A grandmother who became a viral internet sensation after being caught dangling upside down from a shop’s electric shutters has sadly passed away at the age of 73.
Anne Hughes, fondly known online as the “dangling nan,” died shortly before Christmas following a courageous battle with cancer, her family has confirmed.
Anne shot to global fame in March 2024 when CCTV footage from a small shop in Tonteg, near Pontypridd in South Wales, captured the shocking yet comical moment her coat became trapped in an electric roller shutter, lifting her nearly 10 feet into the air as she clung desperately to her shopping trolley and shouted for help.
The clip, which lasted around 30 seconds, showed shop owner Amir Akram rushing out to rescue her after activating the shutter without realising she was standing beneath it.
A close family friend told MailOnline that Anne embraced her unexpected fame with grace and humour.
“Anne was lovely and, luckily for her and everyone else, she had a good sense of humour,” the friend said.
“She quite enjoyed her moment of notoriety and she definitely saw the funny side.
It’s sad that she’s gone but she has left us with a memory that will always bring a smile to people’s faces.”
Anne, a mum-of-three and part-time cleaner at the shop, quickly became an overnight sensation. Within hours of the footage being shared, it had racked up millions of views and eventually surpassed 50 million across the BBC’s platforms and social media.
Speaking after the incident, Anne laughed off the ordeal.
“I was embarrassed, who wouldn’t be? But looking back I can see the funny side,” she said.
“And I’ve quite enjoyed the fame, people ask me for selfies next to the shutters.”
Recalling the moment, she added:
“People say it could happen to anyone — no, it could only happen to me.
I was just stood there when my coat got caught and up I went.
I hung on to my shopping trolley even though it was empty — I had to cling on to something.
I was hanging there like a bat. I was just hoping I didn’t fall flat on my face.”
Shop owner Amir Akram said the situation could have ended far worse.
“I was opening up the shop and I heard screaming, so I opened the door and saw legs against the window,” he explained.
“The motor’s powerful so her hand could have gotten stuck. It could have been much worse.”
Remarkably, after being helped down, Anne brushed herself off and continued her work shift as if nothing had happened.
The fame that followed became a family joke.
“My grandchildren rang to say, ‘Nan, you’re famous’. I’ll never hear the end of it,” she said.
“I’ll never lean against those shutters again.”
She even joked:
“I’m telling people that it’s the shop where the prices don’t go up but the staff do.”
Street artist Tee2Sugars later honoured Anne with a mural painted on the now-famous shutters, calling the moment “too good to pass up.” Despite her popularity, Anne declined multiple TV appearances, including an invitation for an in-person chat with presenter Kate Garraway.
When told she would be a millionaire if she earned just a penny per view, Anne simply replied:
“That’s a lot of money, but I’m happy just knowing I brought a smile to the faces of so many people.”
Anne Hughes leaves behind a legacy of laughter, resilience, and a moment of pure humanity that the internet — and her family — will never forget.