Mick Wadge, an 88-year-old grandfather from Burnley, has become an unlikely internet sensation after taking up weightlifting following the death of his wife of 60 years, Margaret. He began training seven years ago to fill the void left by her passing, and his sessions with gym owner Ross Starkie have since gone viral on TikTok, attracting nearly a million views and catching the attention of his lifelong idol, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Wadge, a former Rolls-Royce designer who once weighed 18 stone before starting out with a broom handle and milk containers in his garden, now has a personal best deadlift of 110kg, almost twice his own bodyweight. His newfound fame has brought sponsorship offers from fitness brands including My Protein and Gymshark, and he has turned down media appearances in London, preferring to stay near home. Schwarzenegger, who follows just 19 accounts on social media, publicly praised Wadge and has offered to introduce him to two of his coaches in the US.