Tom Hardy spoof brought me huge Instagram following

Lee BottomleyWed, October 14, 2026 at 5:20 AM UTC

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Clare Eaton said she has had an absolutely crazy year, in a beautiful way

"I had no clue how to work it," says Clare Eaton of her first attempts at posting on Instagram, initially needing help from her children to get to grips with reels.

But the fitness instructor who creates content for other mid-life women said her social media following took off after a spoof post about the actor Tom Hardy.

The mum-of-two from Nantwich, Cheshire, who is known online as feelgoodhealthfitness, had around 160 followers on Instagram about a year ago, but now the figure stands around 450,000.

Seeing "beautiful Tom Hardy" reading a children's bedtime story inspired her to pretend she was rushing to get into bed to be read to by him, and that was when her socials went "crazy."

The 56-year-old said she loves to make people laugh, and it has led to her being asked to write a book about happiness in mid-life and during menopause.

Eaton said she had the popularity of actor Tom Hardy to thank for her social media following

But her unplanned route to online fame has been a very long one.

Despite being into fitness in her twenties, Eaton said it took a back seat after "life got in the way" when she became a single mum and was "very busy juggling jobs" with a tiny baby and a toddler.

By the time her children were teenagers, she was unhappy with her appearance.

"I'd gone from being fit as a flea in my 20s to wearing size 18 tracksuit bottoms in my 30s," said Eaton, originally from Stoke-on-Trent.

After deciding she wanted to make a change, she said at times she had to force herself to go exercise classes.

"I gradually went from thinking I was going to die to really enjoying it."

The woman who ran the classes asked her to become one of her instructors, which was a life-changing moment, she said, and led to her qualifying as a personal trainer.

Eaton says she wants to support women through life and menopause

During lockdown she started doing fitness classes online, first for parents and children at the school where she was working, at the request of the head teacher.

That was followed by workouts on Facebook live every Friday morning for anyone else stuck at home and in need of exercise.

And it was the reaction to those that led to the creation of her fitness business.

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For a long time she promoted her work on Facebook, before deciding she need to widen the social media net and post on Instagram.

But by her own admission, she had no idea what she was doing, and the first post - featuring a cup of tea - took her five hours to upload.

Eaton often includes husband Nigel in her videos

It was seeing "the lovely Tom Hardy reading a story on Jackanory" on socials that was the turning point in her popularity.

"He said you're not in bed yet, go on, get in to bed, and I'll read you a story," the 56-year-old explained.

So she filmed herself running through her house and jumping into bed, editing in the actor "so it was me and Tom."

"Everyone just loves Tom Hardy, so it just went crazy," she said.

And having found that people enjoyed her humourous content, she kept going.

"I'm going through the menopause, so I started sharing things I experience, hot sweats, forgetfulness, mood swings."

Seeing the reactions to her content was wonderful, said Eaton, and "to have this little corner of the internet where we share the love, the laughs, the happiness."

The fitness instructor said when she was first approached to write a book she did not think the offer was real

Most of the inspiration for her reels comes from things that happen in her life, to which she adds a comic twist.

Her husband Nigel is roped into many of the videos, despite being quite shy, and it can take quite a few takes.

"He's very good, he lets me direct him, he's very patient."

In January, she was approached to write a book about how happy she is, making others happy, and how the "raging menopause" makes you feel.

The book launch on Wednesday was going to be at her local bookshop, but has been moved to a school hall due to the numbers who want to go.

"I just keep pinching myself. I'm very, very lucky," she said.

The fitness instructor's book launch has been moved from a bookshop to a school hall to accomodate the number of people who want to attend

Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

See also

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Treadmills to deadlifts: Why Gen Z are swapping cardio for strength training

Menstrual fitness: Why some women are 'cycle-syncing' their workouts

My postpartum body should not be a talking point on social media

Related internet links

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Feel Good Health & Fitness

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