Everyone who’s anyone is on Snapchat these days and unless you’ve been living on a rock you’ll know that James Patrice is probably the most followed guy on the social network (username: jamespatrice).
From taking the complete mickey out his friends, to selfie sing-a-longs, so many people have said when they feel down they watch his Snapchat story.
James, who now has just under 7,000 Snapchat followers, sat down with Goss.ie Editor Ali Ryan to try and explain how his Snapchat exploded – and how his mum Fron is really the break-out star.
Having the chats: Goss Editor Ali Ryan with James Patrice | SORCHA CRILLY
Tell us everything James – where are you from, where did you go to school?
I’m from Malahide, I went to school in Malahide and then I studied Drama and French in Trinity College.
I have been acting since I was very young and I always wanted to do it. I always wanted to do that course.
I thought ‘I can’t do the ole drama by itself, there’ll be no jobs there’ so I took the French as well. But maths and all that? I was desperate at. I’m the other side of the brain really.
The drama course was really academic but then I got to specialise in costume design and comedy.
So during the drama course, what were you thinking you wanted to do with your life?
I loved acting and still do – that was the goal.
But I did always toy with the idea of presenting as well. So I MC’d a few events in college and then when I finished college I did a few short films and a few plays and then I did a presenting course in Park Studio.
From that I started to get a few online jobs. And then I worked for RTE Jnr.
I did two episodes of this thing called Pick A Story – where kids drew a picture around a story, there was lots of green screens and stuff so I learned a lot. That was about a year and a half ago.
I still would do a bit of acting now, I did stuff for the Liberties Theatre Festival. I go for auditions sometimes but lately it’s been more about presenting work.
Fashion: James is a regular on TV3 | SORCHA CRILLY
Tell me about your fashion career then – how did that all kick off?
I was always interested in fashion and then of course I did costume design in college and advances costume design, I suppose that was theatrical based.
Then when I started in Fashion 1 I met the editor of MFI magazine and he asked would I write a few articles.
It was kind of more of a Facebook page then and then next thing I know there was a print edition and I was the Fashion Editor.
It’s totally snowballed because I think there really was a need for a men’s fashion magazine – there was no sole men’s fashion publication in Ireland.
When I started that then I was always uploading my outfits to Instagram (wrecking everyone’s head) and everyone was saying ‘would you not just start a blog?’ so then I did, and that’s where Jus de James came from.
It’s my own personal style and sometimes I’ll do stuff on ladies wear too.
You’re on TV3 a lot these days, how did that come about?
That actually happened through Instagram.
I did a trend panel for Xpose and a girl had contacted me because they said they liked my style – I did four segments with them.
Then Ireland AM started a competition for a Blogger style off, you basically go on and recreate a look and whoever wins that then gets to come back the next month to do it again.
I’ve won the first three so I’m back again next month.
Obviously I’d love to do more TV. I enjoy doing it a lot and I think you have to pay your dues, just do your little bits here and there and get to build a name for yourself and then people can see what you’re capable of.
The lols: James is known for his humour | SORCHA CRILLY
Okay so we have to talk about Snpachat, you are THE guy everyone is following right now. How did that happen?
I don’t know how it’s blown up so much. I’ve actually always been on Snapchat.
Literally one week maybe a month and a half ago everyone was on Snapchat all of a sudden. I used to use it all the time to send selfies to my friends, I never used to post things to my story.
Then it suddenly blew up.
What do you think caught everyone’s attention? People are always talking about how hilarious the snaps are with your mum Fron!
She hasn’t an eyebrow about what’s going on. She doesn’t know what Snapchat is, she thinks it’s just a picture.
I’ll tell her I’m just sending something to my friends, she really doesn’t have a notion about what’s going on.
Some of your snaps of Fron I can see your hiding behind a wall, is she starting to get suspicious?
Oh God it’s like Mission Impossible now. The great thing is the ole selfie-cam.
So sometimes I’m sitting down just yapping away to myself and it’s perfect. I’m so far away so she can’t hear me.
I don’t know how she’d feel if she knew – sure we’ll say nothing.
Snapchat king: James has nearly 7,000 followers | SORCHA CRILLY
So your mum Fron has seriously become a little bit of a celebrity now right?
Yeah random people have stopped her and recognised her.
Someone snapchatted me the other day in Malahide in a cafe telling me they had just seen Fron. I think it’s her bun – the hair gives it away.
Then I was in H&M one day, and she really did not know what was going on at this stage.
Mum was with me and I went to try on a top, she was sitting down yapping away to a guy in the fitting rooms and next thing I hear this girl ‘are you Fron?’
‘Oh my God you’re Fron James Patrice’s mum!’ I didn’t know what was going on so I came out and I said ‘hi’ and she screamed at me – mum just looked at me like I had twenty heads.
So I told her the girl had recognised her from Snapchat but that it was just a thing were you put funny pictures up.
And she was like ‘and how many people see it, just your friends is it?’ and I said ‘yeah, yeah, yeah just the gals.’
Hilarious: James doesn’t take himself too seriously on Snapchat
Are you getting recognised more and more then?
Yeah I guess, I get people coming up to me saying ‘ah you’re gas’. It’s a bit bizarre and then they ask me for a shout out on Snapchat.
I think honestly Snapchat is like vlogging, like honestly I’m technically inept, I can’t vlog or video editing so it’s an easy way for me.
I’ve just under 7,000 followers now and I get a lot of shout outs too – so that helps.
What are your best Snapchat tips?
I love a good zoom and I think the sneaker snaps are the best, there’s nothing worse than seeing a completely staged snap.
I’m always sneaking snaps of my friends and if they catch me I literally have to run into a corner to send it to my story quickly because they’re literally chasing me to see it.
Drinking and snapping also I don’t know – when you can’t remember what you’ve snapped the next day I think that’s when you know you’ve gone too far.
I have deleted drunken snaps before, but they are never of me, I’d rarely do myself on a night out but I’d get my friends and I’d feel bad the next day because thousands of people have seen it.
Obviously I’m partial to snaps of myself in da club, thinking I look great of course.
Strike a pose: We’re obsessed with James’ Snapchat in Goss HQ
Who are your favourite Snapchatters to follow then?
James Kavanagh (jameskava) is hilarious, I’m literally crying laughing watching his.
I like Tara O’Farrell (tara_makeup), Ellen from Waxperts (waxpertsellen), I like Rosemary McCabe (rosemarymccabe) and Holly Shortall (hollywooddublin) as well.
Now I have to say I really like Goss.ie’s one too (goss.ie) – not just giving you a plug but you guys are very funny.
So has becoming a big Snapchat star helped your career, I see you get lots of products get sent to you.
Yeah I think it has because people see that I do really love skincare and all that, because when I’m sent things I do actually talk about it.
I honestly can’t wait to try the products, a lot of time it is for reviews I’m doing in MFI.
Snapchat is great for new companies trying to get exposure because it’s immediate advertising.
Snapchat is so huge right now but do you think it has an expiry date?
You never know with these things but Snapchat is so immediate so it takes away that contrived element. With Instagram it’s like you’ve taken so many selfies and so many filters.
ROT: Just one of James’ top Snapchat phrases
But with Snapchat I think there’s only two filters and honestly they make you look worse – you look blue half the time so I just don’t use them.
People just don’t care on Snapchat. Sometimes I’ll put up one mad looking one of me chatting away and I’ll see ’60 screen shots’ have been taken so I’m like ‘right that’s it that’s been shared around someone’s Whatsapp group right now.’
Obviously you can never move out of your house now, what would we do without Fron?
Well God that’s the thing now isn’t it?
I just don’t know if I can ever leave. I think I’m going to have to turn into a hermit who stays at home all the time and just live with my mum forever.
Everyone says you need your own reality show – have you talked to broadcasters?
I haven’t talked to anyone and honestly I wouldn’t know where to start, I wouldn’t have a notion.
Maybe I will, I don’t know. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and if more people want to watch it then so be it!
Follow James on Snapchat (jamespatrice)
Follow James on Twitter (@jamespatrice)
Follow his blog JudeJames
