A mother has taken the internet by storm with her hilarious videos giving no-holds-barred opinions on everything from push-up bras to toilet spray.
Fans admit to ‘crying laughing’ watching Antonella Brollini’s brutally honest assessments which have racked up millions of views on her Facebook and YouTube pages.
The 43-year-old GPs’ receptionist from Rossendale, only started ‘vlogging’ after making a bet with a friend in February over who could get the most likes on a Facebook post.
Antonella Brollini has gained a loyal following online with her 5,000 YouTube subscribers tuning in to witness her brutally honest product reviews. Pictured, reviewing a bubble mask
Antonella says: ‘I’d said to my friend Vicky, do you know what, it might be funny to do a review and see who can get the most likes for a 50p bet.
‘My post got such a great response that people were saying I needed to do another review. I was like ‘right, oo ook’.
‘I’d seen people on the internet doing a similar thing but in a bit of a boring way. I just thought it could be a bit of a laugh.’
One of her most popular videos sees the blogger test a stick-on push-up bra that she gamely tries to make work with her ‘JJ cup boobs’
Fans are now left in stitches with every new post she delivers, twice a week on her Antonella The Uncensored Reviewer accounts.
Her very first review – of Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby’s Three Minute Belly Blitz fitness DVD – has now been watched a staggering 10m times.
She certainly doesn’t mince her words – and is seen on the video talking about the workout saying: ‘I thought three minute belly buster, I need three minutes on my belly, let me tell you – Nelly five bellies.
‘I knew there had to be summat, I can’t run because I **** myself, and fart at the same time. You do in your forties.’
Anonella began producing her videos after she and her friend placed a bet on who could rack up the most likes on Facebook. Pictured: Reviewing a face lift mask
Antonella now gets fan mail, romantic proposals as well as some indecent proposals from all across the world
She then talks about getting into the routine, saying: ‘It gets to the end and I thought “Nell, you’ve found the exercise for you.”
‘Then do you know what she f***ing said? “Well done everybody. That’s the warm-up, let’s start the exercise.” That’s the warm up? Jesus Christ I need a paramedic!’
Antonella, talking about her review now, laughs: ‘The warm up nearly killed me in itself, and it went global. It just snowballed from there really.’
With the huge interest, Antonella started to make her reviews more regular, with other big hits including her test of a ‘VIPoo’ fragrance spray for the toilet and a stick-on push-up bra that she gamely tries to make work with her ‘JJ cup boobs’, and more recently she tested out Morrisons’ foot-long sausage roll.
I’m testing these things out honestly for the everyday normal woman so you know what not to waste your money
Antonella, mother to 22-year-old daughter Olivia, now gets fan mail, romantic proposals as well as some indecent proposals from all across the world.
She laughs: ‘Men adore me. I get a lot of love letters and marriage proposals. But I don’t take them seriously and I’ve got a fella anyway.’
It has become such a success that Antonella, nicknamed Nelly, now has two staff (her cousin John and his partner) working with her at her home in Haslingden to help manage the interest and she is hoping that soon she can make a full-time career out of the vlogs.
She is unapologetic about her colourful language in the posts, saying she’s strictly for an over-18 audience.
She’s also passionate about championing the ordinary woman and one of her most-liked recent posts saw her strut her stuff in a bikini as she encouraged women of all shapes and sizes not to feel pressured into slimming down to get a ‘bikini body’.
One of her most-liked recent posts saw her strut her stuff in a bikini as she encouraged women of all shapes and sizes not to feel pressured into slimming down to get a ‘bikini body’
Instead she led a battle cry for body confidence, saying: ‘There’s all this stuff in the papers and magazines, get yourself a bikini body be slim in six weeks. Why? Just so you can wear a bikini? Why do you put yourself through all that trauma?
‘Look at me, not exactly anything sexy but I’ve got myself into a f***ing bikini, look!
‘I’m a size 24 at bottom and size 30 on top, but I want a bikini, I don’t want to cover up I’m going on holiday and I want a bikini.’
She went on: ‘I’m not encouraging people to be morbidly obese or overweight, it’s about being happy in your own skin. We were all born naked, love your lumps or bumps. Have that bit of confidence, regardless of size.’
Her followers, who she calls ‘my little flowerpots’ send her suggestions for things to review – and she insists that every review is open and honest because she pays for everything upfront that she features.
She says: ‘I’m not going to start reviewing Porsches or anything like that, I don’t think I’d fit in one for a start.
Antonella says that her fans are extremely defensive of her when she is trolled. Pictured, testing a charcoal mask
‘It’s beauty products, clothes, everyday stuff that normal women will use – yet in the industry it’s being advertised by size zero models. I’m testing these things out honestly for the everyday normal woman so you know what not to waste your money on when it isn’t worth buying.’
But she has a word of warning to anyone else thinking of setting up a blog or vlog is to ‘be careful what you’re getting yourself into.’
She says: ‘If you take things to heart, then it’s not for you.
‘You get trolls everywhere, for me they’re just boring. They say: “you’re fat” and I say: “I know! Don’t waste your data to say that to me.”
‘I’ve been quite fortunate really, the negative comments are usually about me being fat, and if all people can say is “you’re fat” then I think it’s doing OK.’
‘God help them if they do call me fat because my followers, they’re called my little flowerpots, they annihilate them! Jesus Christ, they’re brave if they say it now!’
While Antonella is known for her broad northern accent, it may come as a surprise to many of her followers to learn that she was actually born in Italy, where she lived until she was 9 years old, and so English is actually her second language.
She says: ‘I didn’t move to this country til was I 9, not illegally I might add! In Italy I went to a primary school which was run by nuns and they were right nasty.
‘Someone threw an apple at my head and I kicked her legs from under her and they expelled me for it. They thought I might be cursed by the devil I think, and that’s when we came over to England.
‘I see myself as British but when I got here I couldn’t speak a word of English. It’s funny now because my accent is so broad but it’s obviously just the way I learnt English!’
She went to high school in Haslingden, before pursuing a career in the prison service, that certainly helped to give her thick skin.
She says: ‘I think having worked in the security services you get a very special sense of humour, there’s no filter at all with me.
‘I’ve worked with prisoners, I’ve hit rock bottom, I’ve had human faeces smeared down my face, so bring on the trolls because nothing could be worse than that.’
Everything changed for Antonella when at the age of 37 she suffered a stroke – and her battle back to health gave her a new perspective.
She says: ‘I went from working full time to having to learn how to talk again and going through that experience completely changed my outlook on life. It made me realise that you should always do today what you want because tomorrow is not promised.
‘After getting through that, I got myself a little admin job as a patient care advisor in Rawtenstall – and I promise you I’m one of the few nice GP’s receptionists!’
But while she enjoys her role in the NHS, she is now being approached for a number of media opportunities that may well be life-changing again for Antonella.
But she is philosophical about her new-found fame.
She laughs: ‘If it all ends tomorrow I’ve had a whale of a time. If someone bigger and better comes along tomorrow then fine. I’m under no illusion that I’m going to become the next Madonna, but if it comes to something good then great.
‘I’d like to think I could carry on doing the reviewing online and get my own little show, just being me really.
‘I just like to make people smile.’
Antonella the Uncensored Reviewer broadcasts live on Sundays and Wednesdays on her Facebook and Youtube.