TikTok: 'Sharing my stammer has changed my life'

A TikToker who makes stammer videos has said she wants to be the role model to young people she never had growing up.

Jessie Davies, 28, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, started doing challenges to build her confidence and now has millions of views as she tries to push herself.

The make-up artist and cosmetics brand-owner said the response had been "overwhelming", with many people messaging that they felt inspired.

She said after feeling depressed about it, she now feels on "cloud nine".

When a person has a stammer, also called a stutter, it means they may struggle to get words out, may repeat syllables or sounds, or make words longer.

It varies in severity from person to person, and from situation to situation.

"The first person I ever saw to also have a stutter was Gareth Gates," said Jessie, who runs her own cosmetic brand Mimi Darling out of her home in Mountain Ash.

In 2022, the new business owner wants to have a pop-up shop in Cardiff and said she realised in order to do that, "I need to be myself and to show my customers the struggle that I face every day".

"I didn't want them to meet me and then have the surprise of my stutter, so I decided to go more public with my struggle," she said.

Jessie routinely gets millions of views on her TikToks about her stammer, with one video currently on 5.4 million and counting.

The challenges she sets herself include ordering new items from menus in drive-throughs and asking for recommendations.

"When I first posted my first ever speaking challenge I was expecting a lot of negativity, but it was the complete opposite - it was a crazy amount of support," she said.

"The comments just kept coming in and just telling me to keep going, that it is helping so many people and inspiring others who also have a speech impediment, but also that it has helped a lot of parents to understand their child who is also stuttering."

Jessie said she didn't really have a role model to look up to while growing up, adding: "To think other people are now looking up to me and feeling inspired to chase their dreams and live life with no regrets is amazing.

"No-one wants to be in their armchair regretting that they didn't live their best life just because of their speech."

She said she hoped to raise more awareness about how common stammers can be and help children who are growing up with one.

"Growing up I was always put in the bottom sets because when a teacher would asked me a question I would just shrug my shoulders to just avoid the embarrassment," Jessie added.

She said it was then she turned to art and being creative to express herself and now does it every day through her work as a make-up artist.

The viral videos have also helped fulfil her business dreams, with orders getting a boost from her supporters.

Jessie said: "Before I spoke about my struggles I was having about three orders a month maximum and then the minute I spoke about my struggle people wanted to support me, but also loved the brand and what I represent.

"It is the most rewarding thing."

Six months ago, Jessie took time off work as her stammer was affecting her mental health.

"I was anxious and had depression and now I have spoken about my struggle and I am getting all of this support for just speaking out, it's completely changed my life," she said.

"I feel like I am on cloud nine all day and I have tried to connect with my audience as much as I can so they know how much I appreciate their support."

Jessie hopes that once she builds her confidence a bit more, the pop-up shop can go ahead.

"Chase your dreams and don't let anything stop you," she said, adding the more people who talk about stammers the easier it will be.