Cretan beekeeper Stathis Stivaktakis has inspired memes, trolls and even reputable international media outlets since fame was flung upon him during a farmers’ rally outside Greek Parliament on Thursday, November 19. Since then he has gone viral! Reluctant to speak, the whole of Greece was given a rare treat during TV host Themos Anastasiadis’ popular talk show, “OLA Proti Fora” on private ANT1.

The beekeeper from Vorizia, Herakleion, Crete, confessed that he did not in any way prompt or provoke the frenzy that has broken loose after his appearance at the rally. Just an ordinary man, he feels most content when toiling the Cretan soil and being one with the place of his roots. The very expression of Cretan pride, he speaks of his place of origin and ancestors with reverance especially regarding their battles against Germans and Turks. And no, he would not trade that in for an international modeling career!

Flabbergasted by the sudden fame, he had believed that it would quickly fizzle out so that his family can finally be left in peace. The opposite, however, has been the case. He told Anastasiadis and model/co-presenter Doukissa Nomikou that he has had to deal with hundreds of calls on a daily basis and his Facebook account has caught fire as he is inundated by thousands of admirers per day! He admits, however, that the admiration of the female population has not left him indifferent. He is a man, after all, and a Cretan at that!