Twitter users mourn their blue ticks after Elon Musk removes legacy checkmarks
By Lottie Kilraine, Multimedia Producer
Legacy blue ticks have been removed from Twitter as the social media site continues its push to drive more people towards signing up for Twitter Blue.
Twitter Verified tweeted that legacy verified checkmarks would be removed from the site on April 20, with the main way of getting a blue tick being to sign up for Twitter Blue, with an £8 monthly fee for those based in the UK.
The legacy checkmarks began disappearing towards the end of Thursday.
Many users losing their ticks mourned the occasion with the hashtag #BlueTick trending overnight, and some tweeting “my blue tick has passed away” and “RIP to my blue tick”.
Who has lost their tick?
Some of the biggest accounts losing their ticks included those of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, singer Beyonce, and the official Twitter page for the pope.
The official account for Prince and Princess of Wales have lost their blue tick, however the official account for the royal family, predominantly representing the King and the Queen Consort, has a silver verified tick.
Big-names in the US including Lady Gaga, Jlo, Kim Kardashian, and Oprah Winfrey have also lost their ticks.
Other accounts to have lost their checkmark included the former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, former health secretary Matt Hancock, and former US president Donald Trump.
Comedian Ricky Gervais mourned the loss of his blue tick by tweeting: “My blue tick has gone. I’m not sure if I’m really me or not.”
Comedian and presenter Richard Osman tweeted: “Farewell blue tick, old friend. Don’t forget, always set your feed to ‘Following’ rather than ‘For You’.
“Then you’ll keep seeing the people you actually follow, and not people who’ve paid for attention.”
Radio and television presenter Greg James bid farewell to his blue tick by referencing Twitter owner Elon Musk's failed rocket launch.
Musk's SpaceX Starship – the biggest and most powerful space rocket ever developed - exploded just minutes after blasting off from its launch pad in the US state of Texas on Thursday.
James' tweet, which recieved over 10,000 likes, read: "I lost my blue tick but your rocket blew up so who’s the real loser."
Meanwhile, TV chef Ainsley Harriott warned his followers to be cautious of scammers using paid-for verified ticks.
The presenter tweeted: “Well, farewell legacy blue tick. At least it did let people know it was my verified account so this is just to say please be careful of any fake accounts and potential scams.”
In the pinned tweet, he told people to “have a happy evening everyone – with or without your tick”.
Who has paid to keep their tick?
One of the most famous profiles with a blue tick because it is “subscribed to Twitter Blue” is Taylor Swift’s, which has 92.5 million followers.
Former secretary of state Nadine Dorries, who now works for Talk TV, has retained her blue tick because her account is “subscribed to Twitter Blue”.
The Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker, and Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis have also kept their blue ticks, with both presenters' profiles stating that their accounts subscribe to Twitter Blue.
It has also been revealed that Musk is ‘personally paying’ the Twitter Blue subscriptions of some celebrities to keep their checkmark, such as Lebron James and Stephen King.
Some Twitter users now have a silver tick next to their accounts, which highlight that it is verified because “it is a government or multilateral organisation account”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer are among those with the new checkmarks.
Former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss also have a silver tick beside their Twitter usernames.
However, former prime ministers David Cameron and Gordon Brown have been left tick-less, as has former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
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