When Demi Flokis visits her yiayia Maria, their time is more than just the typical grandmother-granddaughter catch-up.

Together they’ve created TikTok account, ‘Yiayia Maria’s Channel,’ to share heartwarming and funny videos, starring yiayia Maria.

With over 100,000 likes and a devoted following, their delightful content has captured the hearts of viewers worldwide.

During regular visits to their yiayia’s, Demi and her sister couldn’t resist filming her “funny and always outspoken” personality and posting the videos on social media.

“We’d always end up filming her because she’d always be saying something funny or we’d make her do something, and all our friends would always be like, ‘Oh my God, we need more yiayia content’ …. like even our non-Greek friends who didn’t speak Greek, they’re like, ‘where is yiayia?'” Flokis told Neos Kosmos.

After their “smash or pass” video with celebrities on TikTok, gained hundreds of comments and new followers, Demi decided to dedicate her account to yiayia Maria.

“I put it up that night and then the next morning I literally woke up and I opened my TikTok, and I had like 100 and something comments, new followers like all these people were like laughing and sharing it, and everyone kept saying ‘we want more yiayia Maria, content.'”

Demi said a big reason her yiayia has become a social media sensation is her “genuine” nature.

“She’s very sweet and, and always sends good wishes to everyone. I think that’s what everybody loves about her.”

Yiayia Maria’s “loud and bubbly personality” has spread to many people through social media, particularly within the Greek community.

“We’ve had a few people reach out and say, ‘we’ve just opened this restaurant, bring your yiayia to do a food blog’ or some people sometimes give her things, and we do a little thank you video on them and tag them.”

“I think anything I can get her more involved in the community would be ideal.”

Demi said she even gets stopped on the street sometimes, especially when there are Greeks nearby.

“I like it because we’re both people person… I think I’m yiayia’s smaller version, so if people were to stop me and tell me ‘My God, I watched you with your yiayia’ …. that would make my day because at least I know that it’s touching a lot of people and all the comments that we get every day is very it’s very nice to read.”

Demi said, “reading those comments” makes her “cherish these times with her” yiayia.

“I think that’s very eye opening too, because it makes you actually appreciate, how blessed we are to have her at this age.”

With Yiayia Maria living alone after her husband George went to a nursing home, Demi said “doing these videos” has “actually come at a good time.”

“Now that she’s living alone, at least she has this to look forward to.”

Demi said creating this channel has offered a new way for them to bond and share quality time.

“When I do come, instead of just staying 10 minutes, I’ll be here for like 2 hours because we’re doing videos, we’re filming, we’re laughing, you know, we’re talking. So, it definitely has made our relationship a lot closer.”

Yiayia Maria, 86, was born in Pyli village on the Greek island of Kos, a place she still misses.

Her journey began at 17 when she boarded the ship Begona, embarking on a 40-day trip to Australia, to reach the promised land Down Under.

“On the ship, it was just me and three other girls… everyone else was a guy,” I thought to myself, ‘Where are we going?'” said Maria Flokis (née Ladikos) to Neos Kosmos.

After arriving in Melbourne, she took the train to Sydney to reunite with her brother, who had already settled in Australia.

Not long after her arrival, Maria met George, her future husband, and they married when she was 18.

Two years later, their family began to grow as they welcomed their first son.

Over time, Maria and George welcomed three more sons into their lives

Today, she is a proud grandmother to six grandchildren, including five granddaughters and one grandson.

Yiayia Maria said she “took it as a joke” when she did the “smash or pass” on celebrities’ video with Demi.

Soon she realised how much people enjoyed her videos, and it became a fun way for her to spend time and connect with her granddaughter.

Demi said she’s always brainstorming new ideas to keep yiayia Maria’s fans and followers entertained.

“I’ll try and find new things that I can do with her. So, whether it’s, her singing songs in Greek or her telling us her stories or cooking, dancing, games whatever it is, I’m always trying to think of something new that people would like and find funny.”

With a growing following on TikTok and Instagram, Demi said she hopes to expand her yiayia’s presence to other social media platforms and create more videos together.