The brother of a well-known TikToker who died after being reported missing has spoken of the family's devastating loss. Michael Selwood's body was found after police launched an appeal to find him in Tameside.
Discovery and tributes
The 35-year-old was found at around 5pm on Sunday, July 19. Hundreds of heartfelt messages flooded in for Michael, who had built a large following on TikTok. Affectionately called Mikey by loved ones, the dad-of-four had accumulated thousands of followers on the platform. Much of his content focused on comedy, boxing and raising mental health awareness.
Brother's memories
His younger brother, Aaron Burnham, 24, told the Manchester Evening News about life growing up alongside Michael. Aaron said: "He's always had the same sense of humour, even before TikTok. A lot of people know him for dressing up in women's clothes, I've got pictures years before he started TikTok where he's dressed up in women's lingerie for Christmas. He's always been the same."
Aaron also said how Michael's seven-year-old son, Reggie, served as the driving force behind his online presence. Aaron said: "It started off raising awareness about his son Reggie. His son's got cerebral palsy and I think that's how he got his following going on TikTok, bringing awareness around that."
Impact and legacy
"When he started getting on it, it shocked us a little bit but he just took to it so naturally. You could see when he was talking to it, he loved it. It was one of those things that helped keep his head straight. When he was going on there, he was very open about his struggle with drug addiction, he used to be involved in the wrong lifestyle."
"I think when he got into TikTok and when his son Reggie was born, it changed his mind set and outlook on life. He was more focused on spreading awareness on addiction, getting through it. He was very honest about that, I think he helped loads of people."
Numerous tributes have flooded social media for Michael following his death. He had amassed more than 21,000 followers on one TikTok account and approximately 38,000 on another. Aaron said: "I've had so many people message me saying how he used to talk to them. I don't think we as a family realised the impact he had on other people until he passed. It's hard for us, especially my mum. It's hit my mum quite hard but she's dealing with it quite well."
Fundraiser in his memory
In tribute to his memory, a group of Michael's loved ones and friends are planning to scale Mount Snowdon dressed in women's clothes. The challenge is scheduled for Friday, October 16, Michael's 36th birthday. They are also fundraising for Andy's Man Club, a men's mental health organisation, and SCOPE, a charity supporting disabled children. Both were causes that meant a great deal to Michael.
Aaron added: "Instead of feeling down and sad, we're trying to turn a negative into a positive. Which is one of the main reasons for this fundraiser. He was always up for a laugh, he was always up for a joke. We don't want to sit there glooming about it. We want to try and do something positive with the social media platform that he has."
