What happened to Jimmie Straughan from TikTok?

British TikToker Jimmie Straughan has been going viral after being fired from the Royal Guard and posting a video about what he actually did in the job. Here’s what you need to know. 

As TikTok has grown into a platform that has cemented itself as something you need to use on a daily basis, plenty of TikTokers have been sharing stories about their lives and work. 

Sharing personal details always comes with a risk, especially if you have a job where your employees aren’t going to take too kindly to you sharing information or are prioritizing having fun on TikTok instead of doing work. 

In the case of Jimmie Straughan, the Scotsman used to be a part of the Royal Guard – those military members you see standing outside Buckingham Palace and other royal institutions – he posted a video after being let go from the army as he thought the job was “pointless.”

Royal Guard member fired and posts TikTok about “pointless” job

If you’ve scrolled TikTok since the turn of the new year, chances are you’ve likely come across Straughan’s story and seen that he was fired from his post.

He was dismissed from the army in April 2022 for failing a drug test, but it’s a video of him standing guard that has caught the attention, given he was gyrating with his rifle and complaining about the job.

“I’m currently stood outside Windsor Castle. Meant to be looking after the Royal family. Currently staring at two ducks. Do I care? No,” the young Scot said in the clip, which has been viewed more than 450,000 times as of writing.

As noted, he wasn’t fired for posting the clip as some TikTokers have suggested, as that came after his dismissal. “I never got in trouble for making the video, but I know that it was completely against the rules. Just having your phone with you on duty is against the rules,” he told The Telegraph. 

Straughan added that the job is “pointless” and that he posted the clip to show the “reality” of what its all about. 

Since leaving the Royal Guard he’s been traveling across Australia and South-East Asia. Given his newfound viral success on TikTok, he might even pick that up.