Binmen Dance Gains Internet Fame Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

Nov 18, 2020 by apost team

Trying to make the best out of a bad situation when dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, binmen from Wolverhampton in the UK, Henry Wright, Jack Johnson, and Adrian Breakwell, decided to add a little flair to their routes. The trio was caught on camera dancing while on duty during the lockdown this summer and became instant hits on the internet.

While the three gentlemen were only trying to bring happiness to local residents during a time when many people were feeling frustrated, they had no idea they would become local celebrities. As the dancing binmen made their way from neighborhood to neighborhood, their video, which was filmed by a resident, was making its way all over the internet. The three became sensations on the popular social media platform TikTok and have been spreading the love ever since.

At first, the gentlemen were simply doing something to be funny and tried to create a little bit of humor and entertainment for residents who were stuck inside their houses because of the coronavirus. However, many people gave more than a smile as the group has received numerous "thank you" messages that their manager, Claire Demmel, dedicated an entire wall to. Now known as the "thank you" wall, whenever the three men enter the depot on Hickman Ave, they can see the appreciation from the public.

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Appreciative of the acknowledgment from the residents, the team of dancing binmen tries to take pictures of as many drawings or pictures that the residents leave on the bins as a way of saying thank you. While the residents appreciate the workers' upbeat attitudes, the feeling is definitely mutual as the men say that the community love makes them feel warm inside.

The idea initially sparked when fellow binman, Jack Johnson, began making funny videos for TikTok merely because he was bored, reports Birmingham Live. When his manager, Claire Demmel, caught wind of it, she asked Jack to make videos with the other two fellas, and the rest was history. Wanting to be a part of something that would make people smile and be happy was the reason that Jack didn't hesitate to agree to her request.

Once the residents began to film the dance routines, the videos quickly spread and the reactions have been nothing short of amazing for the three men. People have told them that seeing their little impromptu street performance, whether live or on video, has really helped to cheer them up.

Since the people are loving the shows and the reactions have been so great, the group is considering adding more routines to various styles of music. A couple of their numbers are performed to "Men in Black" by Will Smith and "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd. Although the final performance is not that long, Jack says that the planning process can sometimes take hours as the group has lots of different ideas. Some of their aspirations include performing to "I Got You" by James Brown while the residents join in.

A simple act of kindness has caused the three men to become extremely popular on TikTok and has them wanting to give their fans even more. Jack Johnson, who is 36 years old, has worked at the depot on Hickman Avenue as a binman for 11 years. Now, rather than just doing his daily routes, he finds himself performing his routes and making plans on how to make them even bigger and better.

While the group has talked about wanting to take their performances to the next level where they incorporate some background dancers, they also have a bigger goal they want to achieve. They are trying to help the Wolverhampton hospice, Compton Care, raise enough money to purchase more PPE supplies. After seeing the hospice's appeal for the funds listed in the Express & Star, the group decided to lend their newfound popularity to try and help.

While these heroes might not be dressed in leotards or fly with a cape attached to their necks, they have helped to save the day for a number of people. As hundreds of thousands of people view their videos during a time of uncertainty, many people who hadn't smiled in a while have found themselves actually able to laugh for the first time in weeks. As the trio makes their way across the Bradmore and Penn areas, hopefully, they can help spread joy to society with their performances, and use their popularity to spread awareness about community issues.

How has being in lockdown affected your mood and daily life? Are you having trouble coping, could you use a dancing binman like this group, or have you found ways to get through it? Let us know what you are doing to get through this lockdown, and offer any tips that you might have as well.