The 60-year-old traded his roofing tools for a smartphone two years ago

11:45, 25 Jun 2025Updated 11:51, 25 Jun 2025

Terry Hill, 59, from Doncaster, was a roofer for over 30 years, but his first love has always been travelling.
Selfie taken by 59-year-old Terry Hill while on a flight.(Image: Family handout/PA Real Life)

A Yorkshire grandad who went from working as a roofer to travelling around the world and amassing 130,000 TikTok followers before being struck down by illness has described feeling ‘alive’ again following a recent trip abroad.

Terry Hill, 59, was almost forced to give up his newfound career after a debilitating condition left him unable to walk.

The Doncaster native lost the feeling in his feet while playing in the snow late last year, with doctors later telling him that the arteries in his groin were blocked.

He underwent surgery in January to clear the blockage but claims the side effects left him bedbound.

Nicknamed “Donny Knight” after crowd surfing off a bus shelter wearing a knight’s costume in his home city in 2010, Terry was left devastated by the prospect of never travelling again.

That was until his family surprised him with a holiday to Marmaris in Turkey for his 60th birthday.

Article continues below
Terry after surgery.(Image: PA Real Life)

Although nervous about his mobility, Terry made it onto the flight.

It transpired that a fan of his from TikTok, whom he had met previously on a trip to Marmaris, had heard about his trip and wanted to help him out.

Terry said the fan had booked taxis, found him a mobility scooter and even organised a boat trip for him.

“I felt like royalty,” Terry said. “A guy I’d met two years ago in Marmaris organised a safari for me and got me a Turkish bath, which was amazing for my body.

“I didn’t pay a penny. In nine days, I spent £70 because everyone was giving me things for free for no reason,” he added,

“They all wanted a piece of Donny Knight!”

Terry gained popularity in 2023 for his ‘raw and real’ videos on social media, with fans praising his unique take on the world.

Terry Hill, 59, from Doncaster, was a roofer for over 30 years, but his first love has always been travelling.
A selfie taken by Terry Hill in Dubai. (Image: Family handout/PA Real Life)

Throughout 2024, he racked up the air miles travelling to dream destinations like Egypt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Poland and Thailand.

The 60-year-old is now hoping he can get back out there and give his followers more of the content they had grown to love him for.

“To think I’d had a life-saving operation in January and had been stuck at home for five months, struggling to pay my bills, it’s a crazy life,” he said.

Article continues below

As well as feeling physically refreshed by the warm Turkish sun, which he said helped the pain in his legs, the real benefit to Terry was the boost it gave to his confidence.

“It’s given me that feeling back,” he said. “I still have the nerve pain, and I know I’m not out of the woods yet, but for the first time in months, I feel alive.”

A shop owner in Marmaris, who was so pleased that Terry featured his shop in one of his videos for free, has arranged for him to go back and meet with the mayor of the resort town next week.