Julie Mango named social media ambassador for Jamaica 60

The year-long commemoration of Jamaica's Diamond Jubilee, Jamaica 60, in 2022, is all set to be as sweet as the much-loved Julie mango.

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Culture Ministry, has announced that popular social media influencer, Juliet Bodley, aka Julie Mango, has signed on to be an official Social Media Ambassador for Jamaica 60. Julie Mango, simply put, is overwhelmed.

"I'm just giving her two minutes to catch her breath," her manager, Mark Tracey, told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Bodley admitted that she was "frightened, nervous and at a loss for words" and joked that her manager didn't want her to be quite so candid.

"She is really honoured," Tracey interjected quickly. "It is an amazing accomplishment." Laughing and taking her cue, Bodley agreed, adding, "It is a big role and I am really excited to do it. I am really pumped up and looking forward to making the minister and Jamaica proud."

According to Bodley, things were set in motion when an official reached out to her enquiring about her rates.

"From she seh Jamaica 60 and JCDC mi get frighten. I said I would set up a three-way call with my manager and we spoke to some bigwigs at the ministry and right now I am just exhilarated. When I started doing my little Bible stories and skits, I had no idea that this would be my journey," she said.

Bodley, whose popularity has soared in the past year, has more than 300,000 followers on TikTok and 90,000 on Instagram. She is known for her comedic videos depicting everyday Jamaican life. On a recent visit, she was recognised from the US airport all the way to Jamaica, and she shared that it is now almost impossible for her to go incognito.

"Right now I am in Missouri and I went to Wal-Mart in my nightgown and someone came up to me and said 'Hey, are you that Julie girl on Tik Tok?'" she shared, still baffled.

Culture Minister Olivia Grange stated in a release that Bodley's videos show true aspects of "our Jamaican-ness", that all Jamaicans can resonate with.

"This is what influenced our decision to engage her as one of our key social media ambassadors," Grange said. The first video to highlight the Diamond Jubilee celebrations was posted on Bodley's social media platforms on Thursday afternoon.