A Somerset West grandfather is delivering smiles and hopes to check out even more people’s happiness after his TikTok video as “Mr Sixty60” bagged nearly 100 000 views on the popular social media platform.
The video shows 69-year-old Mark Pennells as one of Checkers’ biggest supporters, proving that age is just a number when it comes to special delivery of entertainment.
Dressed to the nines in his branded onesie and helmet, carrying a basket full of goodies from a special shopping haul, he radiates pure joy over the outfit, accessories and treats he received as a birthday gift. His grandchildren uploaded the video to TikTok and it’s been a real basket of laughs for viewers.
Since his mini-viral moment went from “checkout” to “check this out!” Pennells has embraced his newfound fame and hopes to wheel a sequel with even more footage out.
His mission? To encourage others his age who may be hesitant to try something completely different to “go for it”, because sometimes the best adventures are fresh off the shelves and fun is always on special!
Explaining Pennells’ connection to Checkers his daughter Melissa Pennells shared: “Dad could practically own shares in Checkers; he shops there almost daily and even all the car guards know him by name. That’s exactly why the Checkers outfit was such a perfect fit.”
The gift idea came from her sister Nicola Bonner and brother-in-law Bradley Bonner, along with their kids. “They decided to get him the complete Checkers delivery ensemble: a branded onesie with matching helmet, a Checkers basket loaded with sweets and biltong, plus some Checkers dice as a cheeky bonus,” Melissa related.
“Our dad is one of those impossible-to-shop-for people because he already has everything. It limits one’s gift ideas. Usually, by the time one thinks of something he’s already bought it himself!”
TikTok captures her beloved father’s authentic personality perfectly, especially his natural comedic, playful and witty side.
“The day after unwrapping his Checkers ensemble he couldn’t resist giving it a test run. Strutting into the bedroom to surprise our mom, Cindy, his grand entrance had her doubled over with laughter. Thinking quickly as always, she grabbed her phone to capture the moment. And if you listen closely to the video, that’s her infectious giggle you’ll hear in the background.”
What started as a Sunday morning family share quickly became something bigger. Melissa recounted that after her mom sent the footage to the children for their weekly dose of dad’s shenanigans, they unanimously agreed that the comedy gold was too good to keep to themselves. “I created the TikTok account for him and uploaded the video (all with his permission of course).”
Asked about his social-media fame a jovial Pennells admitted he had just gone along with it. “It’s all them,” he laughed.
“Dad isn’t actually on social media, but we’re keeping him very much in the loop on how his newfound fame is progressing,” Melissa said. “And he’s absolutely loving it (more than he’ll probably admit)!”
She described her father as “very old school”, as he still buys all the newspapers, reading them cover to cover every day. Seeing an article about himself will probably be such a highlight, probably a source of hysterical laughter, not to mention a source of pride to his six grandsons.
Melissa said her father always embraces new challenges with enthusiasm. “The grandsons have started saying their Papa is ‘C for serious’…”
Asked if this will become a regular feature, Melissa smiled and said: “Probably not by choice, but I’m sure we can twist his arm to make a few more videos. Actually, having said that, we probably already have enough footage from other occasions – not Checkers-related – that could easily go viral too!”
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