UK-born stripper Will Parfitt (left) is a real-life "Magic Mike" and has been compared to that film's star Channing Tatum (right). Photos / Will Parfitt, Magic Mike's Last Dance
UK-born stripper Will Parfitt (left) is a real-life "Magic Mike" and has been compared to that film's star Channing Tatum (right). Photos / Will Parfitt, Magic Mike's Last Dance
His likeness to Magic Mike star Channing Tatum is undeniable but social media sensation and stripper with “Magic Men” Will Parfitt is now a star in his own right - with a staggering 8.5 million followers to prove it.
The UK-born, Melbourne-based entertainer’s cheeky videos and reels on TikTok andInstagram have gone viral - amassing more than 90 million views.
Many of those hits are from Kiwi women, who make up a big part of the 32-year-old’s fan base.
Now Parfitt and his crew of Magic Men are heading to New Zealand to give Kiwi women a chance to see them in the flesh - literally.
“I have a lot of followers from New Zealand and we had so many comments on social media to come so we thought we had to do it,” Parfitt told the Herald on Sunday.
“I love New Zealand and Kiwi girls are always the craziest. They are similar to English girls when they have had a couple of drinks. They are always the funniest. I love the accent and we’ve always wanted to do a proper tour.”
Parfitt’s entrance into the world of stripping reads like a scene from Magic Mike - the Hollywood film starring the very man Parfitt is often compared to.
UK-born Will Parfitt went from backpacker to stripper and now owns part of the stage show Magic Men.
Parfitt landed in Melbourne in 2015 from his hometown of Croydon, south London, with $500 in his pocket and the goal to pick up any work to keep travelling.
He was out one night and was spotted by a club promoter who thought Parfitt was a doppelganger for Channing Tatum.
From there he started working for Magic Men, a group of male strippers who performed at hen parties, just like Tatum’s character in Magic Mike.
But it was during lockdown when Parfitt was stuck in his apartment in Melbourne that things really “blew up”.
“I was stuck at home in lockdown and I started posting more on social media. We were not touring so I didn’t have my usual Magic Men content so I started doing TikTok transitions - when I’d go from a normal guy to a cop or fireman. It just went nuts.”
Parfitt’s reels have been viewed millions of times - the most popular ones combining humour and sexual innuendo.
“I always try to have a laugh with it. Some of the best ones have people wondering, is this a thirst trap or a piss-take?”
Parfitt’s popularity on social media during lockdown saw him go from being a hit on stage to being recognised on the street, in the airport and being one of the most requested strippers at the agency.
“The Channing comparison is always there but I feel like now after building the social media girls want to see ‘Will’ not just the ‘Channing guy’.
“I don’t hate the comparison though, obviously because Magic Mike made the industry blow up again, and I’m in that industry.”
The success of the business he has helped grow has also meant he has been able to invest in property and has just bought his second house in Melbourne.
Parfitt believes the popularity of the hit 2012 movie - and more recently Magic Mike’s Last Dance has helped make male stripping more acceptable and mainstream.
“Back when I started it was just hen’s nights but now it is any excuse - hen’s nights, divorce parties - women will come to the show just for a night out.
“We have our resident shows and we also have 160 tours this year and we try to get to the smaller suburbs.
“We go to see the women who might not be able to get into the bigger cities to see us. They go a bit crazy - they can’t believe we have come out to see them.”
He has signature moves that are very physical and very choreographed - but can also go very wrong.
“I have one move when I pull the girl on to my shoulders facing me and we have to pick someone from the crowd and get them to come backstage first to go through it.
“I need to tell her what is going to happen, because if she doesn’t know it can go bad.”
Some of the mishaps make it on to Parfitt’s social media reels.
One of the most viewed is a tricky move that sees Parfitt flip a woman over and pull her back by the ponytail. It was all going to plan until the ponytail - a hair extension - came off in his hand.
