Yorkshire Kardashians: The comedian behind the hilarious videos on her viral success and how living in Leeds inspired her

But since comedian and impressionist Steff Todd began dropping the videos online, they have racked up millions of views across Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. It was her experience of living in Leeds and growing up around a distinctly Yorkshire family that inspired her to dub her voice over Kourtney, Kim, Kris and Kendall and create videos of them shopping in TK Maxx (“‘Ere, proper bargains on this rail”), getting food from McDonald’s (“Khloe’s bootin’ off because they’ve turned McFlurry machine off”) and buying Smirnoff from the shop (“Gerrit bought!”).

Thanks to the hilarious dialogue, attention to detail and sheer silliness of the clips, Steff has become a viral success. It’s resulted in Steff landing work with the likes of Netflix and selling out nights for her upcoming stand-up shows – and lovers of the Yorkshire Kardashian videos will be relieved to know that she has no intention of stopping them either.

A self-described Yorkshire lass, Steff was born in Bingley before moving with family to the Yorkshire Dales. At 18, she moved to Leeds where she worked in retail and made the most of the city’s nightlife. Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post in her broad accent that is instantly recognisable as one used in the Yorkshire Kardashian videos, she said: “When I do the references, it’s from my time living in Leeds. All of these places they go like Call Lane and Revolutions is because that’s where I was.”

Steff’s foray into the comedy world started with her writing jokes on Twitter and uploading note-perfect impressions of celebrities like Katie Price and Cheryl Cole, before trying her hand at stand-up comedy at the behest of her friends for the first time in 2017. She hit the ground running and the success of the first show fuelled her drive to work the circuit, resulting in her first full show in 2019.

Steff said that her shows are made up of impressions, discussing her favourite TV shows and reflecting on growing up, adding that all of her comedy is intended to “have a laugh”. She said: “There’s not really a message. I just want people to come and have fun.

"When I was younger I used to watch Joan Rivers and I didn’t understand it but I just knew it was funny. I loved her throughout my teens and loved Ab Fab and to me it was just really fun escapism. It really cheered me up if I was feeling sad so I just want my stuff to purely make you laugh. I think that’s my thing. And if people want to learn stuff, I’m just not the best person to learn it from.”

When the lockdown hit in 2020, the stand-up shows were put on hold and Steff began focusing on uploading videos of celebrity impressions, which eventually led to the creation of the Yorkshire Kardashians. She explained: “I used to do impressions of the actual Kardashians and then when it was Yorkshire Day I was like ‘how can I tie the two in?’

"My first video was the Kardashians having a big fight scene, so I did it so they were arguing about going to Oceania and Bacardi Breezers and stuff and then people liked it.”

Steff then created a string of “Yorkshire Kylie” videos where she dubbed over Kylie Jenner taking viewers on a trip around her beauty salon (“I’ve even got branded umbrellas, because obviously it’s always chucking it down”). In time she got better and better at editing the footage, which led to the recent run of clips that sees the girls going to Asda, Whitby and York. The clips are voiced entirely by Steff, bar the odd voice of a male builder or DJ that is supplied by her brother. She said: “I’ll just get him to send a voice note saying ‘the buffet is now open’ or whatever.

"He doesn’t have social media or anything and at first he didn’t really know what I was doing. I’ll send him the videos after and he’ll just go, ‘alright, cool’. He’s my support act but he doesn’t care.”

Steff’s enhanced editing skills and surfeit of ideas mean that she’s now able to take the Kardashians to wherever she pleases, so long as the footage from the show is available. She said: “I wish I could have a word with Kris Jenner and be like ‘listen, I need you to go round a shopping centre so I can pretend it’s White Rose’.”

On where the inspiration for the dialogue between the characters comes from, Steff said: “I feel like it’s just the conversations I have with my family. If I go round Asda with my mum that would just be us. And I think a lot of it is from when I used to go out and get my two-for-one porn star martinis at Revolution. It’s basically just Leeds banter.

"I think to us we don’t realise that all of that stuff is funny. It’s just us being Yorkshire. That’s how we are.”

Steff said she doesn’t know if any of the Kardashians had seen her clips, but a recent follow on TikTok from Kris Jenner’s makeup artist gives her hope. She said: “If she sees her all the time then surely any day now she’ll show her the video. I really want her to see it!

"I do think it would be really funny if they saw it but I just think, would they understand it? We’ll wait and see.”

Steff, who is now based in London, is currently working on various projects and will be playing in Leeds at the Aspire on February 24.