herself and having a good time.
"Let's be honest, some of the videos of Cilla singing seem weird in 2023.
"I stop for longer [on the videos of Cilla] because it seems unlike everything else that I've seen, and TikTok is amazing at realising you like this kind of thing, so it shows you more."
In the 1980s and 1990s she became a famous TV personality, hosting hit shows such as Surprise Surprise
Cilla Black was a popstar in the 1960s and later a famous TV presenter in the 1980s to 00s. Born in Liverpool as Priscilla Maria Veronica White, she became known as Cilla Black as a result of a misprint in a music paper.
She worked as a cloakroom attendant at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club, where hit-making musicians from Liverpool, including The Beatles, played.
Eventually Cilla became a successful popstar in her own right. "I prefer to be known as a singer," she said. "That's all I've ever wanted to do."
Cilla, who died in 2015, was known for her Liverpudlian roots, and is now a meme.
She had a distinctive scouse accent that people who live in, or are from Liverpool, are sometimes associated with.
While Jamie can't definitively answer why videos of her have resurfaced now, or what first sparked their popularity, he says humour has a lot to do with their appeal.
Some of the videos shared on social media, have gently poked fun at Cilla's singing voice, including one where it's compared to a car alarm.
She became a beloved TV host
'It's really authentic'
"If they're [people on TikTok] making jokey comments about her singing, like some of the notes that she can or can't hit, I don't think it's done to be cruel. They're just sort of being like, 'oh, that's not good', but they're still watching it.
"They're still engaging with it and they're gonna share it because it's funny. And also, I think at the time, Cilla got it, she doesn't seem to be taking herself too seriously in the videos," says Jamie.
"But it's really authentic. It's not embarrassing to be bad at something anymore, and she's just having fun. And that's what people like now.
"People want to see things that are not pristine because that is real life. And in a way, these videos of Cilla come from a time, which they were not.
"It's so authentic to what media was [in the 1980s], and people look at it and are going: 'What on earth were our parents or grandparents watching?'"
Cilla won many fans in the world of show business
A meme can be an image or video, that is often funny, that is copied and shared by social media users
Surprise, surprise!
As well as videos of Cilla's cover songs, memes of her singing the Surprise, Surprise TV theme tune have also been shared.
The memes often include unexpected events, such as a teacher setting a test at the end of a lesson, followed by a video of Cilla singing "Surprise, surprise!"
Surprise surprise is a memorable catchphrase that people are adapting for their own use, Jamie says
Asked why the meme has taken off, Jamie says it comes down to a really recognisable phrase, that is easy to understand as a meme.
"It's really, really repeatable, and it sticks in your head. And there's a visual element. There's an audio element, and all of it looks bedazzling compared to what is highly polished content seen elsewhere on social media now.
"Cilla is quite refreshing compared to a lot of people we see on TV now," says Jamie, explaining that Cilla's on-screen personality wasn't controversial, often appearing as "a person who enjoyed herself."
- Published28 October 2023
