Where Has British Youtube Gone?

For many, the British YouTube gang - comprised of Zoe Sugg, Tanya Burr, Alfie Deyes, Jim Chapman, Marcus Butler, Louise Pentland and friends - felt like a virtual family. These YouTubers paved the way for the constant stream of new online personalities creating accounts everyday, but despite their massive followings, they seem to be falling out of the limelight.

As the first people to make careers out of talking to cameras in their bedrooms, it’s no wonder they each rose so quickly. They came with a unique personalities that were both funny and relatable -- they were what we never knew we needed.

Unfortunately, with so many trying to recreate the empires these YouTube pioneers built, the online personality has quickly become oversaturated. The British YouTube gang that used to be the center of attention is now lost amongst the millions of people trying to make it as social media stars.

It seems that the originals are taking a step back from their seven- or eight-year long careers online to refresh their content or to focus on their personal lives. However, a stall in video production and new ideas could be a sign that it’s the end of their era.

Among those who seem to have successfully evolved with online media is the power couple Jim Chapman and Tanya Burr.

Neither have skipped a beat in their content and have changed along with their aging fan base who first grew attached at a young age. These days, their content is mature and fashionable with a modern twist. Chapman has gone on to male fashion and life advice that borders on luxurious, while Burr experiments with glamorous makeup routines and glimpses of dazzling days in her life.

They don’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon with their regular stream of content and their partnerships with luxury brands such as Dior, which Burr had recently paired with in Paris.

SprinkleofGlitter, or Louise Pentland, also has continued to push through the fluctuation of personalities. She continues to post every Monday, despite a recent divorce and the birth of her second daughter, Pearl.

Of the original British YouTube group, Zoe Sugg, or Zoella, had won over the largest fan base with her girly chats and bubbly beauty hauls. In fact, she gained one million subscribers in her first year on YouTube, and now has upwards of 12 million subscribers on her main channel.

In a vlog on her second channel, Zoella recently disclosed her plan to take a break after not posting to her main channel in nearly two months. In that video she discussed not feeling comfortable with her content but being afraid to change her style and upsetting her fans.

Her boyfriend and fellow YouTube personality, Alfie Deyes, or PointlessBlog, hasn’t posted a new video to his main channel in ten months, and has chosen instead to vlog near daily on his second channel. The vlogging route is one many YouTubers are taking, including Zoella, who also posts to her second channel occasionally.