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== Social media career ==
== Social media career ==
During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in England]], he started to make videos on [[TikTok]] about trainspotting.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> As of January 2022, he had over 2,300,000 TikTok followers and 1,300,000 Instagram followers.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last1=Wickes|first1=Jade|last2=Travers|first2=Finn|date=24 November 2021|title=What TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois did next|url=https://theface.com/life/francis-bourgeois-trainspotting-tiktok-influencer-viral-social-media-vol4-issue9|url-status=live|access-date=27 November 2021|website=[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Dickson|first=E. J.|date=24 November 2021|title=Congratulations to 'Dick Mabbutt,' TikTok's Sexiest Locomotive|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/francis-bourgeois-trains-tiktok-shawn-mendes-camila-cabello-dont-let-this-flop-podcast-1262076/|url-status=live|access-date=27 November 2021|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Bourgeois stated that people have started to recognise him in real life from his videos.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" /> Bourgeois has been criticised for being inauthentic; he made a video addressing these allegations in December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Dell|first=Liam|date=December 2021|title=TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois responds to accusations he's 'fake'|url=https://www.indy100.com/viral/tiktok-trainspotter-francis-bourgeois-trains-b1978583|url-status=live|access-date=20 December 2021|website=[[Indy100]]|publisher=[[The Independent]]|language=en}}</ref> Bourgeois is represented by the Books division of the international talent management company, YMU.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Ravindran|first=Manori|date=4 January 2022|title=Trainspotting TikTok Talent Francis Bourgeois Signs With YMU (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/global/francis-bourgeois-agent-ymu-1235146401/|url-status=live|access-date=20 January 2022|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> He became a brand ambassador for [[GB Railfreight]] in January 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Roger|date=7 January 2022|title=TikTok star appointed GB Railfreight brand ambassador|url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/01/tiktok-star-appointed-gb-railfreight-brand-ambassador.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-20|website=RailAdvent|language=en-GB}}</ref>
During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in England]], he started to make videos on [[TikTok]] about trainspotting.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> As of January 2022, he had over 2,300,000 TikTok followers and 1,300,000 Instagram followers.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last1=Wickes|first1=Jade|last2=Travers|first2=Finn|date=24 November 2021|title=What TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois did next|url=https://theface.com/life/francis-bourgeois-trainspotting-tiktok-influencer-viral-social-media-vol4-issue9|url-status=live|access-date=27 November 2021|website=[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]|language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Dickson|first=E. J.|date=24 November 2021|title=Congratulations to 'Dick Mabbutt,' TikTok's Sexiest Locomotive|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/francis-bourgeois-trains-tiktok-shawn-mendes-camila-cabello-dont-let-this-flop-podcast-1262076/|url-status=live|access-date=27 November 2021|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Bourgeois stated that people have started to recognise him in real life from his videos.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" /> Bourgeois has been criticised for being inauthentic; he made a video addressing these allegations in December 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Dell|first=Liam|date=December 2021|title=TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois responds to accusations he's 'fake'|url=https://www.indy100.com/viral/tiktok-trainspotter-francis-bourgeois-trains-b1978583|url-status=live|access-date=20 December 2021|website=[[Indy100]]|publisher=[[The Independent]]|language=en}}</ref> Bourgeois is represented by the Books division of the international talent management company, YMU.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Ravindran|first=Manori|date=4 January 2022|title=Trainspotting TikTok Talent Francis Bourgeois Signs With YMU (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/global/francis-bourgeois-agent-ymu-1235146401/|url-status=live|access-date=20 January 2022|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> He became a brand ambassador for [[GB Railfreight]] in January 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Roger|date=7 January 2022|title=TikTok star appointed GB Railfreight brand ambassador|url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/01/tiktok-star-appointed-gb-railfreight-brand-ambassador.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-20|website=RailAdvent|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Allegations have been made by [[Rolling Stone]] that Bourgeois has a secret, back-door life outside of train spotting. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickson |first=E. J. |last2=Dickson |first2=E. J. |date=2021-12-23 |title=Is This TikTok-Famous Trainspotter a Secret F-kboy? |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/is-this-tiktok-famous-trainspotter-a-secret-f-ckboy-1275415/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>


=== Videos and appearances ===
=== Videos and appearances ===

Revision as of 03:40, 12 April 2022

Francis Bourgeois
Born
Luke Nicholson

Harlesden, West London, England
EducationUniversity of Nottingham
Years active2020–present
Known forVideos about trains

Francis Bourgeois (real name Luke Nicholson[1] or Nicolson[2][3]) is an English trainspotter and social media personality, most known for his videos posted on Instagram and TikTok on the topic of trains.

He began making TikTok videos on trainspotting during the COVID-19 epidemic in England. In October 2021, he was featured on the ITV daily magazine show This Morning. Bourgeois is a student at the University of Nottingham studying engineering. He quit his job in November 2021 to pursue trainspotting full-time.

Early life

Bourgeois is from Harlesden, West London.[4][5][6] He first became interested in trains at four years old and started trainspotting when he was in school.[7] He was mocked by his peers for doing so.[4][6] When he was younger, he watched trains at Willesden Junction railway station[8] and then went home and drew the trains he saw from memory.[5][6] He moved to Frome, Somerset, when he was 7 years old.[5] When he began secondary school, he hid his love for trains in order to fit in with his peers.[5]

Social media career

During the COVID-19 pandemic in England, he started to make videos on TikTok about trainspotting.[4][6] As of January 2022, he had over 2,300,000 TikTok followers and 1,300,000 Instagram followers.[9][10] Bourgeois stated that people have started to recognise him in real life from his videos.[5][7] Bourgeois has been criticised for being inauthentic; he made a video addressing these allegations in December 2021.[11] Bourgeois is represented by the Books division of the international talent management company, YMU.[3] He became a brand ambassador for GB Railfreight in January 2022.[12]

Allegations have been made by Rolling Stone that Bourgeois has a secret, back-door life outside of train spotting. [13]

Videos and appearances

One of his videos, where he records the arrival of a British Rail Class 377 train travelling from Littlehampton to Southampton Central, while he waves at the train conductor and then proceeds to fall out of his chair, had 6.6 million views as of October 2021.[7][14] He appeared on the ITV daytime magazine programme This Morning in October 2021.[6][8][14] In January 2022, he posted a video of him trainspotting with Joe Jonas.[15]

Modelling

In January 2022, Bourgeois was featured in the second chapter of a partnership between The North Face and Gucci. In the photographs, he is featured as a train conductor.[16][17]

Personal life

Bourgeois is studying engineering at the University of Nottingham.[5][7] His favourite train is the Class 43 HST.[6] In November 2021, he quit his job to pursue trainspotting full-time.[9][18]

References

  1. ^ Dickson, E. J. (23 December 2021). "Is This TikTok-Famous Trainspotter a Secret F-kboy?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  2. ^ Elgee, Emma (8 February 2022). "Francis Bourgeois is the trainspotting TikTok sensation from Somerset". Somerset Live. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b Ravindran, Manori (4 January 2022). "Trainspotting TikTok Talent Francis Bourgeois Signs With YMU (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 20 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c Sanders, Laura (10 November 2021). "Who Is Train Enthusiast Francis Bourgeois And Are His Videos Genuine?". LADbible. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b c d e f Wickes, Jade (21 May 2021). "Francis Bourgeois is TikTok's trainspotting sensation". The Face. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Finnan, Sarah (16 November 2021). "Meet Francis Bourgeois, the viral TikTok trainspotter sparking joy with his videos". IMAGE.ie. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ a b c d Allen-Mills, Tony (2 October 2021). "TikTok trend as users go loco for Francis the trainspotter". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b Swinscoe, Lydia (31 October 2021). "Tik Tok star Francis Bourgeois' legendary trainspotting videos are 100 percent the best thing to come out of 2021". Woman & Home. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b Wickes, Jade; Travers, Finn (24 November 2021). "What TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois did next". The Face. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Dickson, E. J. (24 November 2021). "Congratulations to 'Dick Mabbutt,' TikTok's Sexiest Locomotive". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ O'Dell, Liam (December 2021). "TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois responds to accusations he's 'fake'". Indy100. The Independent. Retrieved 20 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Smith, Roger (7 January 2022). "TikTok star appointed GB Railfreight brand ambassador". RailAdvent. Retrieved 20 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Dickson, E. J.; Dickson, E. J. (23 December 2021). "Is This TikTok-Famous Trainspotter a Secret F-kboy?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  14. ^ a b Leigh, Robert (4 October 2021). "TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois melts Phil and Holly's hearts on This Morning - 'Adorable!'". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Sung, Morgan (12 January 2022). "Joe Jonas goes trainspotting with TikTok creator Francis Bourgeois in an unexpected collab". NBC News. Retrieved 20 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Houston, Amy (17 January 2022). "TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois stars in The North Face and Gucci ad". The Drum. Retrieved 20 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Liederman, Emmy (24 January 2022). "TikTok's Francis Bourgeois Stars in Gucci, The North Face Ad". Adweek. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  18. ^ O'Dell, Liam (21 November 2021). "TikTok's favourite trainspotter has quit his job to pursue his hobby full-time". Indy100. The Independent. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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