Meet the real SAFFRON SHARPE

Influencer and Youtuber Saffron Sharpe has garnered a following for her honest take on love and relationships. She discusses how her commitment to “being herself” remains one of her greatest strengths.

- Cheryl Lai-Lim

Saffron Sharpe would like to spend less time on social media.

As an influencer who has a substantial following (210K on Instagram, and 82.5K on Tiktok at the time of writing), she’s acutely aware of the irony, especially as her career revolves around being constantly online.

Her desire to reduce her screen time stems from being more aware of its impact on her mental health. “When I use my phone less, I am less stressed,” she explains.

Despite her best intentions, the lure of doomscrolling is a tough habit to break. “I really want to use my phone less, but I can’t. I’m addicted to scrolling,” she admits sheepishly. “I’d like to think it’s for work and that I’m getting inspiration, but to be honest, I really love to just scroll through my FYP (For You Page on Tiktok) and I get sucked into it for hours.”

Saffron’s foray into social media started 11 years ago, when she joined The New Paper’s New Face competition in 2013. Before that, she had modelled on the side for commercials, but the competition was a new experience for her.

She shares: “It was my first time participating in this sort of competition, so it was a new experience. I realised I couldn’t be a fashion model because I’d get very nervous, and there were height requirements (her height is 163cm).”

The turning point in Saffron’s career came around 2016, after she graduated from junior college. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to study at university and, feeling a little lost and uncertain about her future, decided to take a gap year for a stint at a local production house as a social media content intern.

“I was editing videos for influencers there, and it was then that I realised I enjoyed editing. My direct boss, a really nice Australian woman, encouraged me to give it a shot myself,” she recalls.