A viral social media sensation has officially been transformed into a world record. Flexible performer Liberty Barros and living statue Valentin Ursu, both from the UK, have collaborated to set a Guinness World Record for the longest handstand on a person performing a levitation trick.
The duo, who amassed millions of views on Instagram with a humorous video in London’s Trafalgar Square, successfully completed their official record attempt on July 9, 2025, at the Guinness World Records headquarters. Their record-breaking time of 1 minute and 29.35 seconds nearly tripled the minimum time required for the record.
The successful attempt was inspired by their viral video where Barros, in an incredible feat of contortion, bent herself into a chair-like position on Ursu’s plinth. In a moment of physical comedy, she then cheekily rolled away as Ursu, who is legally blind, “floated” in the air, maintaining his levitation trick.
For the official record, Barros had to balance in a handstand with her hands placed on Ursu’s knees while he maintained his floating illusion. The impressive display of strength, balance, and trust highlighted the unique synergy between the two performers.
“As soon as we met, to be honest, the main thing was we really connected as people,” Barros said. “We fully knew we could create some amazing things together, amazing performances.”
The record is a testament to the power of their collaboration and the creative spirit that thrives on social media. With this new title under their belts, Barros and Ursu say they are already working on new concepts and hope to return to break more records in the future.
