Trent from Punchy

Trent from Punchy
Trent as seen in the original YouTube video
Created by	Anthony MacFarlane Nicholas Boshier
Portrayed by	Nicholas Boshier
Information
Nationality	Australian

Trent from Punchy is a fictional YouTube celebrity. Trent first appeared in a YouTube video entitled Trent from Punchy, in a reference to the Western Sydney suburb of Punchbowl on 1 February 2008. The video purported Trent to be a real character, who was found by filmmakers at Punchbowl railway station and offered $20 in order to be interviewed on camera. Trent's antics and language gained notoriety, enabling the video to become a viral sensation.

The video was later revealed to have been staged, with Trent found to be fictional character portrayed by actor and comedian Nicholas Boshier, though additional videos starring Boshier in character as Trent continued to be made. As of March 2017 the original video had 8.1 million views on YouTube.

The video begins with text on the screen stating that the interview is with an actual kid "found at punchbowl train station" who was paid $20 for the interview. The interview, which makes frequent use of jump cuts, then begins with Trent talking about various topics including his birth, recreational drug use, Punchbowl, his 'best mate' Kev, how "so many birds" are after him and his mother who works as a prostitute. Trent is seen wearing a collared shirt and shorts, and sports a mullet haircut. Trent was noted for his catchlines which included "just fuckin' relax, ay!" and outrageous comments, including "girls are bitches, they're like stitches, you pull them out and then they open up."

Trent's antics and language in the original video helped it become a viral sensation, and the character of Trent gathered a cult following. The video had over 2 million views by May 2009. Capitalising on the video's success, the filmmakers created a store selling merchandise related to the character, which sold over $1000 worth of products in its first week, and also created a website for users to post 'sightings' of Trent. As well as claimed sighting of Trent, numerous fan videos, unauthorised remixes and dubious interviews with Trent's best friend Kev were released by various people on YouTube. These responses have been credited as an example of a "de facto viral marketing campaign", generating additional attention for the original video. A second official interview with Trent was released in September 2008.