PinkPantheress forever! Here’s your guide to her real name and the life behind the pop star

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but PinkPantheress is absolutely everywhere right now. Like, yeah – she’s been popular since her big breakthrough in 2021 – but with the release of her latest record Fancy That the legendary PP is dominating every platform I scroll on. Obviously I can’t stop spinning the mixtape because it feels like the most thoughtful love letter to British music of the 00s I’ve heard in ages, but also because she’s so hilarious that her own social media content is killing me off too. Like, what do you mean I just watched PinkPantheress correctly name and identify five niche bugs in a TikTok? What do you mean I just watched a girl go and meet her at a record signing and pass her the letters from the flat she must have used to live in that the girl lives in now? It’s chaos, but it’s correct. But who is the woman behind the icon – here’s what you need to know about PinkPantheress including her early life and her real name.

Yeah, spoiler alert – PinkPantheress isn’t the name she was born with. Shocker, I know.

All hail ar Vicky!

@pinkpantheress i’m really glad to meet you babe #newmusic #pinkpantheress #fancythat ♬ original sound – 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐘

Most Read

Paul is apparently dating someone after MAFS Australia and erm, you might recognise her

A deep dive into Carina Mirabile’s many, many attempts at fame before MAFS Australia

The creepy real reason Netflix removed this Black Mirror episode over the weekend

Before she was known as PinkPantheress, she was just Victoria Beverley Walker a girl growing up in Kent, England, with a love for music and a flair for being a bit of a queen. Born in Bath in 2001, she moved to Canterbury when she was five, raised by her Kenyan mother (a carer) and her English dad (a stats professor). When she was 12, her father moved to America, leaving her and her mum to navigate life on their own in England.

Her musical journey started in her teenage bedroom but not before a brief stint as a rock star. At 14, she was the lead singer of a school band covering emo royalty like My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Green Day. Honestly, if you listen to her music it just makes a lot of sense – lead single Tonight from Fancy That samples Panic At The Disco strings, for example. She later taught herself how to produce using GarageBand, layering vocals over jungle and garage beats she’d dig up online.

She didn’t originally plan to go fully into music. She enrolled at the University of the Arts London to study film, figuring it was a safer career path. But her heart was still in making music, and she began quietly uploading her songs to TikTok and SoundCloud. Spoiler alert: it paid off. Her short, mysterious tracks caught fire online — and soon, everyone wanted to know who the girl behind the lo-fi garage beats was.

PinkPantheress has said music was “the most pivotal part” of her teen years, shaping how she saw herself and connected with others. That early blend of solitude, internet culture, and DIY creativity helped her develop a totally unique sound.

How she got the name PinkPantheress

@pinkpantheress this has yet to happen, i signed my name and their name but sometimes i would leave a little doodle idk lol #pinkpantheress #newmusic ♬ Noises – PinkPantheress

PinkPantheress literally chose that name as her TikTok username, inspired by the classic Pink Panther character and her love for mysterious, femme energy – and it stuck. During her early rise, she kept her identity completely under wraps, refusing to show her face in videos or reveal much about her personal life. The anonymity only added to the intrigue.

Fans became obsessed with piecing together who she was, while she was just vibing, uploading 60-second snippets to TikTok from her bedroom, never expecting them to blow up. It wasn’t about fame — it was about the music, the mood, and the mystery.

Eventually, PinkPantheress revealed her real name and stepped out of the anonymity. She’s said in interviews that she didn’t want people to focus on her looks or her personal life early on, just the music. But as the fanbase grew and the industry started calling, she realised that letting people actually see her could help connect more deeply with her audience. Also, it wouldn’t be ideal for playing for festivals.

Now she’s known for the most British visuals ever and I bloody LOVE her for it. Now I beg you to stream Fancy Thatfor good health and happiness.

Nothing but respect for MY queen Victoria.

For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook.