A young Manxman who travels the world with a toy duck to raise awareness about mental health has found himself walking the red carpet at the BAFTAs — and inspiring hundreds of thousands of people along the way.

Sid Batty, a 24-year-old from Onchan, was initially terrified of the backlash he might receive when he shared a deeply personal post on Instagram in December 2024, about the small duck teddy, named Quack, he carries with him to support his mental wellbeing.

But instead of ridicule, the post went viral - clocking up more than 2 million views and 200,000 likes in 24 hours.

Sid now has over 420,000 followers on Instagram and has been signed to a talent agency.

His social media journey, which began as a fitness recovery diary following knee surgery in early 2023, has grown into a global platform for honest conversations about mental health.

‘I bought the duck around four months after my surgery during a tough time with uni exams and personal stuff,’ said Sid.

‘For over a year, I hid it from everyone.

‘But when I started solo travelling, I took it with me - and eventually decided to share the story.’

Despite his fears of being labelled ‘cringe’ or mocked for being vulnerable online, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

‘I was too scared to check Instagram after I posted it,’ he said.

‘When I finally did, the video had 2 million views. I read about 1,000 comments — every one of them was supportive. That’s when I realised this could actually help people.’

Since then, Sid has continued to travel, create content, and open up about his mental health journey.

His following skyrocketed from 100,000 in February to over 400,000 by May. This surge in popularity led to an invitation to the 2025 BAFTAs.

‘I got a message from my manager asking if I wanted to go to the BAFTAs. Of course I said yes,’ he laughed.

‘I never imagined that something so personal would lead me there.’

The highlight?

‘There’s a red-carpet section for the actual celebrities and another for the rest of us,’ said Sid.

‘But I had people shouting my name - people asking me to sign autographs. It was surreal.’

Back home, the response has largely been supportive, though Sid admitted there were some doubts early on.

‘On the Isle of Man, everyone knows everyone. I think some people thought it was embarrassing at first. But I looked past that. I saw the bigger picture.’

Sid now receives hundreds of messages each week from people sharing their own struggles.

‘When someone pours their heart out to you, the least you can do is reply. If I’ve helped just one person, that means everything.’

To young people in the island who might feel held back by fear of judgement, Sid had this advice:

‘Just go for it. Chase your dreams. Don’t let other people’s opinions dictate your life. One day, you’ll regret not trying.’

And as for Sid and Quack - there are plenty more adventures to come.