Social media caught fire when beekeeper Stathis Stivaktakis was immortalized at a farmers’ protest at Syntagma Square. The local female population swooned, but Reuters and the BBC also took notice catapulting the young Cretan to fame. On his part, Stivaktakis took the opportunity of sudden fame to point out the importance of supporting Greek agriculture and said that he was uninterested in the admiration he has received or sudden appreciation of his sex appeal.

Here he is – in the flesh – on Crete TV, the local channel, promoting Greek agriculture.

He states that he is tired of his phone ringing non-stop with pleas for interviews but he is uninterested in the spotlight preferring instead to spend time abroad.

Both Stathis and his family are flabbergasted by the dimensions that his “fame” has taken.
He says, in his musical Cretan dialogue… “I don’t want to be judged for my looks, but for my mind and soul,” he said. He calls on MPs to not vote for the agricultural measures as it would result in destroying Greek agriculture altogether. He says that a farmer’s life is a tough one and should be supported.

Asked if he would walk the catwalk if asked to, he says “Oy” – meaning “No”. He says he’s already been offered a number of modeling and TV roles but is not interested in exploiting his looks.