‘CHAAAAANELLLL!’ UK woman becomes social media sensation after video of search for lost parrot

Imagine losing your beloved pet amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now imagine posting a video of your frantic search for that pet and it goes viral. That’s what happened to Sandra Hannah.

Hannah streamed a Facebook live on April 18 showing her tear-streaked face as she searched for her pet parrot who flew away after hearing some drilling noises that were coming from a neighbor.

The African grey parrot, affectionately named Chanel, was nowhere in sight despite Hannah’s repeated shouts for the bird’s return.

“Her name’s Chanel. She’s gone towards the canal, please. Everyone, please,” Hannah is heard pleading in the video. The most notable parts are her long and loud shouts for Chanel, which, and probably to no one’s surprise, has turned into an internet gold mine of memes and reenactments.

The video racked up thousands of comments and a number of renditions on several different social media platforms.

Hannah has also been invited to interview on a few radio and TV shows to talk about the viral video sensation that she has inspired.

Although the story started off with a bit of heartbreak, Chanel did not wander too far from home. According to Hannah, the bird only ventured as far as their neighbor’s window, who was able to retrieve her and reunite her with Hannah.

"We have had her nearly two years and she sits with me every morning for few hours before kids get up,” Hannah told Storyful. “I was actually devastated and thought I would never see her again.”

Storyful contributed to this story.