The Real Voice of TikTok Finally Unmasked as Kat Callaghan

If you've ever spent any time on TikTok, it's likely you've heard her talk.

Kat Callaghan's viral video has revealed that she is the real voice of TikTok's text-to-speech (TTS) feature.

Callaghan told Newsweek: "It's been absolutely wild being the voice on TikTok. I started in radio and then started my own voiceover company in 2015. Since then I've been a part of all kinds of really cool projects—this one is certainly a highlight for me of course."

Voiceover artist, radio presenter and podcaster Callaghan has been batting off rumors that she is the video-sharing app's famous voice for a long time—receiving frequently DMs asking if it is her.

TikTok's TTS feature is an accessibility feature that allows video creators to add an automated voice to read on-screen captions out loud. Frequently used in place of recording your own voiceover, it is a popular favorite for both accessibility and entertainment on the app.

Despite being at the center of thousands of videos on the popular app, Callaghan had never actually posted herself. But in a video posted on October 19 that has since received over 42 million views, she said: "Finally I can tell you guys, it is me."

"I love what I do and I love that others are inspired to share my voice," said Callaghan. "Since going public people have actually thanked me for being on the platform because they don't like using their own voice for some reason—which I'd still encourage people to do—but it's just an awesome feeling."

In just a few weeks, her account @voiceofkat has gained over 530,000 followers as people react to being able to put a face to the famous voice.

"Finally the voice matches the face in my brain," said one reply to the viral video, while another said: "This is amazing."

In a later video, Callaghan used her iconic voice to joke: "Sometimes you guys make me say some pretty horrendous things. It's pretty messed up, but I kind of think it's funny. I don't mind at all."

"I've made you say some crazyyyyyyy things," laughed one commenter, while another TikTok user said: "I thought the voice was a computer."

"To be honest when I was first going live on the platform—my voice anyway—nobody knew who I was and I kind of liked the anonymity of that at the time because people were unsure if they liked my voice," said Callaghan. "It was very different to a lot of other TTS voice services who are very monotone. My voice was a lot more peppy and upbeat—we'll put it that way."

"It feels like we know you so well," said another delighted TikToker.

She isn't the first well-known voice to reveal her identity either. In 2013, voice actor Susan Bennett revealed to CNN that she was the voice of the American Apple assistant Siri.

Bennett revealed that she spent more than four hours a day in a home recording booth in 2005 capturing phrases and sentences, but she wasn't even aware that the recordings were used for the voice of the Apple assistant until a friend emailed her about it in 2011.

Since revealing her identity to the masses, Callaghan is even giving fans of her voice the opportunity to gift their own message on Cameo for $40.

"I'm grateful to those who decide to use it and so incredibly grateful to the positivity i've received since i've gone public," she said.

"I got to a point where I realized my voice was everywhere, people were using it so they must not hate it too much," she added.

UPDATE: 11/09/22 02:35 a.m. This story was updated with comment from Kat Callaghan.