Viral TikToker Sophie Tea surprised fans in Exeter

Renowned British painter Sophie Tea brought her viral Charity Shop Friday series to two charity shops in Exeter city centre.

The series, which has amassed over a million followers on TikTok (@sophieteaart), is part of Sophie’s mission to raise the profile of local charity shops nationwide.

Sophie is currently half way through the first season of her series, which sees her visit charity shops across the country, buy an item, paint it that day, and return it for the same price.

Throughout the day of her visit, she will drop breadcrumbs hinting at her location to give her fans the opportunity to discover her whereabouts in the hopes of owning a Sophie Tea original at a fraction of the cost.

On Friday, August 16, Sophie visited the Marie Curie and Jelly charity shops in Exeter and transformed two items into artistic masterpieces.

Though Sophie originally selected a Monopoly board from Marie Curie, Exeter fans got lucky when she decided to also decorate a dolls house in celebration of reaching one million TikTok followers earlier that morning. 

Above: Image: Sophie Tea 

Ellie, who owns the children’s charity shop, Jelly on Fore Street, was reportedly overjoyed with the extra traffic, as around 50 people gathered to try and win themselves the bespoke dollhouse.

Sophie’s artwork has previously sold for up to £25,000, and in April this year, her show Send Nudes Live sold out at The London Palladium.

Through her series, Sophie aims to raise awareness about the importance of shopping locally and supporting second-hand stores.

So far, she has visited Bristol, Worcester, London, Hertfordshire, and Solihull, transforming everything from an antique clock to a luxury handbag.

Above: Image: Sophie Tea

Followers can submit their locations on Sophie’s website, www.sophieteaart.com, for a chance to receive a visit from Sophie soon.