Latest / Mini Scroll / The History & Legacy of The Brit Crew: Lessons From One of The First Creator Collectives

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The History & Legacy of The Brit Crew: Lessons From One of The First Creator Collectives · Mini Scroll

• 0:00
  In April 2013, Zoe. Sugg reached a major milestone
• 0:04
  one. Million subscribers on her
• 0:06
  YouTube. Channel Zoella known for her
• 0:08
  monthly favorites, halls and casual chatty videos.
• 0:12
  Zoe had carved out a. Unique space on the platform for
• 0:15
  kind of fun content that reflected her passion for
• 0:19
  anything and everything, beauty and lifestyle.
• 0:22
  To celebrate, she uploaded a special video on April 27th,
• 0:25
  2013. But it was not a typical sit
• 0:28
  down, thank you style video. Instead, she shared a nostalgic
• 0:32
  montage, flipping through her three years on the platform so
• 0:36
  far. The video featured some of her
• 0:38
  most iconic moments, many alongside fellow creators, while
• 0:42
  Zoe's positivity, charm, and relatable content made her one
• 0:45
  of the most beloved Youtubers, particularly among teen girls.
• 0:49
  It was. Also about the company she kept,
• 0:52
  Zoe was of course a member of the Brit.
• 0:54
  Crew. One of YouTube's most famous
• 0:57
  creator friend groups of the 20 Tens, As a collector, they were
• 1:00
  not just popular, they were culture defining.
• 1:04
  Zoe's messy bun, coy smile, Peter Pan collars and red lip
• 1:08
  practically became the blueprint for the 2014 aesthetic.
• 1:12
  But their influence? Went far beyond style.
• 1:14
  Together, they changed the way that creators operated, setting
• 1:18
  trends that would shape the influencer culture for years to
• 1:21
  come. This.
• 1:22
  Is the. Story of the Brit Crew, the
• 1:25
  YouTube friend group that popularized authentic, relatable
• 1:28
  content and laid the ground around work for.
• 1:30
  The content houses and. Creator collectives that soon
• 1:34
  followed. From Centennial World, I'm
• 1:37
  Lauren. Meisner and this is infinite.
• 1:39
  Scroll a podcast. About Internet culture.
• 1:41
  The creator. Economy and how?
• 1:43
  Social media is shaping Gen. zed welcome back to infinite scroll
• 1:47
  everyone and thank you guys so much for sticking with me over
• 1:51
  these last couple of weeks while there was no deep dive and no
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  mini scroll either I just got back from Europe like less than
• 1:58
  48 hours ago. I had an amazing trip.
• 2:01
  I got to spend so much time with, you know, my friends from
• 2:04
  home, people that I grew up with.
• 2:06
  It was just so much fun. But I'm very glad to be back.
• 2:09
  And as you. Guys can tell I'm also back in
• 2:12
  studio. I know a lot of you guys really
• 2:14
  liked the cottage core vibe and I really loved it too.
• 2:18
  But I hope now for our podcast listeners at least, the sound is
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  better. It's back to normal.
• 2:24
  And I had a lot of fun recording at my family cottage.
• 2:28
  I had a lot of fun being home and spending time with my
• 2:30
  parents. And I don't know, it was like a
• 2:33
  really nice experience and I really did enjoy recording from
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  there. But I am also happy to be back
• 2:39
  in studio. I find it much easier to record
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  in studio, of course. So yeah, I'm excited to be back,
• 2:44
  but as always. Please remember.
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  Great review and subscribe. If you like this podcast, if you
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  Newsletter called infinite scroll as well on Fridays we.
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  Round up the five. Biggest think pieces from the
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  Internet that week. All right, I have.
• 3:04
  Three reviews to. Read for you guys, I came back
• 3:07
  to quite a few YouTube. Comments and I won't have.
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  Time obviously to like read all of them, but do know that I or
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  read them off here, but do know that I do read them and I so
• 3:16
  appreciate all of the time and effort that you guys take to
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  like leave us comments and all of that.
• 3:22
  But we got three reviews while I was off.
• 3:24
  So Sarah from the US says my source of chronically online
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  news. Love this show.
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  I found it when I saw a clip of Lauren and Jordy covering the
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  Colleen Ballinger drama last year and I've been listening
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  ever since. Thank you.
• 3:35
  I cannot believe that that was like, I don't know, maybe 16 or
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  17 months ago now the Colleen Ballinger.
• 3:41
  Stuff that is just so. Wild.
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  It feels like a lifetime ago, honestly.
• 3:45
  Actually it. Feels like it probably.
• 3:46
  Probably should have been. Like 3 years ago and then Sarah
• 3:49
  Phil. From Australia says this is
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  absolutely my favorite podcast. I look forward every single day
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  to a new episode which gets me through the morning.
• 3:57
  I hope you have fun on your trip, Lauren.
• 3:59
  Thank you. Well, I am back.
• 4:01
  And I did have. An amazing time it was
• 4:03
  definitely the break that I needed but I am excited to be
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  back for you every single day and then BB cat from the US says
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  addicted to mini scroll TikTok brought me to infinite scroll
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  during the Colleen scandal era. It has been an absolute joy to
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  hear and watch the pod evolve, and I love the personal
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  Hearing about the good and the bad, the struggles to keep the
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  pod going and the victories along the way is so refreshing.
• 4:27
  Always keeping it real. Oh my God, thank you.
• 4:29
  For my sake, I pray that Lauren never gives up on mini scroll on
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  days where. I'm just too busy to.
• 4:33
  Keep up with the latest Internet culture news.
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  I know that I can trust Centennial to keep me informed.
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  I feel like I never miss anything.
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  Especially love that Centennial's coverage is highly
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  researched, carefully thought out, and never biased.
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  I also highly recommend subscribing to the weekly
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  Oh my God cute thank you so much that is so sweet.
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  What an amazing review and I so love that you are also promoting
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  the newsletter because we need some more love on the
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  newsletter. So yeah, subscribe.
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  To our newsletter, it's. Similar to the podcast but it's
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  more I would. Say like trend marketing, like
• 5:12
  industry based a lot of the time like marketing industry based
• 5:16
  for Gen. Z.
• 5:16
  So it's just like a little something different.
• 5:24
  While some of us. First discovered YouTube
• 5:26
  creators through icons like Jenna Marbles, Smosh and
• 5:29
  Michelle Phan. Others, mainly younger
• 5:31
  millennials, Zillennials and older Gen.
• 5:34
  Z, were drawn in by the Brit Crew, a friendship group of
• 5:37
  around 9 Youtubers who completely dominated the
• 5:40
  platform through the 20 tens. If you are online and sentient
• 5:44
  between 2012 and 2017, chances are you are familiar with the
• 5:48
  Brit Crew and you probably struggled to avoid them.
• 5:51
  The core group was made-up of siblings Zoe and Joe Sugg, Alfie
• 5:55
  Days, Jim Chapman, Tanya Burr, Marcus Butler, Naomi Smart,
• 5:59
  Casper Lee, and of course, Louise Pentland.
• 6:02
  Zoe, as I mentioned in the intro, was arguably the most
• 6:05
  famous member of the Brit Crew. She first gained traction in
• 6:08
  2009 with her blog Zoella, where she wrote about everything from
• 6:13
  makeup and beauty to more personal stories.
• 6:15
  Her first post, I Love Lush, was a review of some products her
• 6:19
  boyfriend at the time had bought her for Valentine's Day.
• 6:22
  While juggling her blog with an apprenticeship in interior
• 6:25
  design, Zoe continued to grow her following, which eventually
• 6:28
  LED her to start a YouTube channel.
• 6:30
  That same year, she posted her first video, though it has since
• 6:33
  been deleted. Zoe gradually became more
• 6:35
  comfortable on camera, posting content like the sibling tag
• 6:39
  where she introduced her brother Joe Sugg, and Primark Halls,
• 6:42
  which became extremely popular. One of Zoe's first friends in
• 6:46
  the online world was Louise Pentland.
• 6:48
  The two met in 2010. Though the exact story.
• 6:50
  Varies depending on who you ask. In Zoe's Draw My Life video, she
• 6:55
  mentioned that Louise reached out after reading her blog,
• 6:57
  asking if she could send her a card.
• 6:59
  They stayed in touch and formed a close friendship.
• 7:02
  Louise, on the other hand, recalled meeting her at a
• 7:05
  Blogger event. Either way, their bond grew
• 7:07
  quickly. Louise was already running her
• 7:09
  own blog and YouTube channel at the time called Sprinkle of
• 7:12
  Glitter, where she posted beauty and lifestyle content along with
• 7:15
  pregnancy updates. She was expecting her first
• 7:18
  child, Darcy, who soon became known to her followers as Baby
• 7:21
  Glitter. Louise had also been open about
• 7:23
  the challenges in her life. Particularly the abuse she.
• 7:26
  Experienced from her stepmom after losing her mom at a young
• 7:29
  age. While Zoe and Louise began their
• 7:32
  careers as bloggers, the path was different for many members
• 7:35
  of the Brit crew. Tonya Burr, a makeup artist,
• 7:38
  began her YouTube channel in 2009 with tutorials.
• 7:41
  Her earliest videos were celebrity inspired, featuring
• 7:44
  looks based on characters like Serena Vander Woodson from from
• 7:46
  Gossip Girl and Emma Watson. Tanya was encouraged to start a
• 7:49
  channel. By Samantha and Nicola Chapman,
• 7:52
  the creators of Pixie Woo, an iconic beauty channel at the
• 7:55
  time, and the founders of the makeup brand Real Techniques.
• 7:58
  Tanya had modeled for them on their channel and was also
• 8:01
  dating their brother Jim Chapman, who was another member
• 8:04
  of the Brit crew. Jim launched his channel Jimmy
• 8:07
  Boba in 2009. Where he posted travel content.
• 8:11
  Lifestyle videos and grooming tips catering towards men.
• 8:14
  In his Draw My Life video, Jim explained that he was inspired
• 8:18
  by Tanya after appearing in one of her videos.
• 8:20
  He quickly fell in love with content creation and followed
• 8:23
  her lead. The two eventually married in
• 8:25
  2015. Creators like Alfie Days and
• 8:29
  Marcus Butler also jumped straight into making content on
• 8:32
  YouTube. Alfie, who gained popularity
• 8:34
  through his channel Pointless Blog, started in 2009.
• 8:37
  In the early days. His content didn't have a
• 8:40
  specific focus, he shared everything from compilations of
• 8:43
  different. Colorful T-shirts to.
• 8:45
  Rants and chatty videos. Marcus.
• 8:47
  Butler's story was similar. He initially created music and
• 8:50
  video mixes, but by. January 2010 he pivoted to a
• 8:54
  more personality driven channel, Marcus Butler TV, where he
• 8:57
  posted. Challenges and conversational
• 8:59
  content. Funnily enough, many members of
• 9:02
  the Brit crew ended up coupling up.
• 9:04
  Tanya and Jim were already together when they got big on
• 9:07
  YouTube, but Alfie and Zoe started officially dating in
• 9:10
  2013 after being shipped relentlessly by their viewers.
• 9:14
  More on that later. Marcus was dating Naomi Smart
• 9:17
  and helped launch her own YouTube channel in 2011, which
• 9:21
  was of course. A bit later than the rest.
• 9:23
  Once Naomi got into YouTube, she made videos focusing on
• 9:26
  Wellness, nutrition and beauty. Zoe's younger brother Joe Sugg
• 9:31
  was also brought into the fold through his sister.
• 9:33
  On November 14th, 2011, Joe launched his YouTube channel
• 9:37
  Thatcher Joe, named after his then apprenticeship as a roof
• 9:40
  Thatcher. In his introductory video, Joe
• 9:43
  explained that people had been asking him to make YouTube
• 9:45
  videos after after he appeared on Zoe's channel.
• 9:48
  He quickly. Carved out his own niche,
• 9:50
  becoming known for his pranks, impressions, and challenge
• 9:53
  videos. He even originated the popular
• 9:55
  Whisper Challenge. Some of Joe's most popular
• 9:58
  videos were with Casper Lee, another member of the Brit crew.
• 10:01
  The two would go back and forth, pranking each other as they were
• 10:04
  housemates around 2014. Casper, who was born in.
• 10:07
  England and raised in South Africa.
• 10:09
  Started his channel three years. Earlier under the name Die.
• 10:12
  CASP because he quote. Wanted to be a director and my
• 10:15
  name is Casper so I put the two words together.
• 10:18
  He had tried to build a following on YouTube.
• 10:20
  Three times before cracking success.
• 10:22
  On the platform. That being said, his.
• 10:24
  Earliest. Videos were very much similar to
• 10:27
  others of the Brit crew, with many of them being comedic in
• 10:30
  nature. And vlog style content alongside
• 10:32
  the main. Creators.
• 10:33
  There were several influencers closely associated with the Brit
• 10:36
  crew, though not exactly part of the core group, some of these
• 10:40
  included. Tyler.
• 10:41
  Oakley and Troy Sivan, neither of whom were English, but both
• 10:44
  frequently collaborated with the Brit crew at YouTube conventions
• 10:48
  like Vidcon. Then there.
• 10:49
  Was Jack's gap. A channel run by twins Jack and
• 10:52
  Finn Harry's. Jack originally.
• 10:54
  Launched the channel to document his gap year in 2011, but it
• 10:58
  soon evolved into a more casual vlogging channel, with Finn
• 11:01
  regularly featuring in the videos.
• 11:03
  Despite its massive popularity, the duo stepped back from
• 11:06
  YouTube, deleting their social media presence around 2017, well
• 11:11
  before anyone else in the Brit crew.
• 11:13
  Dan Howell, Formally Dan is not on fire and Phil Esther, Amazing
• 11:17
  Phil were also linked to the Brit crew.
• 11:20
  Dan and Phil were beloved for their Phil.
• 11:22
  Is not on fire collaborations and many fans shipped them as a
• 11:25
  couple. While not core.
• 11:27
  Brit crew members they were. Friends with many.
• 11:29
  Of the group's creators and had notable collaborations,
• 11:32
  especially. With Louise lastly fun for.
• 11:35
  Louie and Ollie White TV had ties to the Brit crew as well.
• 11:39
  Fun for Louie? Known for his travel vlogs
• 11:41
  gained popularity around the same time as the Brit crew.
• 11:44
  And often appeared at the. Same events making regular
• 11:47
  cameos in their vlogs. However, since his niche was.
• 11:49
  Travel, he wasn't. Entirely associated with the
• 11:52
  group. Meanwhile, Ollie White was
• 11:54
  associated. With the Brit crew through.
• 11:56
  Frequent. Collaborations with Joe and
• 11:57
  Casper With this context, it's clear that the Brit crew formed
• 12:01
  partly due to existing friendships and partly.
• 12:04
  Because they were all. Gaining traction on YouTube
• 12:06
  around the same time in a. 2022 Interview.
• 12:09
  With Rolling Stone journalist Amelia Tate, Jim reflected on
• 12:12
  how the group naturally came together.
• 12:14
  Quote Chapman reveals that before influence, influencing
• 12:17
  was a. Career vlogging was.
• 12:18
  Quote underground. Those who did it naturally
• 12:21
  bonded over the strange new world they inhabited, Tate
• 12:24
  writes. Once that friendship was
• 12:26
  cemented, the crew. Posted on a schedule and
• 12:28
  promoted each other in. Collapse it.
• 12:31
  Also helped that at the peak of the Brit.
• 12:33
  Crew's fame, they. Were all.
• 12:34
  Represented by the same talent agency, Gleam Futures, this
• 12:38
  connection not only solidified their identity as a group, but
• 12:42
  also played a significant. Role in their collective
• 12:44
  success. One of the first social talent
• 12:47
  management agencies, GLEAM was founded in 2010 and quickly
• 12:51
  capitalized on the rise of. Influencers.
• 12:53
  By signing the entire Brit crew, Gleam tapped into a ready.
• 12:56
  And eager audience willing to go to great.
• 12:59
  Lengths. To support their favorite
• 13:00
  creators. And that audience was massive.
• 13:03
  And honestly? Still is, as Amelia Tate noted
• 13:06
  in her Rolling Stone piece. Quote Combined, the Brit crew
• 13:09
  still have more than 42. Million subscribers years after
• 13:13
  their peak. The reason the Brit crew has
• 13:16
  managed to. Maintain such a huge.
• 13:18
  Following comes down to a couple of reasons, but one of the most.
• 13:21
  Important aspects of their success was the rate at which
• 13:24
  they collaborated with one another while collaborations.
• 13:27
  Between. Youtubers have always been
• 13:29
  popular. The brick crew took.
• 13:30
  It to the next level by forming a tight knit group of creators
• 13:33
  who consistently appeared. In each other's content almost
• 13:36
  every week 1. Member would collaborate with
• 13:39
  another or make an appearance. In someone else's vlog,
• 13:41
  especially during vlogmas, it was this constant.
• 13:45
  Cross promotion that helped. Helped cement them as a group
• 13:48
  and contributed to their. Massive shared audience.
• 13:51
  Some of the most iconic. Collaborations from this era
• 13:53
  include. Louise and Zoe's beloved chummy
• 13:55
  Christmas gift. Exchanges Joe Suggs popular
• 13:58
  YouTube whispers and Innuendo bingo challenge videos.
• 14:02
  And any collaboration between Zoe?
• 14:04
  And Elfie, which fans loved because they felt like they
• 14:07
  were. Witnessing the couple's
• 14:08
  relationship develop in real time one of the most iconic.
• 14:11
  Collaborations is Zelfie's How well do we know each other?
• 14:14
  Video, which has become the second most popular video on
• 14:17
  Zoella's channel, amassing over 20 million.
• 14:20
  Views. On top of their regular.
• 14:22
  Collaborations whenever the Brit.
• 14:24
  Crew attended an influencer event.
• 14:26
  Fans. Knew that they could expect.
• 14:28
  Up to nine different. Vlogs, each showing a slightly
• 14:31
  different perspective of the same experience.
• 14:33
  Viewers loved this as. Many of them had developed some
• 14:37
  sort of parasocial. Relationship with the friend
• 14:39
  group. By this point watching videos
• 14:41
  from all the members. Left viewers feeling like they
• 14:44
  were truly part of the day, even if they were essentially only
• 14:46
  watching the same. Video 9 times over.
• 14:49
  This was particularly popular during major YouTube conventions
• 14:53
  like Vidcon, Playlist Live and Summer in the City, where the
• 14:56
  Brit crew's. Overlapping content was at its
• 14:58
  peak. Aside from bringing their
• 15:00
  audience into their quote UN quote friend group, the Brit
• 15:03
  crew managed to build. Such a strong following by
• 15:06
  leaning. Toward family friendly and brand
• 15:08
  safe content while they occasionally.
• 15:10
  Cussed or touched on more adult topics.
• 15:13
  Those moments were often censored the idea that an an.
• 15:16
  Entire friend group of content creators.
• 15:18
  Who cater to teenagers would choose to censor out every
• 15:22
  mature subject that comes up. May seem unusual today, but this
• 15:26
  was before the rise of story time content.
• 15:28
  True. Crime and other unfiltered
• 15:30
  genres that now dominate. YouTube don't get.
• 15:33
  Me wrong. There were definitely non family
• 15:35
  friendly moments and teens were. Watching it but the brick.
• 15:38
  Crews general approach made them incredibly brand safe paving.
• 15:43
  The way for their financial. Success and their financial
• 15:46
  success. Was abundant.
• 15:47
  The Brit crew managed to snag various brand deals, commercial
• 15:51
  opportunities and sponsorships, but through.
• 15:53
  It all. They still maintained a sense.
• 15:55
  Of relatability. This relatability.
• 15:58
  In turn, became one of the. Key drivers to their viral
• 16:01
  success after. Years of watching skits and
• 16:04
  scripted comedic content, audiences found a welcome change
• 16:08
  in. Seeing a group of friends.
• 16:09
  Casually doing random challenges.
• 16:11
  And sharing their everyday experiences.
• 16:13
  Teen girls in particular found themselves drawn to with this
• 16:17
  kind of content. Many of the Brit crew score
• 16:19
  audience would have been about 10.
• 16:20
  Years younger than the creators themselves.
• 16:23
  For these viewers, it felt cool to have these.
• 16:25
  Sibling like relationships with them, these creators offered a
• 16:28
  glimpse into their lives that felt personal, especially as
• 16:31
  their friendship solidified, inside jokes emerged and they
• 16:35
  began coupling up. It gave a young audience a sense
• 16:38
  of insight into a world that felt both aspirational and.
• 16:41
  Relatable. However, we should also.
• 16:43
  Acknowledge that many of the Brit crew benefited from the of
• 16:47
  being white and conventionally. Attractive, especially the men.
• 16:51
  Their content wasn't. Necessarily revolutionary, but
• 16:54
  it did, clearly. Resonate the standard for
• 16:56
  quality. Content creation was also
• 16:58
  extremely. Different from what we see
• 17:00
  today, nonetheless, their appeal came from offering viewers a
• 17:04
  window into their quote UN quote ordinary lives, making them feel
• 17:07
  connected and invested. In the group as they.
• 17:09
  Grew older. With all that in mind, let's
• 17:12
  dive into some of the most iconic moments that helped.
• 17:15
  Shape the Brit crew's. Digital footprint While this
• 17:18
  won't be an exhaustive list after all, the group dominated
• 17:21
  YouTube for nearly a decade. These are a couple of
• 17:25
  unforgettable moments that spurred extensive discourse
• 17:28
  among fans. The first iconic moment was the
• 17:31
  accidental. Leak of Zoe and Alfie's.
• 17:33
  Relationship by Jim Chapman Despite fans relentlessly
• 17:37
  shipping Zelfie, the two Youtubers denied any.
• 17:40
  Romantic involvement stating they were.
• 17:42
  Just friends in a 2013 Valentine's Day themed video.
• 17:46
  However, this all. Changed in August of that year
• 17:49
  when Jim uploaded what? Seemed like a normal vlog.
• 17:52
  Internet Sluice quickly spotted a screensaver on Zoe's laptop, a
• 17:56
  photo of her and Alfie kissing, which sent the Internet.
• 18:00
  Into a frenzy. Zoe later confirmed their
• 18:02
  relationship in a now deleted blog post stating quote.
• 18:06
  We decided to keep it to ourselves and hang back a bit
• 18:09
  until we were. Ready to chat about it with you
• 18:11
  all? Aside from being 1/2 of the.
• 18:13
  YouTube power couples Alfie Alfie.
• 18:15
  Was also a member of the short lived YouTube Boy Band alongside
• 18:19
  Marcus, Jim, Casper and Joe. The boy band.
• 18:22
  Followed A2013 video. Posted on Marcus's channel.
• 18:25
  Featuring Alfie, Joe and Jim singing some rather questionable
• 18:29
  karaoke. Nevertheless, the group came
• 18:32
  together to cover McFly. 'S it's all about you as part
• 18:35
  of. Sports Relief's charity
• 18:36
  fundraiser. In the video, the creators
• 18:38
  embraced classic 2010's boy band aesthetics wearing matching
• 18:41
  white. Suits and sunglasses.
• 18:43
  The video has since reached over 15 million views.
• 18:47
  With members of the Brit crew being tapped for philanthropic
• 18:49
  pursuits, it wasn't long before they started capitalizing on
• 18:53
  their viral. Fame in a commercial capacity.
• 18:55
  Zoe, for instance, launched Zoella Beauty, a bath and body
• 18:59
  line in September 2014. The initial product launched
• 19:02
  featured 7 products including a body mist and a bath bomb, all
• 19:06
  adorned with polka dotted pastel designs.
• 19:08
  The line was well received by her fans.
• 19:11
  Especially. Because of the reasonable price
• 19:13
  point, Zoe continued to work on Zoella Beauty until the brand
• 19:16
  was discontinued in 2019. In a video, Zoe explained her
• 19:20
  decision. I I didn't find working with my
• 19:23
  licensing company as positive as I had once found it.
• 19:27
  I just didn't feel that we had the same vision for what the
• 19:32
  brand. Could be many members of the
• 19:35
  Brit. Crew would.
• 19:36
  Also go on to publish. Books.
• 19:38
  Louise published a series of novels and lifestyle books
• 19:40
  centered around motherhood. And beauty Joe authored a
• 19:44
  graphic novel. Username Evie and a semi.
• 19:47
  Autobiographical guide to navigating life in the digital
• 19:50
  age. Alfie also published 3 books.
• 19:52
  As part of his interactive. Pointless book series and later.
• 19:56
  Penned an autobiography, The Scrapbook.
• 19:58
  Of my life. Marcus also joined the ranks of
• 20:00
  published authors with his autobiography.
• 20:03
  Hello Life. But it was Zoe's 2014 novel Girl
• 20:07
  Online that stirred the most controversy.
• 20:10
  Commercially, the book was a huge.
• 20:12
  Success. Selling over 78,000.
• 20:14
  Copies in the first week. Quote five times as many.
• 20:18
  As 50 Shades of Grey sold in its first week.
• 20:21
  As the Independent reported, however, when it was revealed.
• 20:24
  That Zoe had received help from a ghostwriter.
• 20:26
  Many Internet users were outraged, accusing her of being
• 20:30
  misleading. One Twitter user wrote quote.
• 20:32
  I'm happy for Zoe, doing well for herself and all, but having
• 20:35
  a novel ghost. Written for you and then.
• 20:37
  Slapping your name on it. Isn't cool Penguin Publishing?
• 20:40
  Later confirmed quote Zoe Sugg did not write the book Girl
• 20:44
  Online on her own. Zoe responded on Twitter saying
• 20:47
  quote, everyone needs help when they try something new.
• 20:50
  The story and the characters of Girl Online are mine now.
• 20:53
  It is worth noting that ghost writing is a common practice,
• 20:57
  especially among celebrities, and Zoe certainly wasn't the
• 21:00
  1st. Or the last public figure.
• 21:03
  To get help writing a book, however, given her.
• 21:05
  Rise as a Blogger. And the close parasocial
• 21:08
  relationship that she developed with her audience built on
• 21:11
  honesty and access. The revelation didn't sit well.
• 21:14
  Despite the backlash. Zoe went on to write two more
• 21:17
  novels. As part of the girl.
• 21:18
  Online series While Girl Online was controversial, it wasn't
• 21:22
  what led to the demise. Of the Brit crew.
• 21:24
  As Amelia Tate so rightly puts for the Rolling Stone, there
• 21:27
  were three things that made the Brit crew famous.
• 21:30
  Quote They were relatable. They were.
• 21:32
  Wholesome and they were young, but with money, scandals and the
• 21:35
  slow March of time, none of those things.
• 21:38
  Could last the bubble. Around the Brick Crew finally
• 21:41
  burst around 2017. Although there were no Shane
• 21:44
  Dawson level cancellations, the group gradually began losing
• 21:48
  relevance in the latter half of the 20 tens.
• 21:51
  That's not to. Say these creators are
• 21:52
  irrelevant. Today, many have moved on to new
• 21:55
  ventures and continue to hold an important place in Internet
• 21:58
  history. However, several factors
• 22:00
  contributed to their decline in. Viewership and relevancy.
• 22:03
  First and foremost, the group began to lose their sense of
• 22:06
  relatability. And authenticity it's not.
• 22:08
  Uncommon for quote UN quote relatable vloggers to become
• 22:11
  unrelatable as they land lucrative brand deals and enjoy
• 22:15
  other high profile opportunities when a creator has established.
• 22:18
  A strong. Parasocial relationship with
• 22:20
  their audience viewers can sometimes.
• 22:22
  Be happy to see their. Success.
• 22:23
  However, many viewers were unaware of how influencer brand
• 22:27
  deals, affiliate links, and sponsorships worked during the
• 22:31
  Brit Cruise rise. As more people began to
• 22:33
  understand how much these creators and their friendships
• 22:36
  had become commodified, the magic just started to fade.
• 22:40
  Still, there were a few specific moments that ultimately
• 22:44
  shattered the Brick Cruise facade of Relatability First.
• 22:47
  There was the Hello World. Convention in October 2017, or
• 22:51
  as some might call it, the Tanicon Before a Tanicon, Hello
• 22:55
  World was designed to offer a new way to attend a YouTube
• 22:58
  convention and meet popular creators in a promotional video
• 23:02
  for the events YouTube channel. It was described as the.
• 23:04
  Daytime experience and a nighttime.
• 23:06
  Show the plan was to feature different stages and areas.
• 23:09
  With various activities, as Alfie put it.
• 23:11
  It's not about queuing up hours and hours to meet Youtubers and
• 23:14
  having nothing else to do and being bored out of your brain.
• 23:17
  However, things didn't go as planned on the day of the
• 23:20
  convention. Fans and parents were left
• 23:22
  disappointed, according to BBC's reporting at the time attendees.
• 23:26
  Felt the event. Was oversold with minimal
• 23:28
  activities and supposedly very few Youtubers present.
• 23:32
  Even some likened the event to a money.
• 23:34
  Grab, especially because the Brit.
• 23:35
  Crew formed a company, Crew Live Limited, to launch the event.
• 23:39
  That being said, in the 2020. Two interview with Rolling
• 23:42
  Stone. Marcus Butler clarified that he
• 23:44
  never received any money from the event.
• 23:47
  Jim went on to reflect on the group's failures, telling the
• 23:50
  journalist. Quote we rushed it.
• 23:52
  I think we. Were all a bit like.
• 23:53
  We can do it better because we know what's up.
• 23:55
  In reality, we might have bitten off more than we could chew.
• 23:59
  Whether or not the Brit Crew's intentions with Hello World were
• 24:02
  genuine, it didn't matter. It was one of the first times
• 24:05
  audiences had enough insight into the viral space to
• 24:08
  recognize what had gone wrong and to demand better from the
• 24:11
  Brit Crew, a trend that would only grow as cancel culture
• 24:14
  intensified and apology videos became the norm just a month
• 24:18
  after Hello. World, Zoe.
• 24:19
  Found herself in another scandal known for.
• 24:22
  Her love of Christmas. She decided to incorporate this
• 24:25
  into her lifestyle brand, releasing a 12 day advent
• 24:28
  calendar. That was priced at 50.
• 24:30
  Pounds consumers quickly complained that the content
• 24:33
  pence just didn't justify the price.
• 24:35
  The calendar included items like a key ring, pen, bobble, cookie
• 24:39
  cutter, jotter, candle and stickers, none of which were
• 24:43
  considered particularly pricey. YouTube Jack Mate was one of the
• 24:46
  most vocal critics, making a video reviewing the advent
• 24:50
  calendar and. Accusing Zoe of quote.
• 24:52
  Exploiting young fans loyalty. At the time of recording, it
• 24:55
  currently sits at 6.4 million views, being Jack's second most
• 25:00
  popular video on his channel. All in all this controversy,
• 25:03
  Percy further damaged Zoe's image, with many seeing the
• 25:06
  advent calendar as another cash grab.
• 25:08
  Around the same time, viewers began speculating whether Louise
• 25:12
  and Zoe had fallen out, leaving Brick Crew fans feeling more
• 25:15
  distant from their favorite creators.
• 25:17
  Essentially, the two had stopped appearing in each other's
• 25:19
  content. Their last gift exchange was in
• 25:22
  2016, sparking rumors that something significant had
• 25:25
  happened between them, potentially at Hello World,
• 25:28
  despite the speculation. Neither Zoe nor Louise have.
• 25:31
  Ever addressed the situation directly.
• 25:34
  While some believe something specific caused the rift, others
• 25:37
  suggest they simply grew apart and now have a more mature
• 25:41
  distant. Friendship.
• 25:42
  The pair did appear. Together in a live stream in
• 25:44
  2020. But beyond that, they rarely
• 25:47
  interact publicly. This perceived decline of their
• 25:49
  friendship LED some viewers to question whether the Brick
• 25:52
  Cruise dynamic had been more manufactured by management than
• 25:56
  genuine. Many began to wonder if Zoe and
• 25:59
  Louise were. More like colleagues.
• 26:01
  Than the close friends that they once seemed, further eroding the
• 26:04
  group's authenticity. In the eyes of their.
• 26:06
  Audience as the bubble burst around zoella, Alfie faced his
• 26:10
  own scandal that further questioned the.
• 26:12
  Relatability of these creators. In June 2018, Alfie posted a
• 26:16
  challenge video titled Spending 1 LB in 24 Hours.
• 26:20
  Where the? Goal was to spend less than
• 26:21
  £1.00 on food and drink for the entire day.
• 26:24
  The video drew criticism for its insensitivity as Alfie
• 26:28
  complained about having to drink tap water and went on a shopping
• 26:31
  spree, saying that the purchase it didn't count because they
• 26:34
  were not food or water. Many social media users accused
• 26:38
  him of failing to acknowledge his privilege and being ignorant
• 26:41
  of the reality that many people live under such financial
• 26:44
  constraints every day. Alfie later apologized for the
• 26:47
  video, which sparked one of the most iconic memes to emerge from
• 26:51
  the Brit crew. In the video he clarified his
• 26:53
  political stance, saying I just wanted 100% clear up right now
• 26:58
  that I'm not a Tory, referring to the Conservative Party in the
• 27:01
  UK. Many social media users would go
• 27:04
  on to mock him for feeling like he had to make this
• 27:07
  clarification. Ultimately, this video from
• 27:09
  Alfie is emblematic of another reason why the Brit Crew
• 27:12
  declined. The creators and their viewers
• 27:15
  simply aged out of the wholesome cookie cutter content that made
• 27:18
  them famous in the 1st place. Through the late 2010's many
• 27:22
  Brit Crew creators seemingly struggled to rebrand or find
• 27:25
  content that resonated with more grown up audiences.
• 27:28
  Alfie's attempt at the £1.00 a day challenge is a case in
• 27:31
  point. In a 2022 interview with
• 27:34
  Stephen. Bartlett of the Diary.
• 27:35
  Of ACEO Podcast, Joe reflected on this transitional period and
• 27:39
  why he believes that his viewership changed.
• 27:41
  Well, the audience I had back then, they've all got older, I
• 27:44
  presume. A lot once started watching me
• 27:45
  when they were 1415. They're all now in their 20s.
• 27:49
  They've got their own stuff going on and the stuff that I
• 27:52
  knew how to make back then is not what they want to consume
• 27:56
  now as content. It's what I sort of.
• 27:59
  Even Zoe, who had. Become one of the most well
• 28:01
  established and popular. Creators in the space.
• 28:03
  Also appeared lost during this period.
• 28:06
  She continued to make typical lifestyle content through 2017
• 28:09
  and the first half of 2018, but later cut down on her frequency
• 28:13
  of. Uploads the last video, Zoe.
• 28:15
  Posted on her Zoella channel, which currently sits at 10.6
• 28:19
  million subscribers, was a pizza taste test from June 2018.
• 28:23
  With Zoe and other Brit Crew creators stepping back, it was
• 28:27
  also clear that many of them didn't necessarily enjoy making
• 28:30
  challenge and trend based content anymore.
• 28:33
  While Zoe continued to gain millions of views, the
• 28:36
  excitement was no longer there, partly because we had seen it
• 28:39
  all before. This leads to the third reason
• 28:41
  for the brick Cruise decline. The digital landscape had
• 28:44
  shifted entirely and the content they were producing years
• 28:47
  earlier just wouldn't cut it anymore.
• 28:50
  By 2017, as the Internet became increasingly oversaturated, we
• 28:54
  saw the rise of intense, fast-paced and often
• 28:57
  confrontational content and creators.
• 29:00
  The Internet had moved away from wholesome Youtubers.
• 29:02
  And embraced characters like Tana.
• 29:04
  Mojo and Jake Paul. This was.
• 29:06
  The peak of Team 10, Story times and flex culture.
• 29:10
  Audiences have grown tired of sanitized and family friendly
• 29:13
  content. Exactly what the Brit crew
• 29:15
  thrived on while videos like Jake Paul.
• 29:18
  'S it's everyday bro weren't. Exactly something to write home
• 29:21
  about. They symbolized just how much
• 29:23
  YouTube had changed since the Brit crew first emerged.
• 29:26
  The algorithm evolved, viewer preferences shifted, and the OG
• 29:30
  British Youtubers either couldn't.
• 29:32
  Keep up. Or they just didn't want to.
• 29:34
  Now, with that being said, many of the Brit crew members have
• 29:37
  moved on from the content they became famous for.
• 29:40
  Zoe and Alfie are engaged with two children, with Zoe
• 29:43
  frequently vlogging on her second channel.
• 29:45
  Zoe. Sugg, her vlogging channel has
• 29:47
  almost 5 million subscribers, with each video gaining hundreds
• 29:50
  of thousands. Of views while.
• 29:52
  Zelfie is going strong. Other Brit Crew couples haven't
• 29:55
  stood the test of time. Tanya and Jim divorced in 2019.
• 29:58
  19 after 12 years. Together Viewers who felt
• 30:01
  invested in their relationship were shocked by this
• 30:04
  announcement. Both Youtubers took to social
• 30:06
  media to announce their split, with Tanya writing quote.
• 30:09
  Jim and I made the painful decision to no longer be
• 30:11
  together. We have a huge amount of love
• 30:13
  and respect for each other and will continue to remain friends
• 30:16
  forever. Funnily enough, viewers seem to
• 30:18
  be most concerned. About the whereabouts of their
• 30:21
  shared dog. Martha People continue to obsess
• 30:24
  over Martha, with Tanya allegedly blocking the words
• 30:27
  Martha and Sausage from her Instagram comments, which just
• 30:31
  LED users to find workarounds by commenting things like Where's
• 30:34
  the Hound? Despite the whole Martha
• 30:36
  debacle, both Youtubers have remained in the entertainment
• 30:39
  world. Tanya is pursuing an acting
• 30:41
  career, while Jim continues to post on YouTube, focusing on
• 30:44
  family and lifestyle content. Jim has remarried and has two
• 30:48
  children, while Tanya has one child of her own.
• 30:51
  Tanya has also recently returned to YouTube after taking a five
• 30:54
  year hiatus. Naomi and Louise also continue
• 30:57
  to post on social media. Naomi is mostly active on
• 31:00
  YouTube. Instagram and sub stack.
• 31:02
  Creating well-being and healthy lifestyle content, Louise
• 31:05
  continues to post on YouTube and TikTok.
• 31:07
  However, she now posts under her real name rather than sprinkle
• 31:11
  of glitter. She has even started including
• 31:13
  her daughter and now 13 year old baby glitter in her content.
• 31:17
  Other members of the Brit. Crew have taken a step back from
• 31:20
  content creation altogether. Marcus left YouTube in 2018 and
• 31:24
  is now living in Germany to pursue modeling and DJing.
• 31:27
  Meanwhile, Casper Amber has pivoted towards investment and
• 31:30
  entrepreneurship, founding multiple businesses, and was
• 31:33
  named in Forbes 30 Under 30 for his work in media.
• 31:37
  His last YouTube video, posted in 2023, was a surprise proposal
• 31:41
  to his fiance, Amber Driscoll. One of Casper's ventures is MVE
• 31:45
  Management, a global talent management company he founded
• 31:48
  with Joe. Sugg, like Zoe?
• 31:50
  Joe continues. To post vlogs on his second
• 31:52
  channel, Thatcher Joe vlogs. However, he has also shifted
• 31:56
  towards mainstream media, appearing on various television
• 31:59
  shows such as The Great British Bake Off and Strictly Come
• 32:02
  Dancing and performing in waitress on the West End, while
• 32:05
  the last few. Years of the Brit cruise.
• 32:07
  Journey were marked by scandal and difficulty adapting to the
• 32:10
  changing digital landscape. Their impact on influencer
• 32:13
  culture remains profound. As one of the pioneering YouTube
• 32:17
  friend groups, they set a precedent for online content
• 32:20
  creation. Their frequent collaborations
• 32:22
  and ventures into publishing and brands were among the earliest
• 32:25
  successful transitions into mainstream fame.
• 32:28
  Thinking back to 2014 and 2015, you couldn't walk into a
• 32:32
  bookstore without seeing Girl Online or the pointless book on
• 32:35
  display. Their collaborations, though
• 32:37
  they may now seem simplistic, were revolutionary at the time.
• 32:41
  They transformed vlogging by largely moving away from
• 32:44
  scripted skits and focusing on their genuine everyday lives and
• 32:48
  friendships, even if some moments like Casper and Joe's
• 32:50
  prank war. Were a bit over the top this
• 32:53
  shift. Towards more authentic,
• 32:55
  relatable content paved the way for years to come.
• 32:58
  Since then, we've witnessed numerous creator friend groups
• 33:01
  and collectives rise and fall. While the Brit Crew wasn't
• 33:04
  billed as a content house per SE, their constant
• 33:07
  collaborations and business ventures certainly operated like
• 33:10
  one. But one major difference
• 33:12
  remains. The Brit Crew managed to
• 33:14
  maintain a sense of authenticity for a very long time, partly due
• 33:18
  to the absence of a central platform.
• 33:21
  Take the Vlog Squad for example, which gained prominence
• 33:24
  primarily through David Dobrik's channel.
• 33:26
  This was quite different from the Brit Crew, where each member
• 33:29
  shared content on their own individual channels, helping to
• 33:32
  build a. Deeper.
• 33:33
  Parasocial connection with their followers.
• 33:36
  Ultimately, the Brit crew proved that influencers could be
• 33:39
  valuable not just individually but as a group with the likes.
• 33:43
  Of the clout house. Team 10, Hype House and the Sway
• 33:47
  House, the next generation of creators, honed this approach.
• 33:50
  While there have been some breakout stars in each of those
• 33:53
  groups, none have seen every member established their niche
• 33:57
  as successfully. As.
• 33:58
  Each Brit Crew member. Whether this is due to a more
• 34:01
  crowded landscape or viewer fatigue from constant drama
• 34:05
  within these groups, it's clear that no other friendship group
• 34:09
  or content house has matched the Brit Crew's longevity, influence
• 34:14
  and success. And who is?
• 34:15
  To say if that will. Ever happen again?
• 34:18
  Infinite Scroll is a podcast produced and presented by me,
• 34:22
  Lauren Meisner for Centennial. World.
• 34:24
  This episode was Co researched and written by Annabelle and
• 34:28
  David and Co researched and edited by Danny Fennick.
• 34:31
  Thank you guys so much for listening.
• 34:34
  I love you guys and I will talk to you next week.
• 34:37
  Bye.