A huge source of escapism from lockdown, the biggest exponents of Hun culture are Instagram accounts like Loveofhuns (650,000 followers) and Hunsnet (205,000 followers), with celebrity collaborators ranging from Joe Lycett to Lily Allen to Katy Perry. Rather than using memes that feel malicious or based on twisted black humor, in a world on fire, a hun meme is playful, drawing on the irreverence of the everyday (for example, celebrating a package of prosecco-flavored pasta), or featuring a niche celebrity. that does something directly relevant. As the phenomenon spread, his subjects began to enjoy Hoon status, warming to his inclusive sense of humor. “It’s laughter rather than laughter,” explains Hunsnet founder Gareth Howells, who, in addition to diversifying his brand with merchandise, brunch events and a podcast, has also written a beginner’s guide to hun. “It’s a safe space between straight culture and LGBTQ+ culture. If the straights get mocked, then the Huns get that.” This “beveragino” moment… Hun culture can be traced back to late 2012 and a parody Twitter account called @uokhun. This handle was a play on the deliciously insincere catchphrase used by everyone’s Facebook aunt, usually stamped with an “x”. (Sample reasoning: “Im not concern searching are I? #hatersgonnahate”.) It inspired Howells to start Hunsnet in 2017 (“It was just my humor”) and was a catalyst for the success of one of the first Hun Instagram accounts. the now defunct Hunofficial. (Started in 2014, the account was shut down two years later after an ill-advised post defending music producer Dr Luke.) Denise Welch isn’t clear on what makes her a Hun, then mentions a manicure WhatsApp group she uses called Nails and Nibbles “I started Hunofficial as a way to promote my night at queer pop club Hi Hun,” explains James Kingsley-Scott. He believes the account’s rapid success was down to timing, with the uokhun Twitter account slowly entering the mainstream through former Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, who often used the phrase on his show. The result? “An Avalanche from Hun.” Primary… EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy. Photo: Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock The “primal hunters” that Kingsley-Scott posted early on remain popular today: actress Natalie Cassidy, singer Kerry Katona and broadcasters Vanessa Feltz and Anthea Turner. “You can narrow down the definition of a Hun to a trier,” he says. “She’s going to wear the little black dress and make it all glitz and glam. It’s a “Feel the fear but chase it anyway” attitude. Howells agrees, citing his personal top-hunters as musician Lisa Scott-Lee, broadcaster Ruth Langsford and reality star Gemma Collins. “We avenge the underdog,” he says. “If people have put in the effort and it hasn’t worked, we’ll support you and make it work in a different way.” All of the women featured on Hun’s various accounts have massive gay followings, with most of them post-ironically elevated to ‘icon’ status thanks to their combination of glamour, glamor and fierceness. “It’s about living boldly,” says Kingsley-Scott. “It’s really like, ‘Fuck you, I’m going to hunt.’ That’s a very gay sensibility – being out and loud and proud.” For Howell, Hunsnet is about putting women on a pedestal and “celebrating them without shame”. So while actress and Loose Women panellist Denise Welch, who appears on Loveofhuns and Hunsnet on a regular basis, isn’t entirely clear about what makes her a hunter (although in our interview she mentions a group of WhatsApp friends she uses to organize group manicures called Nails and Nibbles, which is peak hun), she’s sure of one thing. “If I tried to explain Hun culture, I’d say, ‘Well, gay people love it.’ Laughs. “And they love me. I’ve always been a bit of a gay icon.” If I’m a hunter, I don’t know. But if I am, I’m Kim Woodburn The same goes for Kim Woodburn, whose somewhat tentative forays into Hun culture based Celebrity Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here have elevated her to problematic Hun status. “I’m a total gay icon, my dear,” he tells me during a somewhat confusing 10-minute phone conversation. “I think so [gay people] they are remarkable. If you want to make love to someone of the same sex, there’s nothing you can do about it.” How does she feel about being greeted as a Hun? “If I’m a hunter, I don’t know it. But if I am, then I am.” Has he been to any of the sites? “If you’re asking: do I use social media where I let people know about all my business? I don’t do that. “I’m going to the salon, I got my nails done” – who cares? They will whine when people are mean to them, but it’s no wonder when you put such rubbish on the internet. They must come to life. Most people are a bunch of scum today. They are spoiled and ignorant.” ‘My hair plays a big role in my career’ … Kim Woodburn in the Celebrity Jungle. Woodburn’s honest attitude, mixed with collective nostalgia for How Clean Is Your House? The heyday of reality TV puts her at the heart of Hun culture. Clips of early 00s redefining and reframing from Big Brother or EastEnders abound on his Instagram accounts, while very expert, very gay-friendly cultural references such as Nadine Coyle lying about her age on Irish Popstars in 2001. “It’s the stuff we were all touching at the beginning of social media,” explains Hun stan Jack Rooke, whose excellent 2013 Channel 4 sitcom Big Boys is full of nods to the culture, including a pet goldfish named after him. favorite presenter, Alison Hammond. “It focuses on a more innocent time when we were all just tweeting about Alexandra Burke snogging Beyoncé. [on The X Factor in 2008].” For Rook, the retro playful Hun culture contrasts with the seriousness of Twitter and life in 2022. “I think a lot of the Hun culture is like, ‘Lol, look at this.’ But we laugh at you. You just don’t have to take it so seriously – it comes from a place of love and companionship. It’s an extension of friendship.” Welch agrees: “I always take my work very seriously, but I don’t take myself too seriously. If you do, you can never be a proper hunter.” Welch, 64, is one of many older women appearing in the wider world, where experience, resilience and well-earned wisdom are the point. “They feel like women who ran for a cup of tea,” says Rook. “They feel accessible. But actually I think so [what these sites are doing] it’s cooler than that, because for a long time we had an industry that ignored women of a certain age. This has literally taken them off television, or taken them out of popular culture, in this very strange belief that they’re no longer relevant. I love the fact that Hun culture is like, “No, we’re still celebrating these women – they’re not over it, they’re not invisible.” My mum always said she wasn’t represented on network TV apart from Loose Women.’ Hoon Magnet… ITV’s daytime chat show Loose Women. Photo: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock These are often women, or soap characters, who have endured highs and lows. “I think if you’re older and you’re a survivor and you’re still relevant in any way, that makes you a hunter,” says Welch, who first met Loveofhuns through her rockstar son Matty Healy in 1975. “Especially those like me who have had a journey with alcoholism and drugs.” Just as attitudes towards tabloid culture changed after things like the phone hacking scandal, the past treatment of female celebrities is now being seen in a new light. “I support Hun culture,” Rooke says, “because it’s like, ‘No, we’re going to celebrate these women who 15 years ago would just be getting wormed in the press all the time.’ As Hun culture grows, its parameters also evolve. So while it’s still built around what Rook calls “good girls,” he also believes there’s room for a few straight men, too. “I firmly believe that Martin Lewis is a Hun,” he says. “Sometimes I see Ben Sheppard as a hunter, because you have to be to host a show like Tipping Point.” Maybe it’s the spray tan, I suggest. “Ben Shepard is a definite hunter,” agrees Howells. “David Dickinson is a Hun. Peter Andre. Duncan James from Blue. My.” Perhaps the purest thing about the best Huns, famous or not, is their lack of awareness of their Hun prowess. The danger now, of course, is that as the phenomenon bleeds further into the mainstream like a spilled glass of Kylie Minogue’s own brand of rosé on a B&M carpet, that purity will be sullied. It’s a concern that worries Rook as well. “There are degrees of Hun to me, and the real Huns are those who don’t know they are,” he says. “If you’re the next division down, you probably know and you’re going to play to the fans. But…
