An Australian social media star has delivered a brutally honest and highly critical assessment of this week's TikTok Awards, an event intended to celebrate the platform's top creators. The glittering ceremony, held at the ICC Sydney on Wednesday night, was likened to a disappointing high school formal by Melbourne-based model and influencer Frankie Evans.
A 'Tacky' Event and Off-Colour Humour
Frankie Evans, 28, who boasts a following of 32,000 on TikTok, did not hold back in a video posted to the platform on Thursday. She immediately set the tone by comparing the awards to her Year 10 formal, describing it as a 'quite a tacky event'. Her criticisms began with the pre-show hosts, Mitch Churi and Elle Ray, whose comedy stylings failed to impress.
Frankie recounted that the hosting started with a questionable joke: 'Who's done a s*** tonight? Let's give a round of applause for the toilets.' This, however, was just the beginning of a series of grievances that left the influencer and her partner, AFL star Beau McCreery, less than thrilled with the overall atmosphere.
Vape Fog and Escalator Chaos
The model revealed that the interior of the venue became extremely 'foggy' because numerous creators and influencers were vaping inside. She described this as 'extremely disrespectful' and a significant detractor from the evening.
In a bizarre turn of events, security personnel were reportedly preoccupied throughout the night with an unexpected issue. Frankie shared that they spent the event 'yelling at girls because everyone's dresses kept getting caught in the escalators', painting a picture of chaos amidst the intended glamour.
Thirsty Guests and a 'Hard to Please' Crowd
One of the most significant complaints centred on refreshments. Frankie disclosed that from 5:30 PM until 8:00 PM, a period of two and a half hours, all food and drink stations were shut, leaving guests unable to even get a bottle of water. Furthermore, attendees were required to purchase their own alcoholic drinks.
While Frankie admitted that 'everyone had to buy their own drinks which kind of brings influencers down to earth a bit which I liked', she also pointed out that TikTok has a lot of money though so they probably shouldn't be doing that.
The crowd itself also drew criticism. Frankie suggested there was a palpable lack of support and celebration in the room, noting, 'No one laughed at anything, no one was really that happy for people.' She attributed this to 'tall poppy syndrome' being very real in Australia.
Silver Linings and A Reluctant Return
It wasn't all negative. Frankie reserved high praise for main host Sophie Monk and was particularly moved by a performance from singer Jude York. She gushed that his emotional rendition of ABBA's 'Slipping Through My Fingers' with his mother Liza was 'incredible' and the 'highlight of the night', bringing her to tears.
When asked if she would attend the 2026 awards, Frankie gave a pragmatic, if unenthusiastic, response. Stating she felt 'super lucky and grateful to be invited', she concluded that she would 'probably, yes' go again, but primarily because 'it's a good networking event'.
