Me at 20: What is the challenge, how can I get involved and which celebrities have done it?

Nigella Lawson has widely been declared the ‘winner’ thus far – despite breaking the one and only rule

Nigella Lawson has widely been declared the 'winner' (Nigella Lawson/Twitter)

On 13 April, Twitter user @202natt tweeted her followers: “Lmaooo what did y’all look like at 20?” They replied, and a new social media craze was born.

It was only a few months ago that the 10-year challenge saw people all over the globe flood social media with pictures showing how they had transformed through the 2010s. Now, at a time when we might all be a little susceptible to some nostalgia from happier days, a new edition has taken off.

The #MeAt20 challenge is a simple one – post a picture of yourself aged 20 on social media – most of the posts can be found on Twitter.

As the replies initially came in, the user behind @202natt did her best to quash it, pleading for “no more [quote tweets]”. But the responses kept coming, and now hundreds of thousands on social media have posted their #MeAt20 picture.

Some went down the route of posting something a little awkward or embarrassing, like singer Alison Moyet’s goth edition, or Piers Morgan’s… erm… hot pants. Carol Vorderman’s 80s perm got an airing, though perhaps she chose her Cambridge University graduation photo as a reminder that under that mop of hair was a sharp mind.

Others have taken a less self-deprecating road, posting pictures of themselves looking pretty great, and the widely considered ‘winner’ thus far – despite breaking the one and only rule and posting a picture of herself aged 23 – is Nigella Lawson.

TV personality Richard Osman summed up the general reaction, commenting: “Christ alive.”

Nigella is not the only person from the world of food to have got involved. Popular critic Jay Rayner posted a smouldering black and white shot, while chef and author Nigel Slater showed off his fine combination of sweater and flares.

The world of sport has joined in too. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie posted a fetching picture from his early days in the Netherlands, while United themselves showed off some of their ‘class of 92’ stars, with David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes in their 90s heyday.

Even politicians and newsreaders are getting involved. Former Labour MP Kate Hoey posted a photo of herself farming, Conservative MP Sajid Javid showed himself with a poster for young Tory students, while Channel 4 news presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy posted a sultry picture of himself “presenting the ‘seminal’ fashion show Posh Frocks and New Trousers for ITV”.

One Twitter user, however, issued a warning. Paul Bernal, who is a UEA associate professor in law according to his bio, said facial recognition technology made the trend a “biometric data grab”, advancing Twitter’s opportunity to sell user information to companies analysing consumer data. He added: “I’m not suggesting you don’t do it, but it would be better if we do it with our eyes open, understanding what’s happening and what kind of trade-offs are being made.”

Others have taken it less seriously...

Want to join in? Simply post your own picture when you were 20 – ideally something a little embarrassing – and use the hashtag #MeAt20.