Raygun documentary explores her viral fame and online abuse
A new ITV1 film follows breakdancer Raygun's rise to viral fame and the abuse she faced after her Paris Olympic routine.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn, known as Raygun, has opened up about the darker side of her unexpected viral fame in a new documentary. The film, broadcast on ITV1, tells the story of her routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which included a signature kangaroo hop and a writhing snake move. Those moves became a global meme almost overnight, but with the memes came online abuse and conspiracy theories.
In the documentary, Raygun recalls speaking to her therapist before the Games and worrying about the worst-case scenario. "Right before the Olympics I went to my therapist panicked. She was like what's the worst that could happen? The whole world could laugh at me," she says. That fear proved well founded, as the internet turned her performance into a meme and she faced bullying, harassment and rumours about her husband, her qualification and her motivations. "The internet's a wild place but you know this documentary gives me a chance to finally share my experience," she says.
Raygun hopes the programme will offer a better understanding of breaking as a sport. It made its Olympic debut in Paris in 2024 but will not feature in the Los Angeles Games in 2028. She insists she is still dancing and is happy to have come out the other side. "I still dance and it's still a lot of fun," she says. The documentary also highlights her desire to encourage others not to be afraid to be different and to put themselves out there.
The film is a portrait of the person behind the meme, and a reminder of the toll that going viral can take when the world watches, judges and laughs.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| A new documentary examines the negative side of viral fame. | |
| Breaking made its Olympic debut in 2024 and will not appear at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. | |
| Raygun discussed the online abuse and harassment she faced after her Olympic performance. | |
| Raygun feared that the world would laugh at her before the Olympics. | |
| Raygun said she hopes her kangaroo hop and snake moves continue to live on. | |
| Raygun was subjected to conspiracy theories and abuse, including claims about her husband and qualifications. | |
| The documentary encourages people to express themselves regardless of public opinion. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The lunchtime bulletin focused on the documentary as a chance for Raygun to tell her side of the story after the social media storm. It highlighted her therapy anecdote and her hopes to advocate for the sport, ending on an upbeat note about her continued dancing.
- “Right before the Olympics I went to my therapist panicked. She was like what's the worst that could happen? The whole world could laugh at me.”
- “This documentary gives me a chance to finally share my experience.”
- “It's a documentary about the person behind the meme now encouraging others to express themselves no matter who's watching.”
The evening report framed the story around a 'vicious viral backlash' and highlighted Raygun's interview with Good Morning Britain. It stressed her resilience and her wish for her moves to live on, while also carrying the message that people should not be afraid to be different.
- “speaking to good morning britain Raygun says the jokes quickly turned nasty the conspiracy theories the hysteria the bullying the harassment”
- “you know i'm hoping that the kangaroo hop and the writhing snake still live on”
- “It's a documentary about the person behind the meme now encouraging others to express themselves no matter who's watching.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.