Kath Bowie, 78, named oldest female Fortnite live streamer

Kath Bowie, a 78-year-old grandmother from Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, has been named the oldest female Fortnite live streamer by Guinness World Records. She plays under the name Grumpy Gran, or Grumpy Gran 1948, a nickname coined by her granddaughter. The record recognises her as the oldest woman to stream the online game live.

She began playing Fortnite about nine or ten years ago after watching her grandson Louis play it. He was 17 at the time and had taken up the game after it was released by Epic. She said nothing was planned and that Fortnite became the most interesting of the games she had tried. When she told her grandson she planned to start streaming, he laughed and said nobody would watch or follow her. She described that reaction as a red rag to a bull and set out to prove him wrong.

She now streams on Twitch. One report said she had amassed more than 24,000 followers, while a later interview put the figure past 25,000. She said viewers come for the friendship and community, with constant chat during streams that can last three hours. She also enjoys the competitive side of the game, saying she likes to eliminate opponents and that the more limbs she has at the end, the happier she is.

Kath received a Guinness World Records certificate and plaque. She said the award was an honour and a delight, and that she never imagined seeing her own face in the Guinness Book of Records after receiving it as a Christmas present while growing up. Her message to anyone who thinks they are too old to start gaming is simple: forget about your age, just go in and do it and play it. She has also said she hopes to still be playing Fortnite at 80, in two years' time, with friends on the game.