Car-mad Kieran is internet sensation
A12-YEAR-OLD petrolhead has become a YouTube sensation through his interviews with professional rally car drivers.
Kieran Riley set up the channel under his social media moniker, Tazuncut, after interviewing Paul Nagle – who is the co-driver for world rally driving champion Kris Meeke – in November last year.
His dad Darren is a rally co-driver and they got in touch with Paul through Facebook.
Darren said: “It got so popular it was being shared all over the world, so we decided to set up a YouTube channel.
“It has really taken off since November, he’s getting around 1,000 views a month.
“Kieran is a big fan of rally driving; his mum Angela used to be a rally driver and I was her codriver, so it’s a bit like he’s going into the family business.”
The youngster, who is from Offerton and attends St James’ Catholic High School, has also interviewed top driver Chris Ingram, former member of Boyzone and drift driver Shane Lynch, former rally driver and owner of M-Sport Malcolm Wilson and Paul Swift, who is one of the stunt drivers in Top Gear Live.
And it’s not just rally drivers getting a grilling – Kieran recently interviewed Tony Wright, lead singer of Terrorvision.
Darren said: “That also came through a Facebook connection. He is a massive fan of Terrorvision, he has been listening to them since he was seven.”
He says one of the reasons they started doing the interviews was to build Kieran’s confidence after he was diagnosed with dyspraxia last year, a developmental coordination disorder that affects his ability to concentrate.
“He has come on in leaps and bounds, it is amazing really,” Darren added.
“He does all his own research, with a bit of help from me, and we write down all his questions but he has also started ad-libbing during the interviews.”
On his YouTube channel Kieran says: “I tend to ask questions that the media don’t ask, ones that give an insight to what really goes on behind the scenes.”
For more information or to watch the interviews visit youtube. com/channel/UCS_ K0CMMIFD2k6G0AQKTBkA/featured.
‘I tend to ask questions that the media don’t ask’