Cath Bowie, 78, discovered Fortnite after watching her grandson play and now streams to a community of more than 24,000 followers
Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2027
A 78-year-old “grumpy grandmother” from Aberdeen has been recognised as the world’s oldest female Fortnite streamer on Twitch by the Guinness World Records.
Cath Bowie, better known online as grumpygran1948 has played the game since 2017 and built a community of more than 24,000 followers.
She began playing almost by accident when she walked into her then 17-year-old grandson’s room and became intrigued by the game on his screen.
She had previously tried the football and car games he enjoyed without much success. But with Fortnite, something clicked.
“I had at last found a game for me,” Cath said. “Although I have tried several other games, I have never found the excitement that I get from Fortnite. I call myself a Fortniter more than a gamer.”
After initially playing on her grandson’s console, Cath eventually bought her own and decided she wanted to try streaming.
Her grandson wasn’t convinced anyone would watch his grandmother play.
Guinness World Records Gamers Edition 2027
She added: “As a young guy, he just couldn’t believe that his grandma would do such a thing and suggested that nobody would join me or watch me.
“Saying that was like a red rag to a bull to me. I would show him that I could do it. 24,000-plus followers later, and he doesn’t mention it. I wonder why?”
Today, Cath regularly streams Fortnite as grumpygran1948, a name chosen by her granddaughter despite Cath insisting she “doesn’t grump”.
She says gaming is as much about community and challenging herself as winning.
“I love the community. I love talking to people. I chat all the time, and I just love the whole atmosphere,” she said. “I love the challenge that it gives me, and I’m afraid I play it every day.”
Reflecting on becoming a Guinness World Records title holder, she said: “To be a Guinness World Records title holder means so much to me personally, and it’s such a wonderful thing to be able to share with my supportive community.
“At 78, I grew up receiving the book as a Christmas present, and it would never have occurred to me that one day I would open one of its pages and see myself.
“Even as I progressed over the years in gaming, being recognised as an older female player and streamer in Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2027 always felt like a distant goal – something on my wish list that I never really thought I would achieve.
“So to have achieved this honour means a great deal. I’m incredibly thankful to my wonderful family, who have encouraged me throughout the last nine years of playing, and to the many friends I’ve played with along the way.”
Having turned 78 on September 1, 2026, Cath’s message for anyone who thinks they might be too old to pick up a controller is: “Never let anyone tell you that you’re too old. You are never too old to start gaming. Do it.”
She is one of the record-breaking gamers celebrated in Gamer’s Edition 2027 of the Guinness World Records.
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- Aberdeen City
