Hartlepool mum’s TikTok of a Despicable Me toastie goes viral with over 3.5 million views

Lisa Pragnell, 41, filmed the moment she removed a minion-shaped cheese toastie from a Despicable Me waffle maker – and the video became an unlikely TikTok sensation.

In the five days since it has been published, the toastie video has received over 3.6 million views and more than 570,000 likes. It has also earned Lisa, from the Belle Vue area of Hartlepool, almost a thousand new followers.

"Literally all I did was just make a cheese toastie in a minion waffle maker,” laughed Lisa, as she told of her surprise at its success online.

"I post random videos now and then to share with my friends. My followers have all gone up. I find it hilarious. It’s gone up by 700 new followers.

"I’m just getting my head round it at the moment.

"It’s funny. It has made us laugh, it really has,” said Lisa.

The minion waffle maker was originally bought for Lisa’s son, Jaxon Pragnell, 9, who is a big fan of the minions and Despicable Me.

But the youngster didn’t like it, so Lisa decided to try and make cheese toasties in it instead and shared the video at the start of the week.

The minion toastie captivated TikTok users, with nearly 30,000 comments so far.

Many have said they “need” the same waffle maker and are asking where they can get one.

One user commented: “My jaw dropped. I need this."

Another said: “I have never needed anything more.”

Another user added: “The things I would do for one of these.”

Full-time carer Lisa added: "I had to turn my notifications off, because it was constantly going off. I said to my husband ‘Can you believe it, all this, because I made a cheese toastie?’

"It was a bit crazy.”

Lisa’s son, Jaxon, who is autistic, has also appreciated the TikTok and is singing along to the sound used for the video, ‘Papa Mama Lola Pica’ from the 2017 film Despicable Me 3.

Lisa, who moved to Hartlepool from Northampton three years ago, said: "He sings along to the minion song and it makes him happy.”