Talent, kindness, acceptance, infinite love
Those are just a few of the reasons why fans love Frankie Grande.
Although he is mostly known for his roles on Broadway, his appearance on the 16th season of Big Brother, and being the host of Style Code Live, Frankie Grande has made sure that his fans know him for his heart. The 34-year-old has used his platform to make the world a better place. His philanthropic work includes co-founding the non-profit arts organization “Broadway in South Africa” and work for buildOn.
We have asked Frankie’s fans, the Grandtourage, why they love him so much, and the answers we received were nothing short of incredible.
Heleena, 32, Cincinnati, United States: There are so many reasons to love Frankie Grande. He’s brilliant, hilarious and just all around entertaining. He’s one of those people who light up every room he’s in – trust me, I’ve seen it happen. But more than all of that, I love him because of all the ways he encourages people – not just to do good in the world (though he does plenty of that), but just to be true to yourself, to be authentic and to not let anyone tie your worth into anything you don’t want it tied to. I try every day to be better to myself, to love and forgive myself and to appreciate me – just because I know that’s what he wants for everyone. And he leads by example, which is the best part. I’m actually a better fan of myself because of being a fan of his.
Esther, 21, Dominican Republic: I love Frankie Grande because he is unapologetically himself, and always tries to have a smile on his face as well as put a smile on other people’s face.
Macarena, 25, Chile/United States: I love Frankie not only because I find him to be funny and entertaining, but also because he taught me to love myself, work hard, and take chances. After failing many classes in college, I had no motivation to continue my education. I went through a miserable stage where I felt both worthless and shameful. When Frankie was introduced into my life, I was presented with a man who was exactly the opposite of me in many ways: he can make people laugh, he can dance, he can sing, he can triple major in college and still get perfect grades, he can live life to the fullest and not be afraid of being his true self, and so much more. As for me, I shied away from others, resisted change, and never wanted to step out of my comfort zone. It was Frankie’s ambitious, positive attitude that helped me want to make a better life for myself. He motivated me to continue my schooling, even going as far as joining an international program, and also to work to achieve far beyond what I thought I was capable of. His love for his family encouraged me to reunite with my father, his confidence inspired me to not care what others thought of me, and his pure heart made me realize that I mattered and had a purpose. If it wasn’t for Frankie, I couldn’t imagine how my life would be right now.
Stacey, 26, Belfast, Northern Ireland: I love Frankie Grande because he is very entertaining always puts a smile on my face. He is fun to watch love him on style code live. He is the reason I watch the show best host ever. Most caring person ever.
Lisa, New York, United States: I love that shining bright isn’t just a motto for Frankie. It really is a way of life. No matter what he’s doing, no matter what the circumstances, he brings his bright spirit to it. And it spreads to the people around him, and they shine brightly too. It’s awesome that Frankie has so many young fans. They see him rise above any negativity he faces and find ways to stay positive. Which helps them know they can do it, too. That when people try to stop them, or stand in their way, or throw shade, they can shine just as brightly as he does. So, shine bright like a Frankie!
Kylie, 22, California, United States: I love Frankie Grande because he is a beacon of light. During one of the toughest times of my life, he showed me what it meant to live for love and taught me how to choose happiness during my darkest times. My first and so far only tattoo is words given to me by him at a time when I didn’t know how I was going to get through the night: “Happiness is a choice… choose it!” written in his handwriting. Although it sounds simple, those words, especially in written form on my wrist, have given me a boost a number of times when my depression and anxiety try to hold me down. Another reason I love Frankie is because he helped me to not be afraid to be myself and to never give up on my dreams. Because of him and his words of encouragement for me to pursue what I love, I continued to go after my dream of video editing. I now intern for a production company while also doing freelance editing on the side. I guess what I love most about Frankie is he acknowledges the humanity of his fans. He is willing to go out of his way to bring a smile to our faces, even privately, and he deeply cares for, loves, and appreciates everyone who supports him. He’s there for me daily as an example of love and happiness, even if it’s simply through his posts on Snapchat. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for him.
Stephanie, 41, Las Vegas, United States: There are countless reasons to love Frankie; his willingness to always take time for his fans, his beautiful heart that gives of himself, whether it’s building schools for children in other countries with no access to education or giving back to his Broadway community,
or simply the joy he spreads through his Snapchat stories and social media platforms. Yes, I love him for these reasons, but more personally Frankie changed my life on a much deeper level. There was a dark time in my life when I was younger and art was an escape for me. As I got older I turned my back on something I once loved because of the negative associations I had with it… until Frankie. Being able to create art for him in so many different mediums out of my love and joy for him, gave me back a piece of myself and let me express myself, through celebrating him. He taught me that people can only hurt you if you let them, that happiness is a choice and you only have to choose it, and shining bright like a Frankie really is a beautiful way to live.
Deanna Arsenault, 43, Canada: I was first impressed with Frankie’s fierce determination & charm on Big Brother 16, but It wasn’t until I saw him outside the house that I fell in love with his spirit. A lot of people espouse a mantra of positivity, but few actually live and breathe it like Frankie Grande. He shows me and his fans every single day how to rise above negativity and ‘shine bright’. He’s not perfect, but his fans learn and grow with him and that’s a give and take that we don’t get with many celebrities. Above everything, he gives attention and love to his fans aka ‘Grandtourage’ and we feel as valued to him as he is to us. Which makes for a lasting embrace.
Maria, 21, Portugal: I love that he’s very family oriented. He loves his family more than anything. He goes to Florida every month to visit his nonna and supports Ariana in everything. He’s also a great friend which is why he has so many people who love him. Everyone he meets, everyone he works with is charmed. I love that he speaks up about LGBT issues and how he participated in the women’s march, how he gets involved with charity organizations. I love that he defies gender norms, he’s proud to wear makeup, and he’s Flamboyant, but he’s also super athletic… And I love watching him on Style Code Live because he’s very entertaining and fashionable. When he was on TV I could only watch clips on YouTube because it didn’t air in Portugal, but SCL is on amazon, so it streams internationally which is awesome.
Michael, 27, Canada: I love how he dominated Big Brother winning 9 competitions, he represented the LGBT community so well. I love his positive energy, he spreads happiness because he has an infectious joyful personality, just seeing a tweet or Instagram post or a Snapchat will make me smile even ifI’mm having a bad day. He never puts people down, he’s never in tabloids because of drama or scandals. He’s unlike any celebrity. He could just ride Ariana’s fame but he doesn’t, he works hard because he loves to entertain, whether on broadway, TV or the internet. He just wants to make the world a little lighter and he does for me.
Kristy, United States: According to me, Frankie is;
- Extremely intelligent
- Very quick-witted, on both humorous and serious subjects
- Lives in the moment seems to make the most of everything he’s involved in
- Comfortable in his own skin, being who he is and sharing himself with us
- Always encourages love and positivity
- So, so, so funny and talented
- Very multifaceted, doesn’t limit who he is in order to maintain some sort of image
- Appreciates and shares his enthusiasm for the small things in every day
- Lives life with joy
- Has a strong moral compass, can be outspoken in his beliefs
- Brings to light and supports many charities
- Encourages everyone to be themselves, love themselves
- When you meet him he focuses on you for the moments you’re with him (plus gives great hugs)
- He is GORGEOUS and his confidence is so beautiful
Some things, such as core values, I feel we are very much in line with each other. And many of his other traits are areas that I admire SO much and would like to be more like myself.
Louise, 25, United States: I love Frankie because of his incredibly positive energy and fearless nature. He’s always himself and he makes no apologies. He lives life to the fullest. And he’s fun to follow, he’s always doing interesting things and he’s very funny and very sweet.
Aliya, 14, Canada: About 3 years ago a beautiful ray of sunshine (Frankie) came into my life. I’ve never had so much love and pride for someone as I have for him. Every day he reminds me of what I can accomplish as an individual and he inspires me to be as optimistic as him. He brings so much positivity and joy into everyone’s life and just has so much love to spread. I’m probably the luckiest person alive because I actually won a shopping spree with him and that was hands down, the best day of my life. 
Being able to physically see and talk to your favourite person in the entire world is such an incredible thing let alone go shopping with them!
I remember seeing him for the first time and just freezing up, he was so energetic and loving and just everything anyone could ask for a human to be. He gave me a hug and the warmest, most loving full feeling I’ve ever felt filled my body, it was like, “hey, here’s a big hug from the biggest ball of sunshine”. I’ve never felt so happy in my life, his positive attitude is contagious! He’s beyond generous and kind, giving back any chance he gets. Frankie’s the most beautiful person, inside and out that I’ve ever met and I can’t emphasize enough how much love I have for him! He will forever be my role model and idol, and every day I strive to be just like him.