LIFE is grand but far from sweet for a Horsell teen who has stumbled across internet fame with his unusual talent.

Ben Reeves, 16, of Common Close, has amassed a huge online following for his videos that show him eating anything from lightbulbs and cactus pieces to the horrendous contents of the family hoover.

In one particularly gag-inducing video, the former Woking High School student even devours a tub of Vaseline.

“I was chilling with some mates one day and we were quite bored,” explains Ben, whose videos are typified by seemingly random music that plays quietly in the background, and his apparently endless collection of suits.

“Then we said ‘Let’s eat something’, and it went from there. Someone recorded it and posted it up online.”

In the three months since he started punishing his digestive tract, Ben has posted around 20 videos.

His following on the social networking site, Facebook, currently stands at more than 280,000 subscribers.

Ben said: “At first I was quite surprised with its success but after a while you start to see a steady rise. I use the music and the suits as a way to separate myself from the crowd, people associate them with the videos.”

Online promotions allow Ben to make money from his videos, but the young entrepreneur is still hungry for more, and plans to release a clothing line in the near future.

There have been obstacles in his march to success, though. Ben has run into trouble for his stomach-churning exploits, with teachers and staff at his school complaining that he is putting his safety and that of others in jeopardy.

However, this has only served to further his popularity.

Resistance has led to formation of the ‘Fight for Ben’s Freedom’ campaign, which urges followers to join together to defeat “unjustifiable evils.”

“My parents are definitely concerned,” said Ben. “But they support me as long as I’m not hurting myself.

“The only video they made me take down was the lightbulb one, and the only time I've ever been ill was when I ate chillies, which is ironic, really.

“I wouldn’t recommend copying [what’s in] the videos, as it’s not the greatest, but, you know, you only live once.

Find Ben’s videos online by searching Ben Reeves on Facebook or on YouTube.