News
April 2007
'Geriatric' web superstar revealed
The man behind the YouTube phenomenon 'Geriatric 1927' has been revealed as Peter Oakley, a 79 year old living in a quiet cottage in the Peak District.
When YouTube was still in its infancy Mr Oakley published his video diaries on it under the name 'Geriatric 1927', after the year he was born, and attracted an audience of half a million in just two weeks. He now has nearly five million fans and has been called a superstar by Time magazine.
In his weekly videos Mr Oakley talks about his childhood and his wartime experiences as an RAF radio operator, as well as his views on the world now.
That he has attracted so many people to his site is perhaps surprising given that YouTube's 100 million users are almost all under 30. It seems one of the main reasons for this is that he is like the grandfather many young people always wished they had.
Whatever the reasons for his amazing success there is little doubt that 'Geriatric 1927' is an Internet role model for people of all ages.
Find out more about 'Geriatric 1927' on the YouTube website*
* The Pension Service is not responsible for the content of external websites