For those who mindlessly spent a decent amount of time on YouTube in the late 2000s and early 2010s, chances are you’ve notably encountered a plethora of videos starring Fred Figglehorn — an all-too-familiar internet character created by web personality Lucas Cruikshank.
Introduced by Cruikshank back in 2006, it certainly didn’t take long before the “Fred” character became a pop culture phenomenon — with Cruikshank even making appearances as Figglehorn on fan-favorite series such as iCarly, and even a solo film titled Fred: The Movie. The overwhelming success of the Fred character undoubtedly happened due to the eye-catching videos uploaded by Cruikshank — especially in regards to Fred’s hyperactive personality, high-pitched voice, and ability to talk directly to the YouTube audience.
Decades later, a viral tweet from @ayeejuju reminded folks about the unforgettable internet figure — leading YouTube aficionados and former Fred stans to continue to wonder where exactly the energetic character has gone, and what exactly his large-minded creator is up to these days.
What happened to Fred, and where is Cruikshank now?
Like all viral sensations, the character of Fred eventually came to an end back in 2015 — although Cruikshank did briefly bring back the character from 2020 to 2021 — during the peak period of COVID-19. Despite the inactivity since 2021, Fred’s @HeyItsFred TikTok channel remains up on the site — so perhaps Cruikshank could be planning some sort of return for Fred somewhere down the line.
As for Cruikshank himself, he currently has his own YouTube channel and has over 3 million subscribers, with a new video being uploaded every month or so. Alongside his personal YouTube success, Cruikshank lives happily with his model boyfriend, Matthew.