From fashion and cooking to lifestyle advice and family traditions, older women are building huge online audiences and turning their personalities into profitable businesses. Some have millions of followers, lucrative brand partnerships and fans young enough to be their grandchildren.
For 96-year-old Lillian Droniak, better known as Grandma Droniak, social media fame has become a source of financial independence. With around 15 million followers, she earns enough from brand deals to cover her nursing home fees of $12,000 a month.
Droniak went viral in June after revealing that her retirement home had threatened to evict her for throwing parties. The facility later confirmed the dispute but reached an agreement allowing her to continue partying, provided she did not supply alcoholic drinks.
Her story is part of a growing trend of older women finding unexpected fame online and challenging stereotypes about ageing.
Grandma Droniak: Proving Life Doesn’t Stop at 90
Droniak began posting videos in 2020, with help from her grandson, initially as a way to combat boredom.
“I always knew I had it in me to be famous, I just didn’t think it would happen in my 90s,” she told the BBC.
She believes younger audiences are drawn to her willingness to enjoy life and embrace ageing.
“They think old people just sit and stare at a wall but I’m showing it’s not that bad to get old,” she said. “We embrace it, can still have fun and I’m still partying and going out sometimes.”
Her grandson edits her sponsored videos, which include partnerships with food and beauty brands. The income covers her care home expenses and contributes to a college fund for her great-grandchildren.
Although fans sometimes recognise her in public, she says her fame is less noticeable at the retirement home, where many residents do not use TikTok.
Viv Truran: Fashion, Confidence and Colour
In Cardiff, 82-year-old Viv Truran has built an Instagram following of more than 800,000 by sharing her colourful outfits and upbeat approach to life.
She began posting after her husband died, following a neighbour’s suggestion that she film herself wearing her favourite clothes.
Her bedroom has since become a studio where she produces two videos a day, showcasing her wardrobe, 22 pairs of glasses and an extensive collection of scarves.
“I get up in the morning, I never come downstairs until I’ve done my morning video and I’m very strict about that,” she said.
Truran also keeps detailed records of her followers and video views in a notebook, now on its fifth edition.
She says many of her younger followers approach her to talk about their fear of ageing. Her content, she believes, helps them see that growing older does not have to mean giving up on life.
Her popularity has attracted brand partnerships, but she remains selective. She typically publishes a couple of sponsored posts each month, favouring local businesses and charities such as Age UK.
A recent Age UK campaign with Innocent Drinks earned her several thousand pounds.
“I’ve turned down some big deals because it’s not my thing,” she said. “I’m very picky about who I work with, I have to really love the brand.”
Nonna Gracie: Bringing Generations Together Through Food
Grace Geramita, 83, known online as Nonna Gracie, has attracted millions of followers with videos featuring recipes she has prepared for decades.
Born in Italy, she moved to the United States at 18 and worked several jobs simultaneously to support her two daughters. Today, her online career earns her more than she made in previous employment.
Her grandson Matthew encouraged her to start filming her cooking about six years ago. Geramita was initially reluctant because she knew little about social media and felt uncomfortable speaking English.
The videos nevertheless found a global audience.
“I always cry when people send me messages from all around the world,” she said.
For Geramita, the appeal extends beyond recipes. She wants to preserve the tradition of bringing family members together around the dinner table, using food to keep cultural heritage and family connections alive.
Barbara Costello: The Internet’s Virtual Grandma
Barbara Costello, 77, has developed a loyal following through her Brunch with Babs accounts, where she shares advice on cooking, cleaning and running a household.
The former teacher says many followers see her as a maternal figure, with some describing her as “the mom I never had”.
One particularly memorable encounter involved a university student who approached her in a restaurant and explained that Costello’s cookbook had helped her navigate her first year living independently.
Costello said the experience was deeply rewarding.
She also works with brands, although she carefully considers whether each partnership aligns with her values and the image she wants to present.
For her, one of the most meaningful parts of her career is meeting former pupils at book signings and seeing them arrive with their own children.
“It’s a full circle moment. I really can’t believe this is my life,” she said.
Why Brands Want Older Influencers
The growing popularity of older creators is also attracting attention from the marketing industry.
Naomi Barker, from influencer marketing agency We Are Social, says older creators often have deeply established, highly loyal audiences. Their followers may also have greater purchasing power, making these communities particularly attractive to brands.
That combination can command a premium for sponsored partnerships.
But commercial success is only part of the story. These creators offer audiences a sense of familiarity, reassurance and connection at a time when many people feel uncertain about the world.
Barker says their warm, relatable content can make them feel like a “virtual grandma” to followers who may be far from their own families or who miss that kind of relationship.
Redefining What It Means to Grow Older
From Droniak’s parties and Truran’s fashion videos to Geramita’s family recipes and Costello’s homemaking advice, these women are showing that social media success is not reserved for younger generations.
Their stories also challenge assumptions that ageing means withdrawing from public life or losing the ability to build new careers.
For some, online fame provides a valuable source of income. For others, it creates opportunities to share lifelong skills, preserve traditions and form connections across generations.
Together, they are helping millions of followers see growing older in a different light: not as an end to possibility, but as another chapter filled with creativity, confidence and purpose.
