Toby Newell attempts chin balancing world record
Salford builder Toby Newell demonstrates his chin balancing skills ahead of a world record attempt.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A builder from Salford has demonstrated his unusual talent for balancing objects on his chin ahead of a world record attempt. Toby Newell, known online as Chinaroonie, appeared on a national news programme to show off his skills, which have earned him millions of online views.
Newell, who works as a builder, will attempt to break the world record for the longest object ever balanced on a chin in a couple of weeks. During the live broadcast, he successfully balanced a mop and then a chair on his chin, holding each for around 10 seconds, the required duration for a record attempt.
He explained that his unusual ability was discovered by chance. 'I was walking down the aisle at a hardware store and I just picked up a piece of the roofing baton and I don't know what made me just, I say, oh yeah, I'll try and balance this on my chin, but I've done it and it just went from there, really,' he said.
Newell's videos have gone viral, with one being watched over a million times. He has also met his hero, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, and balanced a Lego World Cup on his chin in front of him. 'Growing up watching United all my life and meeting superstars like Wayne Rooney, it's quite a good feeling,' he said.
Despite the attention, Newell remains modest about his skill. 'I am thinking all the time, like, why do so many people love this? But we started it as a little joke and it's just, it's blown up out of proportion, so it's good,' he added.
The builder said that heavier objects can cause minor injuries, such as a graze from a three-metre worktop, but generally the balancing does not hurt. His world record attempt is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 |
|---|---|
| One of Toby Newell's videos has been watched over a million times. | |
| Toby Newell discovered his talent by picking up a roofing baton in a hardware store. | |
| Toby Newell is attempting a world record for the longest object balanced on his chin. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The coverage was lighthearted and humorous, with the presenter Dan Walker engaging in playful banter and puns. The segment focused on the human interest angle, highlighting Newell's accidental discovery of his talent and his viral fame, while also showcasing a live demonstration of his skills.
- “This is absolutely chin credible, everybody.”
- “I was walking down the aisle at a hardware store and I just picked up a piece of the roofing baton and I don't know what made me just, I say, oh yeah, I'll try and balance this on my chin, but I've done it and it just went from there, really.”
- “I am thinking all the time, like, why do so many people love this? But we started it as a little joke and it's just, it's blown up out of proportion, so it's good.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.