--- Jorie Lagerwey, quoted in "Famous for good reason? Britain elevates do-gooders to celebrities," Christian Science Monitor, March 15, 2021
In context
The rise of Dr. Bodalia and Dr. Okorocha, who have a combined following of more than 85,000 on Instagram alone, reveals a shift in who, and what, constitutes celebrity in the eyes of Britons during the pandemic. At a time when the U.K. records one of the world’s highest death tolls per capita from COVID-19, the country has been granting iconic status to those who serve communities, do public good, and raise awareness for social causes.
“Celebrity is cyclical and responds to what the overarching culture wants at any given time,” says Jorie Lagerway [sic], associate professor in television studies at the University of Dublin. “The reason we have celebrities is to tell us what’s important in our culture at that particular moment in history.”
