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This video is one of Zoella's first Youtube videos which is a very simple idea of showing viewers what she has bought from a normal and money-friendly shop. This introduces her as a girl we can all relate to as this shows an authentic, girl-next-door image. As she is just sat in her bedroom, this creates an ordinary girl image which can help build a para-social relationship with viewers.

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This blog post is the first that Zoella ever made where she is reviewing products from lush, I am not fully able to access the whole content of this blog post but it is clear to see her ordinary girl star persona shine through. The informal and chatty tone of the title allows for her audience (young females) to relate to her and therefore build a form of trust and comfort. as with her early videos, reviewing affordable brands helps build a strong foundation for a relationship with viewers.

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Okay, so for Valentines day, My boyfriend also bought me these two things from Lush..We have...
Heavanilli Massage Bar - This smells SO good, My bedroom is benefitting from that! Lush describes this as “Sweet delicious Vanilla Fountain fragrance - tonka bean, jasmine and heaps of vanilla absolute” I

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Fan comment from 'Haul: Makeup & Car Booting' (Zoella, 2011)

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This comment is from a original fan of Zoella as it is from one of her first videos. The comment shows this para-social relationship as it has a very casual conversational tone where they are asking Zoe for coat ideas, and expecting the chance of a response. However, we can see the beginning of a aspirational persona for Zoe as the comment talks about the fans love for her fashion and style. This shows that at this time Zoe was still seen as an ordinary girl but also a role model figure.

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Comment from Zoella from 'Haul: Makeup & Car Booting' (Zoella, 2011)

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In this comment from Zoella herself, it shows her replying to fan comments under her videos. The reply is in a very conversational and chatty tone due to Zoe asking the fan questions back as someone would in a real life conversation. At this point in her career, Zoe is firmly seen as an accessible star who is easy to relate and talk to.

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"VLOG: Louise's Birthday, Baby Glitter & Video Reaction" (Zoella, 2012)

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Zoe collabs with other popular YouTubers

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Zoe collabs with other popular YouTubers

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Early YouTube collaborations, especially with other YouTubers like Louise Pentland, helped enforce Zoella's ordinary girl persona as it shows her chatting with her friends as any 'normal' person would. The candid and unscripted chats between the two make the viewers feel as if they are also part of this friendship, building a stronger para-social relationship. Early collaborations like this felt very real rather than brand building synergy. This makes Zoe seem unfiltered and like a real friend.

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VLOG: Louise's Birthday, Baby Glitter & Video Reaction

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"Dealing with Panic Attacks & Anxiety | Zoella" (Zoella, 2012)

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Very early on, Zoe began talking about her experiences with having anxiety and panic attacks. This puts her in a very vulnerable experience as not many YouTubers speak up on such serious and personal topics. This makes Zoe be presented in a more realistic manner as many of her viewers can relate to these experiences. It makes Zoe seem more human than celebrity as it shows she struggles just as much as everyone else, enforcing her girl-next-door persona.

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Dealing with Panic Attacks & Anxiety | Zoella

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2. The brand 'Zoella' (2014 - 2017) - From 'Authentic' to 'Aspirational'

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2. The brand 'Zoella' (2014 - 2017) - From 'Authentic' to 'Aspirational'

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From the year 2014, Zoe launched her own beauty range under her brand name 'Zoella', she began to move away from her 'Girl-Next-Door' persona to a more 'Aspirational' persona. This stage shows a pivotal step in her career as she has gone from a bedroom vlogger to a mainstream, brand-owning, polished star.

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1. The beginning of 'Zoella' (2009 - 2014) - The 'Girl-Next-Door'

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1. The beginning of 'Zoella' (2009 - 2014) - The 'Girl-Next-Door'

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From the year 2009 - 2014, Zoella began to gain popularity through the use of her YouTube channel alongside her blogs and other social media pages. Throughout this era, Zoe was seen as an ordinary and awkward girl that young female viewers could look up to and relate to.

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Frequent collaborations with other YouTuber's in 2012 created the emergence of the so called 'Brit-crew', filled with British YouTubers would would make videos and do challenges together as one big friend group. The group includes other YouTubers like 'Tanya Burr', 'Caspar Lee' and 'Alfie Deyes'.

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'Florida Day 2 | Universal Adventures' (Zoella, 2013)

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As Zoe begins to Collab with more British YouTubers, audiences see her friendships blossom and feel as if they are part of the friendship themselves. The video is done in a natural setting and includes a friend group having fun and laughing together which creates an intimate feel. The fact Zoe constantly addresses the audience as well enforces the viewers para-social relationship with the 'Brit-crew' and makes her seem like an attainable star.

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'Chummy | Zoella and Louise' (Claire Treaner, 2015)

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Fan edits of zoella's friendship between her and any of the 'Britcrew' members emphasizes how fans feel a natural bond between Zoe and her friends. The audience members feel as if they are part of these friendships and making edits may make them feel closer to them virtually.

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'The Launch of Zoella Beauty (The Most Exciting Night Ever)' (Zoella, 2014)

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The launch of Zoella's first beauty range shows a transition from her first era of being a relatable friend, to an entrepreneur who is now less relatable. This creates a change in her relationship with her viewers as she is now seen as more of a role model than an attainable star.

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The Launch of Zoella Beauty (The Most Exciting Night Ever)

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'Zoella Beauty: Launch, First Impressions & OOTN' (De Force, F., 2014)

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This blog post is written in anticipation for Zoe's range to be released and discusses the products in the range as well as where to find it and how much it is. The blog discusses how the products are predominantly five pounds which shows that even though she is a business woman, she is still grounded and doesn't want to make her line 'luxury' as other influencers may.

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Last night I was lucky enough to attend the launch of Zoella Beauty, the much anticipated bath and body line from my fellow beauty vlogger and general internet superstar Zoe Sugg.

I thought I'd post a little first look and partial review on here for you all, as I'm sure a lot of you will be dying to try these products out when they hit Superdrug stores on Monday (although apparently Superdrug have been a little naughty and stocked a few shelves with these goodies already... So if you're really keen to get your hands on them before then, keep your eyes peeled!)

As expected, the line is undeniably 'Zoe'. The design of the packaging is simply gorgeous and I think it looks quite high end. The products look and feel far more expensive than they are, which is always a good thing in my book!

There are 7 products: The 'Creamy, Madly Dreamy' body lotion, 'Soak Opera' bath & shower cream, 'Blissful Mistful' fragranced body mist, 'Fizz Bar' fragranced bath fizzers, 'Let's Glow' scented candle and two cute-as-a-button makeup bags. Everything is priced at £5 except the makeup bags and body mist, which are £8.

I haven't had the chance to give them a proper road test yet (obviously, the launch was last night!) But on first impression I think the products are really impressive. I especially love the concept of the bath fizzers, which are shaped and packaged like a bar of chocolate so you can break off a few chunks and save the rest till next time! I actually gave these a whirl this morning (I know, a bath in the morning - how indulgent! But I couldn't wait to try them!)

They fragrance of the line is quite sweet, but lovely in my opinion. Fragrance is always quite personal so you'll have to give them a sniff in store if you're not sure and see what you think, but I'm a fan!

I also love the little candle, housed in a mini metal tin. These were burning all over the launch party last night and are great for the bathroom especially as they are compact and not smash-able glass! There is a bit of confusion about the actual packaging of this, as the ones I saw last night were silver, but the one listed on the Superdrug website is different (see above).

The launch itself was a girly girl's dream of pink balloons, macaroons, sweeties, champagne and party dresses. I didn't take too many photos as I was so busy chatting to everyone and generally enjoying the evening, but here's a little OOTN on my part. I wore a rose patterned shirt from The Kooples layered over a suede mini skirt from F21, a Zara floaty waistcoat, Zara necklace, my Chanel bag and super high boots from House of Harlow.

On a final note, I have to pass on my personal congratulations to Zoe herself. It's pretty rare that someone so successful remains totally down to earth and utterly gorgeous inside and out. She really is a genuinely lovely girl and that definitely showed last night when the whole blogging community turned up to celebrate with her. Well done Zoe, you smashed it!

The Zoella Beauty range is available online at feelunique.com and in Superdrug stores on Monday.

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Zoella Beauty: Launch, First Impressions & OOTN

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Last night I was lucky enough to attend the launch of Zoella Beauty, the much anticipated bath and body line from my fellow beauty vlogger and general internet superstar Zoe Sugg.

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'Girl Online Book Launch Party!' (Zoella, 2014)

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The launch of Zoe's first book 'Girl Online'

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The launch of Zoe's first book 'Girl Online'

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Very soon after the launch of her beauty brand, Zoe announced the launch of her new novel aimed at teenage females. This creates a big shift in image to a role model rather than an attainable star as she is now a business woman not just a vlogger.

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'Zoella’s book Girl Online outsells JK Rowling' (Collinson, A., 2014)

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Zoe's book made it into headlines as her first novel becomes the fastest selling book of 2014. The book sold over 78,000 copies in its first week. This makes Zoella shift away from her Girl-Next-Door persona into an aspirational star who is admired rather than relatable.

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Zoella’s book Girl Online outsells JK Rowling

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YouTube vlogger Zoella is “blown away” after Girl Online becomes the fastest-selling debut novel since records began.

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'Review: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg — What Is That Book About' (Rhodes, C., 2015)

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This is one of many reviews of Zoe's first book. The reviewer suggests that the book is very relatable to young teenage girls as the main character 'Penny' is a 'walking disaster'. The review mentions the book includes relatable themes of anxiety which Zoe has discussed in the past. This shows that even though she is now and entrepreneur, Zoe is still relatable to fans.

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Review: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg — What Is That Book About

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Summary Under the alias Girl Online, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, high school drama, her quirky family, and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse at school, her parents accept an opportunity to whisk the family away for

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Zoella's first magazine cover appearence.

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Zoella's first magazine cover appearence.

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In 2014, Zoe appeared on the Company magazines front cover which highlights her transitional shift from a small YouTuber in her bedroom to a big star in the industry who other's look up to and aspire to be like.

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'Zoella’s Company Magazine Cover, the ‘New Movement’ of Blogging and What It Means For You' (Georgie xoxo', 2014)

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This blog post talks about Zoe being on the front cover of the magazine. Being on the front of a magazine signals that Zoe is recognisable and has a high celebrity status. The blog discusses how the female magazine is the first to put a YouTuber on the cover, which shows Zoe's high influence and power she now has.

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Zoella’s Company Magazine Cover, the ‘New Movement’ of Blogging and What It Means For You - Georgie xoxo | Enchanted Living

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So unless you’ve been living under the internet rock, I’m pretty sure you have heard of Zoe Sugg aka online blogging and Youtube sensation, Zoella. I have followed Zoe’s blog from her very first post (quite literally), back in ye olde 2009. 2009! Gosh that seems forever ago. I fondly remember finding the blogging community […]

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'Zoella is releasing a lifestyle advent calendar and it’s dreamy' (Baxter-Wright, D., 2017)

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Zoella announces Advent Calendar release

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Zoella announces Advent Calendar release

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In 2017, Zoella announced that she would be releasing a 12 days of Christmas Advent calendar which would be released in Boots (a well known beauty shop in the UK). The calendar was priced at 50 pounds which shows how her aspirational persona has grown since her beauty range release in 2014 which was more affordable. It shows she is firmly in a higher profile than before.

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Zoella is releasing a lifestyle advent calendar and it’s dreamy

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3. Zoella's authenticity in question (2015-2018) - The controversial star

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3. Zoella's authenticity in question (2015-2018) - The controversial star

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As Zoe began to become more mainstream in the industry, she began to receive more backlash for her actions. This marked a turning point in her career as where she was once seen as 'Trustworthy', she was now accused of being 'inauthentic'.

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'Zoella admits Girl Online, her debut novel, was written with ‘help’ (Butterly, A., 2014)

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Zoe's 'Girl Online' ghostwriting scandal 

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Zoe's 'Girl Online' ghostwriting scandal 

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Shortly after her debut novel came out, there was speculation over whether Zoe wrote the story alone. This BBC article discusses how Zoe soon admitted to having help on her social media in writing the story, and felt as if she did not have go disclose this information in the first place.

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Zoella admits Girl Online, her debut novel, was written with ‘help’

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Her debut novel, Girl Online, was written with the “help” of her publisher, Penguin, admits Zoella.

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'From the books community on Reddit: Zoella’s publishers confirm that Girl Online was ghostwritten' (2014)

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Fan reactions to this information being released were predominantly negative as fans felt they had lost trust in Zoe. As this reddit post reads, some fans saw this revelation as Zoe just wanting to make money when she hasn't put the hard work into it. This led to Zoe's star persona of being authentic, being tarnished as fans feel misled.

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From the books community on Reddit: Zoella’s publishers confirm that Girl Online was ghostwritten

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Explore this post and more from the books community

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Zoe tweeted to her fans in response to the situation saying she's taking a step back from YouTube for a bit, which shows how this truly affected her. Some fans saw this reaction as her running away from her issues rather than facing them, others were proud of her for taking time to herself. This questions her accountability as a 'trustworthy' star, but also reinforces she is still a sensitive, relatable star with real emotions still.

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'Boots cuts price of Zoella’s £50 12-door advent calendar in half after Youtube star faces heavy criticism' (Oppenheim, M., 2017)

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After releasing her Advent calendar in Boots, many parents have sent harsh criticism to Zoe due to the price not matching the prizes inside. The article discusses how Boots had to half the price of the calendar to 25 pounds rather than 50. The article shows many mixed reviews on the product, many disappointed in Zoe for having such high prices for a product aimed at children.

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Boots cuts price of Zoella’s £50 12-door advent calendar in half after Youtube star faces heavy criticism | The Independent | The Independentsearch

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‘Zoella is a perfect example of people deliberately using their platforms for nothing other than to give themselves a bigger pay cheque every month,’ says critic

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'ZOELLA'S £50 ADVENT CALENDAR | HONEST, BRUTAL REVIEW' (Jaack Maate, 2017)

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One of the main criticisms of the calendar came from popular YouTuber 'Jaack Maate' who did a review of the product. The review is full of comedic slander towards the product and gained 6.5 million views. The video includes Jack making fun of every prize and looking at negative reviews which he agrees with. He states that one would only buy this for someone they 'despise' which threatens Zoella's lovable and trustworthy persona massively.

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ZOELLA'S £50 ADVENT CALENDAR | HONEST, BRUTAL REVIEW

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'ZOELLA EXPLAINS £50 ADVENT CALENDAR SCANDAL EXPOSED' (YouTube, 2017)

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Soon after the backlash, Zoe released a public statement in her video explaining the situation. She Discusses how she had no input in the pricing of the product and consistently states she never wants to rip off her fans. The apology shows more accountability than her ghostwriting controversy, but fans also took this video as her justifying herself rather than actually apologizing which makes her seem dishonest.

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ZOELLA EXPLAINS £50 ADVENT CALENDAR SCANDAL EXPOSED

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'From the BeautyGuruChatter community on Reddit: What does everyone think of the Zoella Advent Calendar “scandal”?' (2017)

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In Reddit threads discussing the calendar, many fans are seen agreeing with Jack's criticisms on the product and even saying how it was not critical enough. This thread shows users discussing how products are not even worth 25 pounds and calling Zoe out for exploitation of her power.

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From the BeautyGuruChatter community on Reddit: What does everyone think of the Zoella Advent Calendar “scandal”?

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Explore this post and more from the BeautyGuruChatter community

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'Furious parents slam Hello World Live after their kids ‘have the worst day ever’ (2017)

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In 2017, the 'Brit Crew' created an event called 'Hello World' which was meant to include meet ups and activities with the creators. But the article discusses how parents felt ripped off as a ticket cost 350 pounds to go, but there were many issues like long queues and false promises as creators were hardly seen. This meant Zoe was in controversy of exploiting fans money in under a month of each other, tarnishing her image.

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Furious parents slam Hello World Live after their kids ‘have the worst day ever’

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A YOUTUBE convention where kids were promised they would “hang out” with online video heroes was blasted as a rip-off. Organisers said Hello World Live would be “like nothing on Earth”. But parents…

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'YouTuber Zoella apologises for old offensive tweets' (BBC, 2017)

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In 2017, old tweets from Zoe in 2009/2010 resurfaced. The article discusses how the tweets included fat-shaming tweets and even homophobic language. This had undermined how old 'Girl-Next-Door' persona as old fans may look back at those times and see Zoella differently now, losing trust in her credibility completely. Zoe did apologise for her past actions stating she has matured since then.

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YouTuber and blogger Zoella has apologised for a number of old tweets about gay people and "chavs".

The posts, from 2009-12, which have now been deleted, have been called out for "fat shaming" and being homophobic.

"Fat chav", "skank" and "tramp" are some of the phrases she posted on her Twitter account, which now has 11 million followers.

Zoella apologised on Wednesday, adding she "would never say those things now".

The statement, posted on Twitter said: "I've seen a few of my old tweets from 7/8 years ago floating around (which I have now deleted) using words like 'chav', 'skank' and other words I wouldn't use now as part of my language.

"Obviously that is not who I am today and I'd like to think I'm a little older and wiser! I'm not perfect and I've never claimed to be, I'm only human!"

The vlogger, whose real name is Zoe Sugg, claims several of the statements were taken out of context as they were commenting on TV shows like the X Factor and I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Two tweets, saying: "I find it funny when gay men spit... it's like they're trying to be a bit macho," and "How many straight men do you know, who whip out a compact mirror to do their hair before an abseil," have been criticised by Twitter users for being homophobic.

Others, saying "Who do these parents insist on beefing up their obese children, just give them water and some veg and tell them that's all they're getting," and phrases "fat chav" and "close up of a fatty eating a big mac" have also been seen as fat-shaming.

Ashleigh Hamman tweeted: "Absolutely disgusting Zoella calling people fat. Especially when she claims to get upset when people would call her 'skinny' in the past. How hypocritical can you get."

Zoella, who lives in Brighton, has built up a strong social media following in recent years thanks to her lifestyle and beauty vlogs.

Zoella has already come under fire this week for her 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar. The product has seen its price slashed from £50 to £25 by retailer Boots, after it was criticised for being bad value for money by customers.

Some fans said the re-emergence of Zoella's old tweets was a response to criticism of the Advent Calendar.

But not everyone has criticised Zoella, who has her own beauty range and a series of novels, with followers saying she should not be judged for things she said a long time ago.

Her work on anxiety and mental health has been mentioned as an example of how Sugg has matured and developed a positive persona on social media.

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

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YouTuber Zoella apologises for old offensive tweets

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The vlogger and influencer has now deleted the tweets from 2010.

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4.  Zoella rebrand as she takes a step back (2018 - 2021) - The withdrawn influencer

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4.  Zoella rebrand as she takes a step back (2018 - 2021) - The withdrawn influencer

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After Zoe's controversies online, she began to slowly take steps away from uploading videos on her channel. She began focusing on behind the scene ventures rather than constant uploads which may reflect her maturing out of her twenties as well.

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'Ultimate Pizza Taste Test With Mark' (Zoella, 2018)

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Nearing the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018, the channel Zoella saw a decrease in uploads as they began to have larger time jumps between them. This is due to Zoe wanting to take a step back for her own benefit, as well as wanting to focus on more business ventures. The slow retreat from uploading created a gradual exit for the channel and shows Zoe is more mature now and wants to step away from the spotlight.

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Ultimate Pizza Taste Test With Mark | Zoella

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'Interview with Alfie Deyes (issue 19)' (2020)

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Within this interview with Alfie Deyes (Zoe's boyfriend), he discusses how the pair of them created a new business called 'A-Z Creatives'. This new beginning aligns with Zoe's rebrand from her bubbly and lighthearted younger self, to becoming a successful and serious business woman. We can see her mature into a more professional career by stepping away from just being a content creator.

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The 25 year old talks to Alice Audley about regrouping, rebranding and making his own rules
Photography: Kyle Galvin / Lighting: Sam Hern / Styling: Barbara Klekowska, Wolf and Badger Studios / Grooming: Louise Hall

A decade on from uploading his first YouTube video aged 15, Alfie Deyes is finally giving himself time to step back from the online world and take stock of his life.

First, he stopped uploading videos onto his main YouTube channel, PointlessBlog (5.5 million+ subscribers), and next, he took a break from daily vlogging on PointlessBlogVlogs (4 million+ subscribers).

"Turning 25 recently made a big difference," Alfie says.

"I was looking at my content and thinking 'is this what I - as a 25 year old - want to be making or am I just making it for the sake of it?'

"Because I have been making videos non-stop for so long, I have never given myself the time to step back and look at the bigger picture of 'what else do I want to be making?' or 'what else do I want to be doing?'

"The only way I can describe it... and this might sound crazy... is: I'm on the train and I'm the driver and I'm shovelling coal to make it go - that's views, that's my job, that's what I do, that's all I've done and know. If I stop shovelling, the train is going to stop and I don't know where I'm going to stop or what I'm going to do when it stops - and I love shovelling the coal, so do I stop and risk where I'm going to be or do I just carry on?

"This year I did decide to take a step back and have an overall look at every aspect of what I'm doing - whether that's video content, personal life, who I'm hanging out with, whether I'm seeing my friends and family enough, what I want to do longer term and what business stuff I want to do - where I want to invest."

Alfie's break has given him a fresh perspective, and our interview ties neatly in with what will become his next chapter - a rebrand of both his image and his content. One that will see him as less of a tween magazine poster boy, and more of a 25-year-old multihyphenate - something that those who know him, see him as already. Indeed, over the past few years,

I've been intrigued by Alfie Deyes. He always seems to crop up during interviews with other influencers (of all ages) - he's the one they watch, and praise for his entrepreneurial flair.

In issue 13, Caroline Hirons went as far as to describe him as 'a genius'. On the shoot today, he's warm and quizzical, and genuinely interested in everyone and everything that's going on.

He also manages to navigate our interview cleverly - not that I'm trying to catch him out - but if there are questions that he doesn't want to answer, such as 'do you think Jake Paul is a sociopath?', rather than say 'I'm not comfortable answering that', he laughs the question off.

And what a laugh he has. It brews deep in his chest, his lungs fill to the brim, and then he tilts his head back, slaps his hands on his thighs and emits a laugh that engulfs the room in its warmth - when you hear it, you can't help but smile. Alfie really is extremely likeable. A clever and likeable entrepreneur.

"I've always said, since I was a tiny kid, that I was going to be my own boss one day. I'm not even any good at art, but I remember when I was young folding an A4 piece of paper out of my family printer, drawing a flower on it and writing 'happy birthday', and then putting it on a table outside of my house to sell it to people walking past," Alfie remembers. His business portfolio looks a bit different today.

"I've got a few different companies," he says.

"I've got my YouTube and social media, I've invested quite heavily in property and I've got a joint company with my girlfriend [Zoe Sugg]."

That company is A-Z creatives.

"A-Z is an umbrella company. It has all of my team in there, all of my girlfriend's team in there - and then if there's anything else bigger picture that we think would utilise the skills of both teams, we can do that too.

We've got legal, we've got finance, we've got photographers, designers, assistants, brand partnerships, office managers, social media managers - there are so many skill sets. It's basically an office full of tonnes of creatives - and anything that we want to do, we've got the team to be able to do that."

Creating, innovating and doing what hasn't been done is what drives Alfie. He was the first YouTuber in the UK to release a book (The Pointless Book) and ended up shutting down London's Piccadilly when 11,000 people turned up to his first signing event, he launched a pop-up merch store in London last year, which saw 38,000 people come over the course of a week and he has now got A-Z, too.

Although he's experienced the highs of running businesses, he's also had to experience the lows - including people stealing money from him.

"I'm in a legal case at the moment with someone who I employed for two years, who stole unbelievable amounts of money from me," he says. Does this make it hard for him to trust people in business?

"I think you've got to trust somebody until they give you a reason not to trust them. The positive out of this is that it's worth paying your head of finance - paying the right team because they're watching over everything and making sure everything's in shape."

Learning to trust in others and delegate has been one of the biggest lessons for Alfie.

"Two years ago, I would have said 'if you want something done, do it yourself'. I've learnt that quote couldn't be more wrong for me.

Am I going to be doing my own tax return? Am I going to do my own legal if I have to do a court case or I'm being sued for something [Alfie was sued by businesses in Piccadilly for loss of footfall in the area after that fateful book signing]? Am I going to defend myself? I can't be doing that, so I do have to let go of certain areas."

That said, Alfie does deal with a lot himself - and he thinks that having direct relationships with people is incredibly important. Normally interviews, like the one I'm doing with Alfie, will be organised through an agent or assistant.

Alfie responded to the email enquiry direct and then followed up with a call to talk it through. He sorted out his own travel up from Brighton and arrived exactly when he said he would. The whole experience of working with Alfie was seamless.

"I'm all about relationships with people," he says.

"I know it's not always possible, but I try my best to be on top of everything that's going on in any of my businesses - whether that's dealing with people to get one of my flats fixed after it got flooded when the tenant was on holiday, or jumping on the phone with brands to discuss campaigns - what went well, what didn't go so well, what we can improve, how we can work together better in the future etc.

I'm all about 'just text me' - like don't bother texting my team, just text me. I love being that point of contact and seeing everything that comes into my inbox."

Being hyper-aware and at the forefront of his business and brand means that Alfie is also quick to react when things go wrong and owns his mistakes. Case in point, his infamous 'Living off £1 for the day' video.

"I'm the first person to talk about the video and explain how that video happened, how I feel looking back on it and moving forward how I'm going to not make another piece of content like that again.

When you're sharing stuff online and making it public, everybody is open to criticism. You've got to be able to either back yourself up, say why you did it and how you think it's ok, or you have a wider view on a piece of content and you say 'look, ok, I messed up'.

I've done my fair share of stupid things as well and I'm the first person to talk about that and say I've messed up."

It's only in the last year, since Alfie left his management company (Gleam), that being at the forefront and as the main point of contact has been possible.

"I'm not managed by anyone," he says. "I find that a lot of management companies in this space are so busy answering the phone to potential deals coming through that it's very reactive. Like 'hey, it's Apple, we've got a brand deal for this amount of money, we're looking for talent' and then it goes down to one of the talent.

What I want to do with our team is to sit down and plan the brands I'd love to work with, then we give them a call and sit down with them in a meeting and say 'we could work together'.

It's very proactive rather than reactive and it means that I'm very heavily aligned with the brands we're working with." The response to brand deals has changed in recent years, Alfie says.

"I think brand campaigns have become a lot more accepted, which is amazing.

"Back in the day if you did a brand deal it was like 'you've sold out! Oh my god why are you pretending you like this product, that's not cool!', whereas now so many brands are getting on board and the scale is so big - almost every company now works with influencers - it means that the quality has stepped up.

"Now influencers, or whatever you want to call us, can work with brands that are truly aligned with them."

When Alfie does sit down with a brand to discuss working together, he makes sure he knows exactly what they want to achieve and what their KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are.

"Say it's a shoe company. The brand would say something like 'Hey, I've got this pair of shoes that we want promoting and we've got X amount of money'.

I'd then say 'you've got these shoes, what do you want? Do you want people to buy this pair? Do you want people to buy other shoes from your brand? Do you want people to know about this pair? Do you want people just to see them? Tell me, and I'll tell you the best way you can get that'.

And I'll tell them if that's not me. I'm very straightforward.

"I've had campaigns recently that I've turned down because they've said 'we really want this' and I'm like 'I'm not the person for that'. I'll always recommend other people."

Although brand deals contribute to Alfie's business, they aren't his sole income: "I'm very fortunate to be in a position where I don't need to say yes to every brand deal to pay my mortgage."

Moving forward, he says, he would like to continue to diversify and expand his businesses, "In the next 12 months, I would like to branch out into some new ventures - physical things - that people can go and experience."

His decision to build up businesses outside of his personal brand is another clever move, but don't panic - he's not retiring from YouTube anytime soon. Think of it as a sabbatical.

Next year, Alfie says, is all about returning refreshed, rebranded and "making sure I'm creating better content than I ever have before".

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Interview with Alfie Deyes (issue 19) - bCreator™

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The 25 year old talks to Alice Audley about regrouping, rebranding and making his own rules Photography: Kyle Galvin / Lighting: Sam Hern / Styling:

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'ZALFIE WAX FIGURE REVEAL' (Alfie Deyes Vlogs, 2015)

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Zoe and Alfie get put into Madame Tussauds

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Zoe and Alfie get put into Madame Tussauds

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Zoe and Alfie were asked to be part of the first YouTubers ever to be made into wax figures in the Madame Tussauds museum. They would be in the same space as celebrities like Kim Kardashian and even Micheal Jackson which shows how her star persona has evolved from being a small vlogger in her bedroom, to being an idol that people can come to visit, highlighting her aspirational persona.

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How British YouTube's kings and queens fell from their thrones (Dodgson, 2021)

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Business insider discusses the fact that the 'Zoella' channel has been left dormant for years. The article explains how as generations are growing up, so are their wants from YouTube and the 'Brit Crew' we're not making the cut anymore. Their audiences have matured alongside them and the article states their videos were not as drama filled as others like Tati's 'Bye Sister' video. Therefore, younger audiences are more captivated by other YouTubers now.

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Zoe Sugg, better known on YouTube as Zoella, announced in March that she and her partner Alfie Deyes were expecting a baby girl. Sugg hadn't been getting as many views on her vlogs as she used to - around 5 million in her heyday - but the couple's social media posts were immediately flooded with love and support. Many fans said they felt old seeing their beloved YouTuber grow up, and remarked on how far Sugg and other British creators had come since their reign on the platform.

British creators used to run the popular YouTube scene. When Norwich-based makeup artist Samantha Chapman posted her first makeup tutorial in 2008 on her now-deleted channel, it was to teach a friend how to do a smokey eye. As people began to request more make-up tutorials, her sister Nic joined in, and together they created Pixiwoo, which would go on to become the first beauty channel to hit a million subscribers.

Unbeknownst to the sisters at the time, they were paving the way for a huge cohort of British lifestyle YouTubers, spearheaded by their brother Jim Chapman, his then-girlfriend Tanya Burr, and two of their best friends: Sugg and Deyes.

But in the years since the early days, many of the British creators who were once at the top of their game have mostly abandoned their original YouTube channels. In 2020, the Chapman sisters announced their retirement from the internet. Sugg's "Zoella" channel has been dormant since 2018, and Burr hasn't posted a YouTube video since May 2019.

The reign of UK YouTube's kings and queens coming to an end may signify a generational change in what audiences are after. Their journey tells a story of how the influencer landscape has changed, and where it's going thanks to the legacy they built.

British YouTube was a very different scene back in 2010

Throughout the 2010s, the group of UK-residing YouTubers shot to fame, becoming some of the most well-known faces on the internet. In 2014, Sugg was the 25th most subscribed-to YouTuber and her face was plastered on billboards. Her younger brother, Joe Sugg, and partner Deyes both made the top 100 most-subscribed list.

The Suggs, Deyes, Burr, Chapman, Marcus Butler, Caspar Lee, Fleur De Force, Louise Pentland, and others became what was known as the "Brit Crew" - a clean-cut, family-friendly group of young adults who collaborated on one another's channels, taking part in challenges, pranks, and games. Unlike the YouTube scene in other countries, which was largely made up of individuals filming in their bedrooms with occasional collaborations, the Brit Crew's friendship and romantic relationships transfixed young viewers, and they became an international sensation. For the first half of the decade, the Brit Crew was largely synonymous with the YouTuber industry, coming to define the measures of success, monetization strategies, relationship with viewers, and video formats that dominated the space.

As Chris Stokel-Walker wrote in his 2019 book about YouTube, these young creators started building mini-empires with product lines, brand collaborations, books, merchandise, and live events. They represented a new kind of "authentic" celebrity, giving viewers a peek into their lives.

That perceived authenticity, though, may no longer be enough to build a hugely successful YouTube career.

Max Fosh, a YouTuber who's been on the scene since 2016 and has 439,000 YouTube subscribers, told Insider that back in the early 2010s, there wasn't much of a barrier to entry for creators because there was less competition. YouTube's "come a long, long way since then," he said.

Since 2013, the amount of video uploaded per hour has nearly doubled.

"Because there are so many people on the platform, you've got to make something that's going to stand out in comparison to the millions of other videos being uploaded to YouTube every day," said Fosh.

The UK vlogging scene that was once so popular has disappeared in favor of other types of content: the more dramatic, larger-than-life cohort of the LA beauty world, long-form documentaries, and opinion-based commentary channels giving their takes on the internet's powerful figures.

Creators who grow and evolve with their audience are ultimately the most successful

Gleam Futures, a talent agency which represents around 100 influencers, became almost synonymous with the Brit Crew in its early years. Its current head of talent, Francesca Scambler, told Insider the YouTube landscape is very different than it used to be, and creators have to be able to "move at pace, be really adaptable and evolve."

"I think it would be naive to think that your audience isn't going to change, your audience isn't going to grow up" she said. "So I think being able to weather that change is incredibly important."

Josh Pieters started YouTube in the "boyband era" with Brit Crew creators such as Caspar Lee. But in joining forces with magician Archie Manners in 2019, the duo pivoted to conducting "social experiments." They now create some of the most innovative videos on the platform - from securing Carole Baskin's first live interview since the "Tiger King" phenomenon to setting up a Deliveroo restaurant that provided microwave meals.

Pieters said that he believes changing content reflects how creators themselves have advanced and changed.

"The people watching 10 years ago are now 10 years older, and 10 years wiser," Manners said. "If they were able to keep up with that and think about what their audience might enjoy, they are able to continue doing it."

Commentary YouTuber Uncle Herman explained in the video " Whatever HAPPENED To The TOKEN BRITISH YOUTUBERS?" how the "YouTuber next door" character was slowly replaced by a younger, louder, more obnoxious breed of YouTube star (such as Jake Paul).

While Sugg and Deyes had a couple of controversies of their own, their brief dramas were minor in comparison to those of today's most popular YouTubers.

Over time, the Brit Crew fit less into the mold of what a casual viewer is after - something just as opinion-forming and tempestuous as a Netflix show, or as drama-filled as any soap opera with heroes and villains.

The soap opera of the beauty world provides drama and chaos

While Sugg and her group of friends were relatively chaos-free, the cohort of LA beauty influencers thrived on it and provided ample drama that has been endlessly unpacked online.

Commentary channels exploded in popularity alongside the beauty world's stars, such as Jeffree Star and James Charles, by following their every move and controversy.

Since the days of the Brit Crew's light-hearted lifestyle content, such as "the ultimate pizza taste test," YouTube audiences have developed an appetite for scandals.

The drama has even been gamified, with audiences becoming part of the story. When Tati Westbrook posted "Bye Sister" - a 45 minute video targeting her friend James Charles - Charles lost three million subscribers in a matter of days. The metric changes were feverishly cataloged and digested by YouTube commentators.

The legacy of YouTube's Brit Crew

There are plenty of British YouTubers who are still in their prime with thriving channels, but they mostly exist outside of the vlogging genre. Some have leaned into the hugely popular world of YouTube drama. Olajide Olatunji, better known as KSI, started uploading gaming-commentary videos in 2009. Now, he's best known for fighting YouTuber Logan Paul in two boxing matches in 2018 and 2019.

Sugg and Deyes have maintained their careers as YouTubers, but they both saw their view counts dwindle over the years. Other members of the Brit Crew said goodbye to YouTube to focus on other projects. Burr, who had 3 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, now posts solely on Instagram. Joe Sugg found mainstream fame on ITV's "Strictly Come Dancing" in 2018, and has since appeared on stage in London's West End, and landed a role in the BBC drama "The Syndicate."

While the original faces of British YouTube may no longer be as recognizable as they once were, the genre they popularized isn't exactly over.

TikTok's biggest creator, Charli D'Amelio, who has over 110 million followers, started a YouTube channel recently. Her videos include skincare routines, challenges with friends, and product reviews, much like the ones Sugg, Burr, and the rest of the Brit Crew rose to prominence for a decade ago. While their YouTube celebrity may have dwindled, their legacy has not.

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How British YouTube's kings and queens fell from their thrones

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British vloggers used to run the YouTube scene. But in the years since, the audience's tastes have shifted to more drama and originality.

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'YouTube Pioneer Zoë Sugg Discusses How Growing Up Online Affected Her' (Cave, L., 2019)

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Zoe becoming more reflective of her YouTube experience

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Zoe becoming more reflective of her YouTube experience

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Within this Grazia article, we see Zoe reflecting on her past years online and talking about how they were the 'best years' of her life. The article never refers to her as Zoella, but instead discusses how that name is in the past for her, which indicates new beginnings. The reflective tone suggests how she has taken steps away from being in the limelight and discusses how being online was very overwhelming for her. This shows her star persona evolving to be more mature.

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YouTube Pioneer Zoë Sugg Discusses How Growing Up Online Affected Her

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As World Mental Health Day approaches, Lucie Cave speaks to Zoë Sugg about her life on YouTube and her mental health.

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5. Zoe Sugg Today (2021 - Present) - The Family-Orientated Influencer

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5. Zoe Sugg Today (2021 - Present) - The Family-Orientated Influencer

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Without her old persona 'Zoella', Zoe has now gained a more mature image for herself. After having 2 children and getting engaged, Zoe has evolved into an evolved figure who shows her new lifestyle of being a mother.

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"She’s here! Meet Ottilie Rue Deyes 💕 29/08/21" (Zoe Sugg, 2021)

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In 2021, Zoe and Alfie announced the birth of their first child 'Ottilie'. This step in her life redefined her from the sweet and innocent 'girl-next-door' to a mature, family-orientated figure. Her brand identity has shifted along with her audience as her main fan base are from the beginning of her career and many would have their own families too.

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Zoë Sugg on Instagram: "She’s here! Meet Ottilie Rue Deyes 💕 
29/08/21"

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2M likes, 31K comments - zoesugg on August 31, 2021: "She’s here! Meet Ottilie Rue Deyes 💕 
29/08/21". 

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zoë Sugg (@zoesugg)

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'50 Women On The Lessons They Learnt From Being a Mother' (2022)

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Zoe has written multiple blogs about motherhood and the ups and downs of it. This highlights how Zoe has evolved from being a very polished star to being an authentic version of herself. It allows her to stay connected to her original audience of similar age.She is branding herself as a nurturing and wise figure to take advice from.

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50 Women On The Lessons They Learnt From Being a Mother - Zoella

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Heartwarming and heartbreaking. Uplifting and destructive. Pure love and pure frustration. Being a parent is perhaps one of life’s biggest challenges. From birth to their university graduation, there isn’t a day that goes by when you aren’t learning something new about them, yourself and what it means to love unconditionally. But despite the highs that […]

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This image is from Zoe's video, introducing her second child 'Novie'. The comment is very nostalgic discussing how they are so happy to have grown up watching her life, from when she was first with Alfie to now. This nostalgia shows how her original fans are all very proud of her and still feel this para-social relationship that is seen in her early videos. This suggests her new era is more relatable.

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'Introducing Template: Our New App!' (2019)

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This is an app she has co-created which includes different templates for Instagram posts and stories. This reflects her new era as a mother as since she does not upload loads herself, like she used to, she is still creating opportunities to help her followers with their social media growth and creativity which shows care towards audiences. It could almost be seen as her 'passing the creative baton' to audiences.

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Introducing Template: Our New App! - Zoella

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Created as a partnership between Zoe and Elsie & Emma of A Beautiful Mess, Template is a new way to style and design your Instagram feed and spice up your Stories. It comes loaded with a huge library of designs for laying out photos and videos as stories, feed and a brand new option of […]

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Zoe collabs with Lush to create 'Digital Detox Day'

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Zoe collabs with Lush to create 'Digital Detox Day'

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This new initiative shows how Zoe has matured into a responsible role model, who is now using her platform to spread positive messages about the dangers on being constantly online. Zoe has been vulnerable and open in the past discussing her anxiety and so this highlights her authentic image. This ties in with her new nurturing and caring image as it shows she is looking out for her younger audience.

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Digital detoxing improves mental health, helps you regain control, encourages better relationships, and builds self-esteem. Here’s some tips to get started…

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'Zoe Sugg on Anxiety and Life Online' (Good Influence, 2021)

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In 2021, Zoe was involved in the 'Good Influence' podcast where she discusses life online as well as mental health. The podcast shows Zoe discussing how digital detox's are important in maintaining good mental health. She talks about how social media glamourizes people's lives and hides any of the bad. She has openly discussed anxiety in the past to try and show fans it is okay to have problems and that she is not 'perfect'. This podcast delves deeper into Zoe's progress from 'Zoella' to just "Zoe Sugg' who is mature and wise.

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'We Tried: Smile Makers Collective Vibrators' (2021)

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In 2021, Zoe started talking more openly about female pleasure and sex with her audiences. This blog post is about her reviewing a collection of vibrators which is aimed at a more mature audience than her old content, mirroring her star persona into a more mature content creator. Her content is no longer aimed at teenagers, but at other adults who share similar interests.

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We Tried: Smile Makers Collective Vibrators - Zoella

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Vibrators have enjoyed quite the glow up recently and for that we say AMEN. Between the thumping bedside table rabbits and medieval looking bullets, it was was slim pickings back there for a while but now, our sex toys are finally as beautiful as they are effective. We can only hope their rumbling vibrations set […]

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'Zoe Sugg responds to exam board dropping Zoella from GCSE syllabus over 'sexual' content' (Ritschel, C., 2021)

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Zoe was apart of the GCSE A-level curriculum but the board ended up removing her from the exams due to backlash around her discussing taboo topics on her website. This article discusses how Zoe herself responded to this saying that even though her blog is aimed at young adults, teens can still benefit from learning about female pleasure, etc. She says she is discouraged at how frowned upon these topics still are which many applauded her for, highlighting her mature and wiser persona.

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Zoe Sugg has spoken out after an exam board dropped her brand Zoella from its GCSE syllabus because the website posted a review of sex toys among other mature topics.

According to UK-based AQA Media Studies, it decided to pull the Zoella website from its syllabus after content on the website was deemed "unsuitable," with a spokesperson for the exam board explaining that its students are as young as 14.

The YouTube star, whose website had been on AQA Media Studies syllabus since 2017, addressed the decision on Instagram, where she criticised the exam board for censoring "taboo" topics and contributing to the idea that female pleasure is "something that we should feel ashamed of".

"Well, where do I even start? Today has been... interesting to say the least," Sugg said, before revealing that she did not know her brand had been on the syllabus until reports that AQA had decided to remove it.

"I discovered that a GCSE syllabus was using the @zoella website as part of their curriculum. I was then told it had been 'dropped' (not sure how one is dropped when one didn't know they were ever involved...) as some parents complained as we had posted an article listing the best sex toys for 2021 & apparently this is absolutely disgusting that 16 year olds should even be graced with such horror," Sugg continued.

In the post, Sugg then explained the purpose of the Zoella website, which is made up of "a team of women who all share a joint passion for other women" and who aim to "talk about taboo subjects, have conversations with experts, ask those less heard to use their voice and try and have a really varied range of topics to help, inspire or make people feel less alone".

"Things I wish I'd known as a teen myself," she added.

While Sugg acknowledged that her website's target audience is women aged 25 to 35 and that the website covers mature topics such as revenge porn, masturbation, period sex and fertility, she said the exam board's decision to remove Zoella was worrisome - as the topics can all be useful to teens.

"It worries me that they think 16 year olds aren't exploring their own bodies, doing this with someone else or know what a sex toy is," she wrote. "Although we don't aim our content at teens, I don't think it's a bad thing that it's there for them to read at all and these media articles are just perpetuating the fact that female pleasure is something that we should feel ashamed of.

"THE VERY REASON WE WRITE ABOUT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

The social media star concluded the post writing that the exam board's decision "clearly shows there is still a long way to go," before promising her followers that Zoella will continue writing about topics for women.

"So we will continue to write about these things on @zoella and prove that WOMEN DO MASTURBATE AND FEMALE PLEASURE IS A THING (even if we're shamed and 'dropped' for speaking about it)," she added.

The 30-year-old's post was met with support from many of her more than 9m followers, who applauded her decision to speak out against the exam board.

"Love that you're not backing down from this and sticking to what's right. The education system certainly needs to modernise their curriculum and personally I think that your blog posts would be a wonderful way to do this," one person wrote.

Another commented: "I personally love the website and think it's amazing that you're talking about these topics to educate people. I don't understand how anyone can have a problem with it, it's 2021."

"You are absolutely right! It is vital to educate teens quickly about certain topics that were once called 'taboo' ESPECIALLY in the age of the internet," someone else wrote. "They see this all the time and are curious about it.

"It is okay to want your children to stay children but it's not okay to use it as an excuse to keep them in the dark."

In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for AQA said the exam board made the "difficult" decision to remove a section about Sugg from its GCSE Media Studies course last week.

The statement reads: "Since then, there have been some misunderstandings in the media and on social media about the reasons and context behind this decision.

"We added Zoella to our course in 2017 as an example of online and social media. In 2017, her website was a personal blog with content that was all suitable for the children as young as 14 who take our two-year GCSE course. Since then, the Zoella website has evolved and now includes a range of articles of a sexual nature - alongside many other topics - aimed at adults aged over 25."

According to the company, the decision was not based on one specific article, nor was it made with just 16 year olds in mind.

"In fact, our decision was due to the whole range of adult-focused content that the website has started publishing since we added it for in-depth study in 2017. And the question isn't whether this is suitable for 16 year-olds taking their exams, but whether it's suitable for children who start their GCSE course at 14 - and occasionally younger," the statement continues. "Our belief - which is shared by many teachers and parents who have contacted us - is that it isn't appropriate for us to ask children as young as 14 to study a website that includes sexual content aimed at adults."

In the statement, AQA said the decision was not a judgement on Sugg or her work, "or the suitability of her material for her target audience," and that she had been used in the syllabus without her knowledge.

"Effective Relationships and Sex Education in schools is vitally important and we completely support it. All we're saying is that we don't think studying adult-focused lifestyle websites in GCSE Media Studies is the best way to do it," the statement concluded. "We respect the right of anyone to disagree with our decision, but we believe that it's the right one."
This article has been updated to include a statement from AQA.

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Zoe Sugg responds to exam board dropping Zoella from GCSE syllabus over 'sexual' content

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Zoe Sugg has spoken out after an exam board dropped her brand Zoella from its GCSE syllabus because the website posted a review of sex toys among other mature topics. According to UK-based AQA Media Studies, it decided to pull the Zoella website from its syllabus after content on the website was deemed "unsuitable," with a spokesperson for the exam board explaining that its students are as young as 14.

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Zoe later explains why she took a step away from 'Zoella'

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Zoe later explains why she took a step away from 'Zoella'

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This TikTok clip is from a vlog that Zoe posted in 2021, where she is discussing why she took a step away from 'Zoella'. She discusses how she much preferred watching vlogs of others than sit down and curated videos. She discusses how the videos she did on 'Zoella' did not reflect her lifestyle as a late 20 year old anymore, and so decided to make away and focus on natural vlogs. This shows her natural progression into becoming more mature.

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♥️♥️  #zoella #zoesugg #question #influencer #xyzabc #viral_video #xh 

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@youtuberinfluencerclips
♥️♥️ #zoella #zoesugg #question #influencer #xyzabc #viral_video #xh
♬ original sound - youtuberclips

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"Oh Hi, just calling to let you know the Zoella X Colourpop collection is now live! " (Zoe Sugg, 2019)

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This Instagram post was posted in 2019, announcing the launch of her Collab with Colourpop, during the time she reduced posting online. This shows how she maintained keeping up with her entrepreneurial ventures behind the scenes. The product includes a packaging and style aimed at teens which shows this tension between Zoe's old persona and her desire to evolve and mature.

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Zoë Sugg on Instagram: "Oh Hi, just calling to let you know the Zoella X Colourpop collection is now live! Link in my bio or in my stories (as well as swatches) Let me know if you get anything 🧡 IM SO EXCITED 🤪🤪 @colourpopcosmetics . FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS! 🌎
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Photo by @kylegalvin_ .
Hair by @samantha.cusick .
Makeup by @misscassielomas .
Styling by @alexandrafullerton .
BTS filming by @duncansmith_film"

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219K likes, 1,744 comments - zoesugg on February 27, 2019: "Oh Hi, just calling to let you know the Zoella X Colourpop collection is now live! Link in my bio or in my stories (as well as swatches) Let me know if you get anything 🧡 IM SO EXCITED 🤪🤪 @colourpopcosmetics . FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS! 🌎
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Photo by @kylegalvin_ .
Hair by @samantha.cusick .
Makeup by @misscassielomas .
Styling by @alexandrafullerton .
BTS filming by @duncansmith_film". 

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zoë Sugg (@zoesugg)

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From the BeautyGuruChatter community on Reddit (2019)

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Despite the love from many fans for this Collab with Colourpop, many fans in this particular Reddit chat were not too happy about Zoe being chosen. This is because after the controversies, her image had declined. The comments mention her as almost being snobby, potentially due to her not uploading but still collabing with brands.

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From the BeautyGuruChatter community on Reddit

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Explore this post and more from the BeautyGuruChatter community

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Zoe and Alfie announced that since Ottie is now starting school, they are making efforts to hide her face online until she can make the decision what she wants to do in the future. This shows Zoe is valuing privacy over publicity in her new protective mother era. This is a change from her old persona who used to show her whole life online, marking her growth and maturity as she begins her own family.

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Zoë Sugg on Instagram: "Week 27 of 2025 ✨

1. Celebrated @amandadeyes birthday at @kinsbrookvineyard 
2. The pond is the girls favourite area! 
3. Novie looking cute 
4. Zoom in on her face 🥹 
5. ♥️
6. Introduced Ottie to Mr Napkinhead and she thought it was the best thing ever 
7. This would have been one for a frame had she not still got her napkin on her face haha 
8. Lots of little small plates is my favourite way to eat out so you get to try lots of different things 
9. One of Nanny’s presents was a drawing of all the girls by Ottie 🥰 
10. The coolest girl! T shirt is @zarakids 
11. When @beachsidesportstherapy turns up to fix your broken back on doughnut Friday and brings half the stock!! @theflourpotbakerybrighton 😍 
12. Walking to the fair 🥰 
13. Not sure who’s having more fun skipping in the rain, @theannaedit or the kids? 
14. They had a good go at the coconut shy but didn’t win a coconut, maybe next year! 🥲 
15. Novie always just having the best time of her life haha 
16. Squeezing uncle @joe_sugg 
17. She gives the best cuddles!! 
18. Picking mummy’s sweet peas with daddy @alfiedeyes 
19. My first bouquet of flowers from the garden 😁 
20. Alfie made me a boiled egg and soldiers for breakfast and the way he peeled a lot of the shell off and stacked my toast made me 🥹"

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97K likes, 104 comments - zoesugg on July 7, 2025: "Week 27 of 2025 ✨

1. Celebrated @amandadeyes birthday at @kinsbrookvineyard 
2. The pond is the girls favourite area! 
3. Novie looking cute 
4. Zoom in on her face 🥹 
5. ♥️
6. Introduced Ottie to Mr Napkinhead and she thought it was the best thing ever 
7. This would have been one for a frame had she not still got her napkin on her face haha 
8. Lots of little small plates is my favourite way to eat out so you get to try lots of different things 
9. One of Nanny’s presents was a drawing of all the girls by Ottie 🥰 
10. The coolest girl! T shirt is @zarakids 
11. When @beachsidesportstherapy turns up to fix your broken back on doughnut Friday and brings half the stock!! @theflourpotbakerybrighton 😍 
12. Walking to the fair 🥰 
13. Not sure who’s having more fun skipping in the rain, @theannaedit or the kids? 
14. They had a good go at the coconut shy but didn’t win a coconut, maybe next year! 🥲 
15. Novie always just having the best time of her life haha 
16. Squeezing uncle @joe_sugg 
17. She gives the best cuddles!! 
18. Picking mummy’s sweet peas with daddy @alfiedeyes 
19. My first bouquet of flowers from the garden 😁 
20. Alfie made me a boiled egg and soldiers for breakfast and the way he peeled a lot of the shell off and stacked my toast made me 🥹". 

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'The Power of Getting Dressed in a Year When We Didn't Really Have To' (2020)

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Zoella begins posting more mature blogs for older audiences

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Zoella begins posting more mature blogs for older audiences

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When Zoe stopped posting on her main channel, she began writing more blogs that would be aimed at women aged between 25-40. For example, this blog post discusses post-covid clothing like blazers, in a mature tone. Zoe's older audience demographic of teens would not be interested in this content, highlighting her re-branding shift in demographic.

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To celebrate the transformative power of dressing for you, we're rounding up the mood-boosting pieces that continue to get us out of bed and into our Sunday best.
AD | This is a paid-for advertorial with Very

Fashion is about feeling great and there's no doubt that what we wear has a unique ability to control our mood and emotions.

We were left feeling some sort of blazer bereavement for the superior version of us that once thrived in trousers with a top button and commutable shoes.

In these trying times of heightened anxiety, never before have we relied on our clothes quite so much to get us through life. Sure, the Zoom shirt up top, weathered PJ bottoms below deck (or desk) had its moment and even sparked unadulterated comfort and joy at first, but after a few weeks of back-to-back Mufti Days, the novelty truly waned. We were left feeling some sort of blazer bereavement for the superior version of us that once thrived in trousers with a top button and commutable shoes.

The profoundly familiar routine of getting dressed each morning suddenly became an extraordinary pandemic-funk-busting pleasure. The day we were reunited with jeans felt like a momentous occasion in the lockdown timeline because well, we weren't just reaching for our jeans, were we?

We had been blindsided by the allure of the delightfully slobbish, bra-less life and we were reaching for the part of us that felt vaguely human and unscathed. Not the all-out polished level of style stardom that leaves the DPD driver thinking he's got the wrong house but the trusty sartorial armour that made us feel innately like our old, pre-pandemic selves.

We wanted to remember the nondescript but quietly fulfilling practice of dressing for ourselves; of fumbling over buttons in the morning and fastening jackets on our way to the office, or hurriedly applying lipstick on a jam-packed train - all the visible, tangible, physical reminders of feeling useful and prepared for the day ahead. We were looking for connection.

Choosing what to clothe our bodies with each day became a revolutionary act of self-care in a year when we were stripped of pretty much every other joyful possibility.

Choosing what to clothe our bodies with each day became a revolutionary act of self-care in a year when we were stripped of pretty much every other joyful possibility. Travel, hugs, togetherness - it was all rationed but getting out of bed every day and deciding what to wear for another 24/7 shift in the living room was one way to raise our socially-distanced spirits. We learned how to turn up for ourselves when it felt like the rest of the world physically couldn't.

Fashion phycologists call it 'enclothed cognition', essentially confirming what we already knew to be true: getting dressed makes us feel good and what we wear has an indisputable impact on our wellbeing and productivity.

The outfit of the day trend is no longer cast aside as Instagram frivolity or vanity but the ultimate 2020 antidote. Whether you found comfort in the soft neck of a warm knit, in the coats and the beanies you threw on for a blustery walk with a friend, or in the swathes of loungewear that rescued you from the vice-like grip of your wizened PJs, getting dressed has proved itself as a fundamental act of self-preservation and escapism.

To celebrate the transformative power of dressing for you, we're rounding up the mood-boosting pieces that continue to get us out of bed and into our Sunday best. From the at-home essentials to the party pants that made us feel like we could take on the world (however frightful it looked outside), here's enough feel-good fashion to fuel your positivity tank all the way to 2021.

Shop Very womenswear here!

Top Tier Comfort Dressing

Glamorised PJs, marry us. For those days when self-care is the only goal you need to achieve, effortless loungewear sets and comfy casuals are in your corner.

Wardrobe Essentials

From duvet coats and trusty workwear staples and riding boots for all British weather eventualities, Very gets those timeless, practical yet stylish wardrobe must-haves very right. This is the capsule wardrobe you can rely on when you're in the kind of coffee-deprived morning funk that leaves you putting your knickers on inside out. Twice.

Work Out, Feel Fab!

Resisting the snooze button is easier said than done when it's still dark at 7am but getting up and at 'em can do wonderful things for the always-tired girl. Whether you're starting your day with a slow flow of downward dog or heading out for a lunchtime power walk, start as you mean to go on with work out wear that inspires positivity and productivity. Go get them mood-boosting endorphins.

Everyday Denim

Never under estimate the life-changing magic of a good pair of jeans. Nothing says, 'come at me world' more so than some hardworking denim, whether it's an oversized jean jacket, a pair of straight leg jeans or a shirt dress with all the laid-back cool girl appeal, denim offers endless styling opportunities that oscillate effortlessly between smart and casual. If you gravitate towards a neutral palette or you're a minimalist at heart, your basic blues will make day-to-day dressing infinitely easier.

The WFH Home Staples

The working from home uniform brief is a tough one to answer but Very does it with aplomb. It needs to be put-together enough to repel the duvet mindset, presentable enough for Zoom but comfortable enough that it doesn't leave footprints in your skin if you're sitting down for long periods of time. Here are the pieces that get us through the 9-5 on the daily.

The Pick-Me-Up Pieces

These are the kind of soul-lifting, happy, shiny pieces that make you walk a little taller, speak a little louder and smile a little wider. So what if you're riding the bus in head-to-toe sequins! Like Vitamin D in outfit form they'll have you living your best life without inhibition, no diggity, no doubt.

We hope this post has inspired you to climb into your happiest glad rags. What feel-good style essentials do you reach for when you want to harness the power of getting dressed?

Shop Very womenswear here!
AD | This post is a paid-for advertorial with Very.

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The Power of Getting Dressed in a Year When We Didn't Really Have To - Zoella

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AD | This is a paid-for advertorial with Very Fashion is about feeling great and there's no doubt that what we wear has a unique ability to control our mood and emotions. We were left feeling some sort of blazer bereavement for the superior version of us that once thrived in trousers with a top [...]

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Perse, E.M. and Rubin, R.B. (1989) 'Attribution in social and parasocial relationships', Communication research.

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This academic article discusses the phenomenon created by Horton and Wohl in 1956. This idea helps us understand how and why audiences feel this close bond to a complete stranger. It says how viewers feel close to celebrities that are informal and seem 'real', which is exactly what Zoe started off acting like as she was videoing insights into her life.

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Marshall, P.D. (2021) ‘The commodified celebrity-self: industrialized agency and the contemporary attention economy’, Popular communication.

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Academics on the commodification of celebrities

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Academics on the commodification of celebrities

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Marshall (2021) discusses the phenomenon of the commodification of celebrities. The article discusses how celebrities are both 'extra-textual' (which means that they move from their origins into more promotional and commercialised fields) and inter-textual' (which means they spread into other cultural areas and platforms to create new meanings). Zoe does this in this era as she expands into magazines, news and creates a brand of herself.

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Han, B. (2018) 'Social media burnout: Definition, measurement instrument, and why we care', Journal of Computer Information Systems.

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This article discusses what a burnout actually is from social media, which is a type of mental exhaustion from constantly being online and feeling overwhelmed by social media being so negative. This relates to this era of Zoe's career as her step back was not purposeful but meaningful to protect herself which shows maturity. After all the controversies, it is clear to see that Zoe was having a burnout and needed a break.

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Social Media Burnout: Definition, Measurement Instrument, and Why We Care

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Social media users have shown several burnout symptoms lately. In this research, we study the social media burnout issue from three perspectives, including a user’s ambivalence, emotional exhaustio…