Meet the Co Tyrone family who have taken TikTok by storm with their wholesome videos of their two-year-old son's conversations as he experiences the world on their daily walks.
Dan Gillespie, 28 and his wife Hannah, 26, from Dungannon, are both videographers and have been using their talents to document their lives as a family of four with their son Zeke, five-month-old daughter Eden and four-year-old Cockapoo called Buddy.
While on a trip, Dan had the idea to attach a mic to Zeke to hear how a toddler experiences the world and what he recorded has captured the heart of thousands on the video-sharing app.
Speaking to Belfast Live about why they started they started the videos, Dan said: "The idea was fairly spontaneous for the first time, we were up on the north coast on a family trip and we were planning on videoing as we are both videographers and really just for the memories in years to come.
"I came up with the idea to put a mic on Zeke simply to get on record how his speech was coming along so we could show family and friends. Also, the fact that he doesn’t stop talking from the moment he wakes up meant I knew we would capture something worth looking at in years to come.
"Hannah’s family have lots of old family videos from when they were younger and it has always been nice to look back on them on occasions and so we want to be able to do the same when Zeke and Eden grow up."
After watching what they had captured of Zeke on their family adventures, they decided to put them online for others to enjoy and now have almost 200,000 likes from people across the world.
"We decided to share the videos mostly for our family and friends to see, but we found ourselves smiling as we edited them and Zeke brings so much joy to us every day that we figured he would bring joy to other people also," Dan explained.
"The reaction was totally unexpected, the positivity has been fantastic.
"Seeing comments from people saying it’s made their day, it’s helped with depression or anxiety. Zeke has developed a bit of a cult following with people adopting some of his phrases and turning them into sayings.
"Things like “Zeke’s Park” and “Nommy” have been favourites with people commenting 'it’s Zeke's park we’re just playing in it'. It has also given us a good laugh when people tag their partners saying that they want a baby and we get to watch those conversations unfold."
He added: "It has engaged a wide range of people from people saying they miss their children being that age, to current parents comparing notes and future parents tagging their spouses. I have a feeling our videos may be responsible for a sudden baby boom judging by the comments."
The two-year-old's sweet nature, alongside Dan and Hannah's amazing videography skills, has been spreading joy while also showing off some of the beautiful sights Northern Ireland has to offer.
When asked if Zeke knows of his newfound stardom, Dan said: "We tell him regularly what his fans are saying but honestly he hasn’t a clue how much of a stir he has caused.
"He does like to get involved in the editing from time to time saying 'Zeke working' before sitting down in front of the computer and pressing all the buttons, so it won’t be long before I’m out of a job.
"It has been amazing to be able to capture these as it has given us an insight into how his mind works but it’s also so lovely to be able to look back on these in the future and all being well for generations to come.
"We will continue to capture these moments well into the future and we’re excited for everyone to join in watching our little family grow."
To watch The Gillespie's on TikTok, see here. Or to follow their Youtube channel, see here.
