CBBC’s Horrible Science features a guest appearance from the social media sensation
TikTok sensation Big Manny is showcasing his talents in the BBC’s new series, a creation from the team behind Horrible Histories.
Horrible Science made its debut on CBBC on May 9, with the entire series now available for streaming on iPlayer. Much like its predecessor, Horrible Histories, this new comedy show makes education fun for kids through quick-fire sketches centred around scientific themes.
Five out of the fifteen episodes even cover topics found in primary school curriculums, including outer space, motion, light and electricity.
The show features a recurring cast along with guest appearances from First Dates’ Fred Sirieix and social media scientist, Big Manny.
While audiences may be familiar with Fred, this could be their first encounter with Manny on television. Let’s take a closer look at the life of this viral star off-screen, reports the Daily Record.
Why is Big Manny famous?
Big Manny, whose real name is Emanuel Wallace, uses his nickname across his social media platforms. The BBC star began sharing educational science videos on TikTok in 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown when children were forced into home schooling.
Fresh from graduating with a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of East London, Manny started working as a science technician in a secondary school. It was this experience that inspired him to start posting videos online.
“I could see first-hand that students were struggling in science because of the lockdown,” the London native revealed to Chemistry World in 2023.
After four years since his debut post, the TikToker has now amassed a whopping two million followers on TikTok and another 1.6 million on Instagram. But that’s not all – Manny recently scooped up the Education Creator of the Year accolade at the first-ever TikTok Awards in December 2024.
Manny resonates with younger audiences by breaking down intricate scientific concepts using everyday London vernacular.
His ultimate mission? is to show young folks from all walks of life that they too have a place in the science world.
In a heart-to-heart with The Voice in 2024, he shared: “So what I am trying to do with my platform is show young people that there are scientists out there that look like you, talk like you, dress like you, come from the same background as you.
“So if they can become a scientist then there is no reason why you can’t as well.”
Prince William link
Meanwhile, back in January, Manny caused quite the stir among his fans with an unexpected Royal cameo. While visiting Nature Metrics, an environmental DNA research group, none other than Prince William dropped in to collaborate with the scientist on an experiment.
Proclaiming himself as “Manny’s beautiful assistant,” for a tutorial on strawberry DNA extraction, the Duke’s cameo stunned viewers. The brief 48-second TikTok video racked up over six million views, and fans flooded the comments.
One astonished viewer couldn’t help but express their shock, exclaiming: “PAUSE? ? IS THAT PRINCE WILLIAM? ?” Meanwhile, another was equally taken aback, jokingly remarking: ” I LITERALLY BLINKED TWICE TO CONFIRM WHAT I WAS SEEING.”
Big Manny guest stars in Horrible Science, streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
