In 2009, Jyoti Amge from India first entered the record books as the world’s shortest teenager. For the past 12 years, she’s been the shortest woman living.
Jyoti is just 62.8 cm (24.7 in) tall, meaning she’s shorter than an average two-year-old.
Now aged 29, Jyoti has achieved a lot in life, and she’s used to being in front of the camera.
She recently appeared on our televised talent show Lo Show Dei Record, where we caught up with her backstage and gave her the chance to go behind the camera for the first time, as you’ll see in this video…
Jyoti has a genetic disorder called primordial dwarfism, meaning she will not grow any taller than she is now.
According to her mother, Ranjana, Jyoti was an average-sized child until the age of five. She was still able to attend school; however, she required a custom-made desk and chair.
Additionally, all of the plates, cups, knives, and forks that she uses at home are custom-made, as are all her clothes and jewellery.
Despite her tiny stature, Jyoti is not the shortest woman ever; that title belongs to “Princess” Pauline Musters (Netherlands; 1876–1895), who measured just 59 cm (23.2 in).
Being the current shortest woman has turned Jyoti into a global star. She has appeared on many Guinness World Records TV shows throughout the years, from Italy to Turkey and beyond.
Her biggest TV role to date came in 2014 when she played Ma Petite on season four of American Horror Story. Jyoti fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an actress and earned another Guinness World Records title as the world’s shortest actress.
Jyoti also fulfilled another of her childhood dreams when she visited London.
She wanted to “see the different world there” and was able to do so in 2012 when she was brought together with the world’s shortest man ever, Chandra Bahadur Dangi (Nepal; 1939–2015), who measured 54.6 cm (21.5 in).
This was Jyoti’s first time standing next to an adult shorter than herself!
“When I met the shortest man in the world and got to know him, I felt very happy,” Jyoti said. “I felt more included and more satisfied that there was somebody like me too.”
Six years later, in 2018, Jyoti, the shortest teenager, met the world’s tallest man living in Egypt.
Sultan Kösen (Türkiye) is 251 cm (8 ft 2.8 in) tall—four times taller than Jyoti. Sultan’s feet alone are longer than Jyoti’s height.
Recalling her experiences with Sultan and Chandra, Jyoti said, “I never knew people could be so oddly different. After meeting them, I felt happy that there were others like me too.”
When she’s not jet-setting for TV appearances or media events, Jyoti likes to spend time with her family and record videos for her TikTok channel.
Jyoti, the shortest teenager, is an inspiring figure for many little people around the world, as she’s proved that being small doesn’t stop you from achieving big things. We can’t wait to see what she does next!
