'She won the hearts of Sunderland' - An Echo tribute to Little Nana Iris who always made us laugh

Little Nana Iris Amos, who has been described as a ‘true legend’, sadly died surrounded by her loved ones on Wednesday, April 1, aged 92.

The witty and lovable pensioner shot to stardom when her family began posting videos of her on Facebook back in 2018.

Now thousands have paid tribute to the ‘wonderful and happy soul’ as the city grieves such a saddening loss.

The 92-year-old has six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild but has been described as ‘everyone’s Nana’.

Back when she had 25,000 followers, a small fan base compared to the 175,000 people who follow the Little Nana Iris page now, Iris loved seeing her write-up on pages two and three of the Echo – with a guest appearance on page one.

And in true Nana Iris style, the then 91-year-old admitted that she may have fallen for one of the ‘two lovely blokes’ from the Echo.

In a hilarious video she made a startling confession about the photographer and reporter that visited her at home, she said: “I loved them. They were two lovely blokes.

“If I had been a few years younger I would have fell for one of them.

“They were lovely – either one would have done.”

Iris quickly became a famous face around the city and would be stopped by fans around The Bridges, and further afield, to get her selfie taken.

But it wasn’t just the people of Sunderland that Little Nana Iris would entertain, she put smiles on faces around the world and had fans as far away as Australia and America.

It’s fair to say the quick-witted East End pensioner won the hearts of Sunderland and will be sorely missed by all.

She put a smile on everyone’s face and could brighten even the dullest of days.

RIP Little Nana Iris, you are a true Sunderland legend.

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