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Canberra radio presenter Tanya Hennessy to speak at Vivid Sydney on 'Selfie to Superstar'

The online success of Canberra radio presenter Tanya Hennessy shows no signs of slowing down.

She's even in demand as a public speaker, explaining her rise and rise through some very funny - and brutally honest - YouTube videos on everything from her everyday make-up tutorials to "things people say to personal trainers" to "things people say to teachers".

The oh-so-true makeup tutorials, alone, have been viewed 85 million times. All up, the videos she's been making and uploading since 2015, mostly from her Crace apartment, have been viewed at least 150 million times.

It's serious vindication for Hennessy, 31, who has a degree in drama but despite auditioning her heart out, could not get an acting gig. It's ironic that by being herself, she's hit the jackpot with her videos that are as authentic as they are humorous.

"You have to be real. People can spot bullshit a mile away," she said, with a laugh.

"Someone asked me the other day, 'Why do you do it?' I can't not do it.

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"I feel like I'm my best self when I'm doing this sort of stuff. It feels so weird but sometimes I feel like this is what I'm meant to be doing.

"Maybe me being self-deprecating and real is what the world needs right now. I don't do political or social discourse. It's escapism and maybe that's what we all need right now."

The breakfast presenter for Hit 104.7 has been invited by Yahoo7 to speak at an event next month as part of Vivid Sydney, the Emerald City's festival of light, music and ideas.

The panel discussion on June 7 is intriguingly titled "Selfie to Superstar".

It's about "the new breed of 'influencers' disrupting the role of traditional celebrities on social media and finding social and commercial success through strategic, authentic and high-quality content".

Sounds fancy. And not strictly true for Hennessy, who had a successful career in radio long before she started her online posts.

For Hennessy, it just means she has found her voice.

"It's exciting because the digital space is for the eccentrics, the ones who don't fit the traditional mould," she said.

"You can be yourself and people can either like it or not. For creative people, it's such an awesome outlet."

Still, she does think the whole reach of her online work has been weird.

"Even when I'm shopping. And not just in Canberra. I was in the Pitt Street Mall [in Sydney] the other day, and someone said, 'Hi Tanya'. And I'm like, 'How do you know who I am?," she said, with a laugh.

"And then I was doing a red carpet thing and Lincoln Lewis was like, 'Hi Tanya' and 'My girlfriend loves you."

So does she think the online videos can be leveraged into a commercial opportunity? Can it be her job?

"I'm lucky enough to already be paid to do a job I love," she said.

"I do [the videos] first and foremost for my soul but if someone wants to pay me for them, I'll take the money thank you very much."

For more details about the Selfie to Superstar event, go to  vividsydney.com/event/ideas/selfie-superstar