A server is going viral on TikTok for sharing the way she deals with her intense phobia of ketchup on the job, leaving viewers equal parts baffled and intrigued.
There are a slew of very specific phobias that exist, but a fear of ketchup probably isn’t one that immediately comes to mind.
It’s called ‘mortuusequusphobia,’ and TikTok user Alexandria Govan suffers from it — so much so that she literally gags when she has to handle the condiment at her job as a waitress.
In a video posted on September 28, 23-year-old Govan showed herself pouring ketchup into reusable bottles, struggling against her gag reflex as she looked away from the red sauce.
Govan says she’s struggled with her phobia since she was 12 years old after her sister used ketchup in a prank, as told in an interview with Jam Press.
“I developed a fear of ketchup after my sister sprayed a bottle of it on me,” she explained. “The smell, even the color, makes me shiver.”
In fact, Govan claims that she even flinches when customers squeeze ketchup out of bottles at the restaurant where she works… but ketchup isn’t the only condiment she can’t stand.
The TikToker also has issues with other sauces like mayonnaise, but nothing gives her the ‘ick’ quite like ketchup.
Surprisingly, several commenters found themselves sympathizing with Govan, saying that they, too, also suffer from mortuusequusphobia.
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“Genuinely thought I was the only person in the world with a fear of ketchup,” one user wrote.
“I don’t know if it’s just me, but I think I am ketchupaphobe, because my soul cannot bear when ketchup touches my skin,” another said.
“I didn’t know anyone else had an irrational disgust with ketchup,” yet another admitted.
While it’s unknown exactly how many people suffer from mortuusequusphobia, several folks have spoken out about their experiences with the condition, including one user on Reddit who says it’s less of an actual fear of the sauce attacking them and more of an inescapable disgust.
“If you think that I’m afraid that it will attack me, then no, unfortunately, lmao,” they wrote in an AMA. “I just really don’t like being close to it, I gag when people eat it near me, the smell makes me throw up, looking at it makes me gag again, but what makes me afraid about it, I’m not sure.”
Govan’s video has racked up over eight million views in less than a month as more commenters pour in wondering how she’s able to manage her job with such an intense phobia — but this isn’t the first time that the condiment has sparked a viral conversation.
In February 2024, a server took over TikTok after expressing confusion toward customers who request ketchup with their Chinese food, leading to a heated debate across social media.
