Shabaz Ali: How this humble chemistry teacher is exposing the empty lives of the super-rich on TikTok

Born in Blackburn, Shabaz Ali is best known for his comedy persona ‘Shabaz Says’, in which he uses his sharp Northern wit to perform brutal takedowns of influencers who show off online. Dubbed a modern-day Peter Kay and the ‘Robin Hood of TikTok’, he tells Zoë Beaty that when some of his pupils are struggling to eat, there is a serious point to be made

In poor taste: the social media star uses his platform to shade ostentatious displays of wealth (Supplied)

On today’s episode of I’m Rich, You’re Poor, Shabaz Ali is taking a trip down memory lane – or, rather, through the hilly streets of Blackburn, where he grew up and later became a social media sensation. It’s unusual for this teacher turned online star to start to look back – quite the opposite. He’s risen through the ranks of TikTok by giving his 1.9 million followers a much-needed reality check.

Better known by his handle @shabazsays, Ali is loved for his “I’m rich, you’re poor” deadpan takedowns of the super-rich influencers showing off their “hard-earned generational wealth”, all delivered from his bed and dispatched with a dry northern wit.

He’s basically a star now – but, as anyone who’s followed him for any length of time will understand, the most surprising thing about meeting Ali in the flesh is that he’s upright and dressed.  He only left his duvet today, he says, to pick me up from Blackburn station. “After this, I’m going straight back to bed too,” he laughs.