‘Usually, the longer I spend on something, the fewer people watch it’ … Chris with one of his creations and kitten Henry. Photograph: Sarah Lee/the Guardian View image in fullscreen ‘Usually, the longer I spend on something, the fewer people watch it’ … Chris with one of his creations and kitten Henry. Photograph: Sarah Lee/the Guardian Culture Interview ‘It’s frustrating to see immoral videos do so well’: how YouTube sensation Half-Asleep Chris sent a rollercoaster to space and made Bella the cat a star Catherine Shoard His videos of cats, loopy contraptions and theme park rides round the heavens (and his back garden) have notched up a billion views. We meet Chris Burton in the suburban home where it all happens
Thu 1 Oct 2026 05.00 BST Last modified on Wed 7 Oct 2026 16.15 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google C hris Burton is getting ready to redecorate his house. The first reason for this is quite sad. His beloved cat Bella died recently, aged 17, and the indignities of old age mean a new carpet is in order. The other reason is that Burton, AKA Half-Asleep Chris, is turning his dining room into a re-creation of London’s Rainforest Cafe (also RIP – it closed in 2023). There will be temple walls and a talking tree, a fish tank and fronds. Thunderstorms every 20 minutes
He’s doing most of the work himself, he explains, as we edge past an 8ft fibreglass tapir in the hall