# Don't Leave Me Challenge

> A Nigerian pun sketch became a challenge with 197,279 reported Instagram hashtag posts.

- Owner: Josh Alfred (Josh2funny)
- Kind: Meme & format
- Sector: Entertainment
- Seed date: 2020-03-24
- Peak date: Jun 2020
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 56 (Notable, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Remixable template, Challenge, Creator relay, Platform jump, Press loop

## Summary

Josh2funny posted a pun sketch in March. TikTok creators repeated its joke-and-chase format in June; Twitter users made text versions and YouTube creators reacted. He released a single and remix, while Trophy adapted the format with its ambassador Falz.

## Timeline

- 2020-03-24 — Josh2funny (Instagram) — Josh2funny posted a sketch using leaves to make puns on “leave”.
- Jun 2020 — Challenge participants (TikTok) — The format broke out in June, the month TikTok later included it among its leading trends.
- 2020-06-03 — @ballermac (TikTok) — @ballermac posted Balenciaga and Armani puns, then ran away while the camera operator shouted.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/dont-leave-me-challenge

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Don't Leave Me Challenge.” Case HIS-00125. Spread Score v1.2: 56/100. Updated 2026-10-13. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00125