By Reiham Amin.
TikTok sensation, Dalia Cromwell, commonly known as @the.extra.girl on social media; opens up about how being the passenger princess in her sister’s convertible, was a stepping stone for her now viral videos on TikTok.
“I was dating someone and he was being trash, and my sister got a convertible at the time, and I was in the car taking a video of myself on TikTok. After I had filmed the video, I started to rant about how much I hated this man and how much I wanted to focus on myself and placed that into a readable quote. I posted that video and then it just blew up. I was so shocked to see that everyone felt the same way as me”
Ever since, the extra girl became this boss babe that was a sister for everyone going through that journey of self-love after a heartbreak, and is now this spokeswoman for self-confidence, and teaching other women how to be that girl.
Cromwell admits that she knew she was going to make it one day, and reminded us that “you are only one piece of content away from something happening – so never give up”.
“In school I got really badly bullied. The kids used to tease me about my weight or how I spoke. There would be times I wouldn’t want to eat lunch in the school dining area so I would go eat in the toilets.”
However, we’re all dying to know: who is the extra girl and where did she come from?
“When I was younger, I was very extra with my clothing and sense of fashion which got a very negative reaction from my classmates. So, in order to kind of stop this mindset of me feeling bad about myself or down in anyway, I told myself that I am going to become the most extra person that I am ever going to become. I pushed myself until I made that extra girl become my comfort zone. If people would stare or laugh at me on the street, I know that they were never laughing at Dalia Cromwell, they’re laughing at this alter ego (@the.extra.girl) that I have made. So, I turned myself into this character that I have always wanted to be – a celebrity.”
Her alter ego allowed Cromwell to forget about the bulling which she was experiencing at such a young age. She quickly developed an ‘I don’t care mentality’ which she achieved through the extra girl. Now she teaches other women how to they too can develop the same mentality.
The extra girl’s popularity grew on all social platforms as her vulnerability on the internet was relatable for all. On the 5th September 2021, Cromwell uploaded a video on YouTube titled: Goodbye. Where she comfortably spoke about a ‘situation-ship’ she had been in, and discussed the lessons she learnt from it after it ended. In this 10-minute video she displayed raw emotions, with people commenting how they understand exactly how she feels and some showing support.
When questioned about her vulnerability on the internet Dalia Cromwell hit us back by saying, “why (as a society) are we afraid to show emotion?”
However, sometimes being vulnerable on the internet can do more harm than good.
“While I was helping millions of people through the extra girl, I was actually really hurting myself. For the sake of feeling things, I needed to feel to make content. I needed to feel more hurt in order to make and create things”
Dalia Cromwell really is the Hannah Montana of this generation. When dealing with her problems, she faces this battle in her head where she begins to debate with herself, who will respond to her sadness; the extra girl or Dalia Cromwell? Regardless of having this debate, she constantly reminds herself that it is okay to not always be that Boss Babe when going through it; and that actually every one, even celebrities have those days where they need to just allow themselves to feel whatever they need to feel.
A broken heart fuelled her career, but what is on the cards for Dalia Cromwell’s love life?
“I’ll be honest, I don’t date. I really hate dating apps. I want to meet someone in Starbucks or in the library – I want that fairy-tale romance. Unfortunately, it has not happened yet. I really do think the person that you date should be an extension of yourself. I don’t think I am at that place in my life for a relationship, right now I am focussing on my career.”
Even though her content is mainly focused on those heartbroken souls and that journey of appreciation of oneself, Cromwell is also dipping her toes into the acting industry and spills that an acting project that she has been working on will be released at the end of this year. She has also been teasing on her Instagram of her podcast, The confessions of the extra girl, that will be available to listen to this September on all streaming platforms.
What would be your advice to your younger self?
“Never attach yourself to a person, company or anything! Everything is temporary, go with the flow. You will find your feet, but you need to feel and appreciate the wave and the journey that you will go on. Keep working hard because you will find yourself”
