Former Made in Chelsea star and managing director of influencer marketing agency, Disrupt, Stevie Johnson, has urged parents and social media influencers to quit the ‘Egg Crack Challenge’ which is currently taking TikTok by storm.
The ex-Bafta award-winning reality TV celebrity says he’s concerned that children may potentially be hurt or confused as parents, and others, crack egg on kids’ heads.
Johnson, who has more than 230,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), 295,000 on Instagram and 15,000 on Threads, describes the controversial craze as “almost a betrayal of children.”
Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live Breakfast today (Thursday August 31st), he said the egg crack challenge was not worth it “for a few likes on social media.”
Johnson, who starred in Made in Chelsea for seven series, adds: “For little children whose brains are still developing there’s potentially damage that could be done by cracking open an egg on their heads. Many won’t understand what’s really happening, and are clearly upset in the videos. Our responsibility is to make our children feel safe.
“My wife and I have a 14-month-old baby and there is absolutely no way that we would take part in this crackpot challenge. It’s simply a step too far simply to get a few likes on social media.
“I would urge parents, and influencers, and anyone else thinking about doing this challenge to stop, to think, and to do something more worthwhile on their social media posts.”
Johnson, who is a leading voice in influencer marketing, said social media challenges were not necessarily dreamt up by influencers, but tended to go viral because of peer pressure, algorithms which feed engagement and increased follower counts.
Johnson’s London-based agency Disrupt makes brands famous by creating cut-through social and influencer campaigns and activating their influencer strategies.
He warns: “Influencers need to be careful. It’s very hard to build an audience over time that trusts you and is highly engaged. Doing something like this, which can be seen as too controversial, can ensure that very quickly, overnight, you can lose the trust and support of that audience.
“If you lose trust, then you’ll lose brand deals and you’ll lose your influence, and possibly your livelihood.”