Rise of the Superstar Vloggers

This programme contains some strong language.

Video sharing online has revolutionised the way

-we connect with each other for ever.

-This is mental!

Now everybody can share anything and everything with anyone.

Let's talk about the G spot!

And it's given birth to a new breed of celebrity.

That looks good. Can you do that on here?

By simply turning the camera on themselves, vloggers -

video bloggers - have billions of people watching them online.

You feel like you know them even though you haven't met.

They're sticking two fingers up to the old media establishment.

This is so cool!

They sell out stadiums and have fan bases boy bands would kill for.

SCREAMING

With jet-set lifestyles, record-breaking book and DVD sales,

they're mixing with Hollywood A-listers

-and have the ear of the world's most powerful people.

-Michelle Obama!

This new media landscape has the power to transform lives,

-but there's also a darker side.

-That is harassment, violation, assault.

I was miserable.

Vloggers are now amongst the most influential people on the planet.

# ..We are your friends... #

This is the Rise Of The Superstar Vloggers.

Hello, best friends. Here I am vlogging, filming my YouTube channel stuff.

I'm here at Jamie Oliver's kitchen. Here he is.

Today's been mental. That was a fun flight, wasn't it?

It's going to be a good day today.

'I'm Jim Chapman and I make a living by filming my everyday life

'and uploading it to the internet.'

Yeah, should be really, really fun.

'I film anything, from my weekly shop, to my dog Martha.'

Go on, then!

'It started for me five years ago.

'My sisters were posting videos online which were gaining

'in popularity, so I thought I'd give it a try.'

Hi, YouTube.

Erm, so this video is basically based on the mistakes that

I made whilst camping at a festival.

This is the first video that's actually on my channel.

So at 22, I think I was when I was doing this,

I didn't really have many friends.

If you haven't watched it yet, go back and watch it now.

Just really wasn't happy. In fact, I'd go as far as to say I was miserable.

I mean, when I first started, really,

it's kind of like an antisocial way of the social, because you're

just talking to a camera, you're not talking to actual people.

Straight away I knew I loved it.

Welcome to Everyday Jim.

'I became obsessed with vlogging.'

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to another airport.

My name is Jim Chapman, I'll be your host today.

'Over time, I grew in confidence, developed a particular style

'and built a following.

'Whatever it is I'm doing, people are watching and engaging.

'Now my videos have been viewed almost 200,000,000 times

'and no-one's more surprised than me.'

The question I get asked most by everyone is, why you?

Why have you got all these subscribers and all these views?

Honestly, I think it's kind of impossible to quantify.

You can't write it down, you can't put numbers on it.

It's just something that comes across on camera.

There's a relationship between myself and my audience

erm...and I think you can't make sense of it.

It just sort of happens.

If you try and define the single thing

that makes a vlogger successful,

I think it's an impossible task.

Having a great personality, being funny, being engaging,

being relatable - you've got to connect with people

on a personal level millions and millions of times over,

as well as having that secret sauce

that puts you head and shoulders above the rest.

'And people are liking what they see,

'no matter how trivial or everyday the content is.'

Why don't you come along? Let's enjoy the day.

Vlogging has become a global phenomenon, adopted

by millions of others who have a desire to share their stories too.

Telling stories about our lives is a basic human instinct

and need that we have to relate to other people.

We've done it when we sat around the campfires as cavemen and women,

we do it through soap operas, we do it through talk shows and reality TV

and vlogging is really the next stage of that.

Ten years ago, YouTube was launched.

All right, who is watching YouTube?

Increasing availability of the internet and cheap technology

meant uploading videos became widely accessible and easy to do.

Vlogging was born.

I find your videos strangely compelling.

Video creators began uploading anything

from the insane to the mundane.

People are watching me vlog and probably think I'm nuts.

Nothing was off-limits.

BABY CRIES

A fascinating place to go to see all the videos

young people have produced.

After four years, YouTube introduced adverts, making it

possible to earn big money from shared revenue and endorsements.

The internet became flooded with people showing their talents,

sharing tips or promoting products.

I like to use her mask.

The superstar vloggers began to emerge.

I'm going to meet some of the biggest names in the vlogging world

to discover what vlogging means to them.

Why do they stand out and what does it say about all of us?

Good morning, guys!

How are you doing?

Alfie Deyes and his vlogging girlfriend Zoella are internet royalty.

When visitors to London's Madame Tussauds were asked

who should be this year's addition to their waxwork Hall of Fame,

Zoe and Alfie received more votes than any other celebrity.

We're here, we're in Madame Tussauds in London,

because today is the official launch,

like, party evening of Zoe and I.

Oh, my God!

It's so weird.

Starting when he was only 16,

Alfie's videos have now clocked up three quarters of a billion views.

What have you been up to today?

I've been putting fake tattoos all over my arm.

I need to get to the gym.

This morning, I've just been doing house chores and jobs.

His videos are about anything,

from yoga to sausages to helicopter rides.

So cool.

I've known Alfie since we were both starting out as a vloggers.

I wanted to find out

when he first realised making videos could be more than just a hobby.

I was working like four hours a week,

just like a weekend job in a clothes shop in town

and the first time my YouTube earnings

earned me more than the clothes shop, I went into work the next day

and just handed in my notice, which a normal person would be like,

"Cool, I earned double - I earned at YouTube and I earned at the clothes shop."

I was just like, "OK, if I sack the clothes shop, then I can put double

"the time into my YouTube," so I just did that.

Life for you has kind of gone a bit crazy recently, right?

You're a wax figure in Madame Tussauds.

My hair looks better than real life. No, that looks good.

Can you do that on here?

Yeah, I think all of us have been offered

and done some crazy stuff that we never ever expected.

I'm in bloomin' Madame Tussauds. I'm in Madame Tussauds.

Like, I've got a wax figure of me and you can go and see it in London.

That is insane.

That is actual concrete evidence of the level at which you are.

Genuinely at that level, in the same room as Kim Kardashian

and David Beckham and the Queen and the leader of the Free World.

It's crazy to think that people have voted for you to be

-in the same company as those people, immortalised for ever in wax.

-Yeah.

That's...

I can't even get my head around

how far this has come in the last five years.

Alfie's fans love to watch him vlogging his real life,

but I wanted to know

just how authentic HE feels he is in his videos.

-I think I'm hopefully exactly the same.

-Yeah.

-Like,

I went to hospital recently and had like two biopsies

taken from my chest, I filmed all of that.

As soon as they had finished the procedure, I was vlogging

in the hospital bed, showing them everything.

I like to just try and be completely real.

How much control do the audience have over what your end product is?

I think quite a lot. I think it's quite positive.

I think it's such a strong relationship.

Like, these people know me better than like some of my friends maybe.

They know everything about me and I love that.

But there is a growing backlash against hugely popular

vloggers constantly sharing every detail of their lives.

Alfie was recently singled out in a VICE magazine article.

-I think the headline was something like, "Vain and Inane."

-Yeah.

How does that feel for you?

They don't care about the person at the other side.

Luckily, I'm really strong, I don't take any of that in

and I'm just like, "Cool, you can waste your time writing about me.

"I'm not even going to look at it."

Part of it is because... a lack of understanding,

like, just not knowing the form of media that YouTube is

and the thing that I think is the most important thing to

remember is that as soon as I tick upload, or you tick upload,

or whoever puts upload on their video, that's it,

we're not making people watch it.

People are spending their time clicking on my channel,

clicking on my videos cos they want to watch it.

We're not making them do that, they're choosing to do that

and I think that's the most powerful thing.

Global fame now means it's virtually impossible for Alfie to

walk the streets without being recognised.

-Oh, my God!

-What's your name?

Nice to meet you. Bless you.

-Can I take a picture?

-Yeah, of course you can. Sure.

JIM LAUGHS

OK, ready? One, two, three.

-There you go.

-It's lovely to meet you.

-Did you enjoy it?

-Yeah.

-See you later.

-See you later.

-Have a nice day. Bye-bye.

Often they know so much about me from uploading every single day that

-it's just like chatting to a friend.

-Yeah.

Hello. How are you doing?

No way!

-You got it?

-That's so awesome. Have a lovely day.

What do you see for yourself? For the rest of us,

for vlogging in general in the next five, ten years?

I think it's just going to grow and grow. Like, there is so much more

than just, "Oh, I like this person's videos," now.

They're buying books to do with us,

they're buying, like, merchandise, it's like turning up to events

to meet you, coming up to us in the street.

It's so much more than simply watching the videos.

Alfie really loves what he does. He has a real passion for it.

He consumes so much vlogging but also has a real passion

for creating it too and he sees what he does as legitimate.

He dismisses the critics and has confidence in the media

he works within and knows it's of value.

He also sees a future for vlogging in general.

He knows that it's just getting bigger and bigger.

And here they are,

fresh from their triumphant appearances in the United States.

Throughout the decades, from The Beatles to the Spice Girls to

One Direction, individuals have been plucked from obscurity

and propelled to superstardom.

But this is not the music industry.

It's people simply documenting and sharing their ordinary lives.

And when Alfie and I started vlogging from the safety of our bedrooms,

we had no idea that putting videos online would lead to money and fame.

And the wealth and stardom that can come from uploading videos is

potentially enormous.

KSI is the biggest British internet superstar.

I don't know what I'm doing!

The shy kid from Watford developed a larger-than-life on-screen

personality, which attracted a huge following.

I'm going to see if I can try

and wake myself up on the whole of my journey, so let's do this.

OK, so I'm in with Tyson! Tyson is driving! How's it going, man?!

-Good, good, good.

-Awesome! So let's go to the airport!

I'm on a plane!

Starting by filming himself playing and commenting on video games,

he now vlogs, acts, makes comedy skits and raps.

-RAPS:

-# ..Got rocks on my wrist that you can't resist

# Cash flow greater... #

At 22 years old, he's a one-man entertainment channel,

being watched 24/7 around the globe.

To be successful you have to be passionate.

You have to be extremely passionate about your art.

Every video that I've done, like, I've crafted it to the way

I've wanted it to be and I've wanted it to be entertaining

and I wanted for it to work and for people to laugh at this certain bit.

You have to be passionate, you have to love what you do.

If you don't love it, then...stop.

He has 11 million subscribers on his main channel alone.

He makes money from endorsements and the ads placed around his videos.

But this level of success didn't happen without extreme dedication.

A lot of people think YouTube is quite easy when it just isn't.

Like, I've been doing YouTube for six years now

and I'd say the hardest years were definitely the first three

or four years. Like, you have to constantly put up

content that is good, you know, just to make people come back to

your channel and I work every single day just to try and expand my brand.

I have, literally, been so busy doing stuff...

KSI's enthusiasm for whatever he's doing

is matched by his armies of fans.

Today, tickets for his live music gig go on sale.

Real quick, it's six o'clock, so I've just said, "Preordered tickets

"are up for the show. Check your e-mails."

We're going to check to see if...

the people are buying tickets right now.

-Oh, my God! It sold out.

-HE GIGGLES

It sold out in two minutes. Mental.

But in spite of his wealth, money isn't his main motivation.

Yeah, I'll take money. Like, I'm not stupid.

Like, money makes my life easier and I'm much happier with money

but, I mean, I'm just doing what I love,

so I don't really care, essentially.

It's like, cool, all right, I'm getting this money on the side,

but I'm still going to be doing the thing that I enjoy,

because I just enjoy it.

What all superstar vloggers have in common is a true

passion for making content.

That love of what they do transfers onto screen

and becomes infectious and clickable.

In the last couple of years,

vloggers are increasingly moving beyond their online platforms

with their own product lines, books and films.

Some of the talent are breaking through into mainstream media,

just because the amount of interest in them has kind of peaked to

a point where people at newspapers and TV networks are interested.

Vlogger Joe Sugg has more than seven million subscribers who

regularly send him challenges, which he then films and posts online.

Now he's created his first graphic novel.

We'll talk to him in just a moment.

-Morning, Joe.

-Hello.

-Thatcher Joe even.

Only two years ago, Zoella's brother Joe was still working for his

uncle as a roof thatcher in Somerset and making videos in his spare time.

I was still on a roof for like five days a week and I'd get home

and then make a video and then... It was very much like a side thing,

but then I was so worried about doing it full-time,

because even back then,

-YouTube wasn't...

-No.

-It wasn't a big thing

and so I was thinking, if I do do it full-time,

I'm so worried that there's not going to be enough for me to do.

Obviously I can keep making videos, but I was worried that

it's not like proper, like a proper thing,

as opposed to what I was doing.

But having seen his sister and Alfie's careers take off,

Joe was convinced vlogging could be a way to make a living.

It got to the point where I was being summoned to London

like three times a week to do, like, these amazing things with brands,

just amazing opportunities, and so I had to ask my uncle,

"Is it all right if I, you know, go up to London three times this week?"

He's like, "Well, we've got a whole roof to do. We need to get it done before Christmas."

I was like, "Yeah, but it's kind of like, it's a big deal."

Now he's the man of the moment.

His DVD, a road movie with fellow vlogger Caspar Lee,

tops the pre-order chart.

And his graphic novel is breaking all sales records.

What is interesting is we're kind of experiencing

what is like a new kind of fame.

Like, on the internet we're very, very well-known,

but in terms of traditional media and stuff, we're not known at all

and it's really exciting to see, like, how people react to that,

because there's a lot of people that are scared of what we do,

there's a lot of people that are terrified of what we do,

and there's a lot of people that are very, very excited about us,

because we're these new people that have come out of nowhere,

who have these massively huge, engaged audiences.

Just we're our own people, we're making the videos in our bedroom,

no massive production, all that kind of stuff,

and we're just like getting crazy, crazy engaged views.

-Ready?

-Yep.

OH!

On top of his everyday vlogs, he also films challenges and pranks,

and has a channel dedicated to gaming.

His videos have been watched over half a billion times.

-Do you ever feel pressure or like stress?

-Er...yes.

Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I didn't.

You forget that you're making

videos for an audience of five million people.

With fan numbers so huge,

there's an insatiable demand both on the internet and beyond.

These people are creative people.

They're entertainers and they can entertain on other platforms

as well, because that's their talent.

So if you take someone that has ten million subscribers on YouTube

and they write a novel, those ten million people that subscribe to that person

on YouTube are going to be interested in the contents of the novel as well.

Today, I'm doing my big London signing.

-SCREAMING

-Oh, my God.

I'll be down in a second, down in a second. Hang on.

At the launch of Joe's graphic novel,

1,000 dedicated fans queued for hours just for a hug and a selfie.

SCREAMING

Gives you like, makes the hairs go up on the back of your neck,

that kind of feeling. It's cool.

-There you go. Thank you so much for waiting.

-Have a good day.

-You too.

I just love him cos he makes me laugh when I watch his videos, they're fun.

I've been a Sugglette since 2011

and he's just so funny.

I always love Sundays because that's when he uploads a new video.

It was amazing. It was worth waiting,

-all those hours standing up.

-And he's hot.

-Yeah.

What you're talking about here is really young people starting out

in their careers and being propelled to global superstar status.

With millions of followers,

vloggers are being courted by the mainstream media.

Alfie, Zoe and Joe were part of the Band Aid single.

KSI is selling out music venues

and Zoe appeared on the Great Comic Relief Bake Off.

But for me, being comfortable with my celebrity status

in the virtual world doesn't necessarily translate to

being confident with fame in the real world.

I'm really nervous right now.

I'm about to go to Leicester Square to host the red carpet

of the premier of Matt Damon's new film called

The Martian and because this is kind of like a new avenue for me,

I don't often do a lot of live stuff to an audience that

isn't really mine, it always is terrifying.

HE EXHALES

My car's on its way.

I'm really nervous.

I haven't eaten anything, I can't keep still,

I'm just really freaking out. I hope it'll be OK.

I don't know what I'll be able to film when I get there.

I might not catch up with you till afterwards, so...wish me luck.

Now I think about it, it's very odd that I talk to this thing

and then post it on the internet, but the end result is really lovely.

It's a community at the other end watching and participating

and leaving comments.

They're really involved in my life

and I think it's brilliant that I can reach them whenever I want to,

however I want to, just by talking and saying what's on my mind.

Vlogging is not about a single person in front of a camera,

like broadcasting content.

It really is about that interaction with the audience,

the other person also reacting,

the people who are viewing reacting to what they do, giving them

that sense of support and that what they're doing is appreciated.

See, that's a much better job. I could just do that instead.

-I love bubbles. Look how much joy he's bringing.

-Hello!

-Hello.

Oh, I love you too. What's your name?

'I started vlogging in my bedroom because I found meeting people

'out in the real world incredibly difficult,

'but being the focus of attention has become a big part of my job.'

Welcome, everyone, for the amazing,

very exciting premiere of The Martian.

'Whilst vlogging has become second nature,

'the pressure of live broadcast makes the adrenaline kick in.'

It's the one and only Matt Damon!

Thank you. This is incredible. You guys are amazing.

-Do you ever get used to this reaction from the crowd?

-No, never!

I love you, Jim!

'And the crowds haven't only come for the Hollywood stars.'

Jim, it's my birthday!

It's so weird to think that just four and a half,

five years ago I was really, really shy. Now I'm on the red carpet

interviewing Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain,

and it's just a very odd experience.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to a very rainy day in Norwich.

Norwich is obviously where I'm from,

it's my hometown and I'm here today with the BBC.

Look, here's Trevor. He's filming me filming stuff,

it's kind of like Inception.

'When vlogging's your job,

'you're constantly looking for an opportunity to film something.'

I guess I will keep you updated with things as they happen.

I think first stop is to see my sisters.

'My sisters inspired me to start vlogging.

'They've seen me go from filming videos in my bedroom to

'hosting live red-carpet events.'

-Lovely to see you.

-You too!

-Come on.

-Thanks very much.

'I wanted to hear their thoughts

'on the impact that vlogging has had on all of us.'

-Hello. You all right?

-Yeah, I'm very well. How are you?

I'm good. Just making a tea.

What is this thing that you're doing today?

So, we are investigating the phenomenon of vlogging, so where it

started, where it is now and where it's going to go in the future.

-I want to know where it's going to go in the future.

-Me too.

But I think you probably are more pertinent to where it all started,

-because...

-We're like future-proof.

Yeah, well, you were kind of the originals.

-We're the grandmothers of YouTube.

-Yeah.

-Been there since...

-Well, it had been going two years before we joined.

-Two or three.

But I think, out of everyone, you're probably the ones who have...

There's been people who have come and gone,

-but I think you have maintained the entire time.

-Oh, it's hard!

-Believe me, it's hard.

-Yeah, but it's interesting.

-Shall we go?

-Yes.

-Hi, guys. Hi, guys.

-Hello, everybody. Welcome back to Pixiwoo.

Today, I'm going to do a Rachel Weisz tutorial.

Sam and Nic were already professional make-up artists

when they started posting video tutorials.

Just take a small amount, just dab it on.

The finish is slightly different I would say.

Now they have 1.9 million subscribers

and have used their popularity to build a global beauty product range.

Not bad given that they only discovered vlogging by accident,

when a friend asked Sam for some make-up advice.

I just decided to film it rather than bullet point it in an e-mail,

so I just filmed it in the little camera in the MacBook,

-stuck it on YouTube.

-Was it for one person?

I didn't even know that other people could watch it.

It was just a way to get the video to her

and then loads of other people watched it and requested videos.

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to Pixiwoo.

Today's video that we've got for you is our favourite foundations.

Sam and Nic weren't interested in sharing their lives or entertaining.

Their uploads were simply a way of passing on expertise.

It was the responses we got from people saying, "Oh, my God.

"That changed my life. That video." And it was make-up,

do you know what I mean? It's something so...

You think it's insignificant,

but it's a massive deal to a lot of people.

I know, for me, it was kind of a confidence thing,

-because you know before I started, I was really shy.

-Yeah.

It was doing videos that actually made me realise that

I didn't have to be shy there, because I was shy in public,

but in my private domain, I just happened to have a camera there.

-I could be...

-You.

-..what I wanted to be. You know, kind of confident

and a sufficient human being, as opposed to someone who's kind of

crippled with anxiety about social interactions.

It's like vlogging has given you the confidence to be this person.

In 2014, my sisters uploaded a video that was very

unlike their usual make-up tutorials.

It was about events that had a big impact on our family

when we were growing up.

-So, a lot of you will recognise our mum.

-Hi, everybody.

And today, we're going to be talking about domestic violence.

The first instance was he pulled me down the stairs by my hair.

Yeah, I was shocked and I was frightened and, you know...

just didn't know.

You know, you're frightened that you're actually going to be killed.

You're frightened for your children.

I know it was a really tough time

and I know it has affected me mentally.

You know, I've seen a therapist about it,

because it's really kind of done something.

In the whole time I've done YouTube, I've never once

mentioned, you know, my history with dad.

I don't really want it to define me.

I don't want people to think, "Oh, there's that kid.

"The reason he's done well is because he made that video about his dad."

That's so interesting that you would say that when we're doing it

so, you know, we change what it was.

It definitely doesn't have to define you.

-We did it to show that it's completely opposite of defining you.

-Yeah.

The chat with my sisters brought up memories I wasn't expecting

and it's reminded me of the power vlogging can have.

It's not just about entertainment.

It's a medium that allows anyone to share their story.

It's the day after we had to go to hospital

to get my dad's next set of test results.

Obviously, it's terminal cancer.

He will still die from this, but it's like...

..it's like someone's fucking pulled a pin on a grenade.

I'm a brother, I'm a son, I'm a friend...

..and I also happen to be a heroin addict.

I've been thinking long and hard and contemplating

whether to post this video,

and I was and I wasn't and I was and I wasn't.

I finally decided, after a lot of thinking,

that, yeah, I need to do it.

It's for me and my children. I need to raise awareness.

With vlogging, the creator-to-viewer relationship

is intimate and intense.

Fans not only feel like they know their favourite vloggers,

they can contact them directly, commenting on videos

in a public space, but this can have positive and negative consequences.

One vlogger who felt the impact of viewer comments is Sammi Maria.

Hey, guys. It's Sunday morning and I'm back.

So, I've just been kind of watching a few YouTube videos,

looking at your comments and everything.

Sammi Maria is a fashion and style vlogger with her own clothing range.

In many ways, Sammi is living the dream,

but when the relationship with her vlogger boyfriend ended,

online speculation grew to such an extent,

she felt compelled to publicly respond.

I didn't want to do this video for a long time, because for one,

why bring it up again? It's been ages.

What became one of Sammi's most-watched videos

was not her usual kind of content.

I went through domestic abuse, so physical abuse, emotional, mentally.

When you go through it, you're almost in a denial, to be honest.

I wanted to ask Sammi why she decided to reveal

details about her private life online.

Because on social media I was getting a lot of like assumptions

about what might or what might not have happened

and I just felt very...

I just felt like I really wanted to stand up for myself, I think.

So it was probably the most difficult thing that

I've filmed, I think.

I don't want to bring it all up afresh again, because, for me,

it's horrible. Like, I don't want to relive it again.

Do you regret it at all? Do you think it was a good decision?

Yeah. No, I don't regret it actually.

Like, when I was filming it, I said, "I don't know if I'll keep this up."

There was such an overwhelming amount of comments

and e-mails of girls that actually had gone through it as well

and that really made me want to keep it up there,

and it like solidified that it was the right choice.

If they could watch this

and know that you can get out of something and you can...

Like, there are people who will, like, value you.

It's hard to know what to share and when to share it

and what you can say and how it can affect other people.

Yeah, it felt like a big responsibility to have

so many different types of people that may see it as well,

-and if anyone was searching for something to help or...

-Sure.

..you know, something like that on the internet,

then, it's there for them.

I know with my family that it was an issue when I was young,

and it was kind of swept under the rug

until my sisters actually made a video on it with my mum.

I loved watching the video as well, that Sam and Nic did.

It made me feel better as well.

And anyway, I know a lot of people that will comment

and still say I'm a liar and still call me this and that.

Whatever, like, I know the truth.

Confessional videos about personal issues

often get high viewing figures.

Sammi's domestic-abuse video has been seen many more times

than her average vlogs.

'I wondered if this had been part of Sammi's motivation for sharing

'something so private.'

Do you think in a weird kind of contradictory type way,

it's almost elevated your channel?

-Did you expect that? Did you know it was going to happen at all?

-No.

I wasn't thinking about anything really, then,

just wanting to talk and get it out, so, yeah,

I think, only afterwards I noticed the views and things like that, but

there's no part of me that's wanted to keep it up

to keep views or anything.

Because it's such an emotional, personal thing, that's all it is.

Sharing details of your private life in public is risky.

What you choose to upload can end up defining you.

At a certain point you might make the decision to write or to record

a confessional vlog, because it is part of who you are

and you're a public personality at that point,

you are putting your life out there.

There's no going back though. Once you've done it, you've done it.

It's out there and people are going to see you in that light as well.

They're going to see that as an identifying moment.

It can be really hard, you know, to figure out what is correct.

We are still in this world where we're trying to develop

an etiquette for how to behave online and that we don't have

yet established, so vloggers, at this moment, are pioneers.

I've come to LA, the vlogging capital of the United States.

And here, the world's biggest vloggers are shaking things up,

elbowing out the old stars

and establishing themselves as the new glitterati,

none more so than my good friend Tyler Oakley.

Well, hello, everybody!

My name is Tyler Oakley and I have had the best day ever.

With over half a billion views, enormous global success

and his face splashed across billboards all over America,

Tyler is a sensation in the vlogging world and way beyond.

-Hey!

-Hey! How are you doing?

-How are you?

-I'm all right, thank you.

-Good to see you. Welcome to America.

-Thank you.

From the outset, Tyler's background

and sexuality have been subjects he's been happy to share.

Hey, everyone. My name is Tyler Oakley and this is my life.

My parents were divorced when I was a toddler,

so I've always had two families.

Between my sisters and my stepbrothers and my stepsisters

and my half-brother and my in-laws, I have 12 siblings total.

When I was 14, a freshman in high school,

I decided to tell everybody the truth about who I was.

Although some family was not supportive of me being openly gay,

I was lucky enough to have so many friends and family that were.

Tyler vlogs about popular culture and more serious social comment,

regularly using his fame to promote LGBT causes.

To me, National Coming Out Day signifies a moment where we can

take some time to appreciate the courage and the braveness that

it takes to truly be yourself, no matter what yourself may be.

Now, alongside vlogging, Tyler has his own documentary,

he's on network TV

and he's even advising on health policy in the White House.

But he's not your traditional megastar.

Tyler chooses to live without any of the usual trappings of fame.

Do you want tea? Erm... Oh, this looks English.

That'll do. Yeah, great. You put the teabag in...

Oh, my God, you've literally not even opened this, have you?

-Why would I...? I'm not British.

-I made you tea once.

-Oh, yeah, you don't make good tea.

-It's loose-leaf tea.

-Have you got like a strainer?

-No.

-No, I didn't think so.

-I'll have water, please.

-You want water?

-Yeah, that'll be great.

-I'm going to get you a bottle of water. I can do that.

-I'll put this back.

I think you are probably the most influential gay guy

-probably on the internet.

-Maybe. OK.

-Which I think is fair to say.

-Sure. OK.

I'm assuming it didn't happen on purpose. You didn't expect this would be a thing.

I never wanted to be some type of role model, or something, or you know.

It's a missed opportunity if you don't consider that you might be

a role model for somebody, or you might help somebody

feel less alone in the world.

It's a missed opportunity if you don't realise that.

When you were growing up, did you have any gay icons that you

kind of aspired to be like?

Nobody that I really, like, I guess, connected with or saw myself in,

and I think that's because, I guess, traditional media is very much

a gatekeeper of who you can see

and the type of people you can connect with in media.

Now, with YouTube, anybody that wants to have their voice

be heard, at least now has a platform and...

that didn't really exist before without going through

a casting process and now it's like the consumer is casting themselves.

Let me tell you, when I was younger, I was obsessed with

Chris O'Donnell in the Batman movies when he played Robin.

I was, like, in love. I was nine years old

and I was, like, "Oh, my God! I'm gayer than shit!"

Coming to his modest apartment, it was clear that personal wealth

doesn't motivate Tyler, so I wanted to know what does.

What drives you to work as hard as you do?

I don't know. I mean, I... I...

want to do well, I guess? You're making me, like, question it all.

I think I make stuff also to figure out family stuff or identity stuff.

I can see myself working through it over the years,

you know what I mean? Obviously, I'm still halfway through.

Do you think it's kind of therapy?

I think, given anybody's upbringing,

whether it's good or bad, or difficult or relatively easy,

or if you come from privilege or not, whatever,

everybody wants to be seen and heard and, like, understood and gotten.

So when I make a video, even if it's stupid,

even if it's, like, trivial...

I think the basis of anybody making content

and sharing it is wanting the other person on the receiving end

to be like, "I get you, I see you.

"Like, I get what you're trying to do."

-So yeah, for me, it's like, feeling like people get me.

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah.

Tyler is clearly very, very driven

and what I found fascinating is that when I asked him, he put his

motivation down to a need that we all have to be heard and understood.

And, actually, the internet is the perfect place for this

because anybody can upload anything and I think that's why more

and more people are turning to vlogging - to understand

others and also be understood themselves.

Tyler has always used vlogging to be open about himself,

but for others it hasn't been as simple.

The fear of losing acceptance, viewers and popularity

can mean that famous vloggers take a long time to

admit to their audience who they really are.

-Hello. How are you doing?

-I'm great. How are you?

-Very well. Good to see you.

-Good to see you!

-What a place!

-Welcome!

I'm visiting my friend Ingrid Nilsen who recently surprised me

and 4.5 million of her subscribers by making an announcement.

-I haven't watched it since I posted it.

-Let's watch it together.

Oh, my God.

So I am sitting here today because I care about you guys.

You have been a part of my life for the past, you know, almost six years

and this is a really big part of my life.

Ingrid's videos normally focus on fashion and beauty tips,

and with an average video getting half a million views,

she's a well established beauty and lifestyle vlogger,

but her biggest video was seen an incredible 13 million times.

This was...something that was really difficult to do,

but also something I desperately...

-What?

-I'm coming closer. Let's watch it.

Erm, I guess I am just going to get right to it.

Erm...there is something that I want you to know.

And...that something is...

..I'm gay.

How does it feel going back to it now?

It's a really emotional experience, because seeing myself here,

it's like this is somebody that I used to know.

The last time I watched this video I was in a really different place

and to just think about now being on the other side of all of that,

it's just...

I'm proud of who I am and I'm not going to apologise.

It feels so incredible to feel like now I have this deeper relationship

with not only the people in my life, but with my community as well.

Ingrid's coming-out video revealing herself at her most vulnerable

provoked a particularly strong response from viewers.

So do you think you coming out online has been

kind of like a reciprocal,

two-way sort of conversation with your audience?

Yeah, definitely.

I feel closer to all of them than I ever have,

because I think what happens when you accept

something like this that is an important part of your life

and then choose to share it with people,

you break down these walls and because you're giving

more of yourself, you in turn get more back.

After uploading the video,

Ingrid's channel was flooded with supportive comments.

But it's only when you meet people face-to-face that you fully

realise how it's making a difference.

Jess, Mel and Cat are volunteers for the Los Angeles LGBT centre.

-Hi!

-Hello!

-Hello, everyone. Good afternoon.

I'm really excited about this,

because to be able to talk with a small, intimate group of people

is something that I don't get to do that much.

What's weird is like I kind of feel like I already know you,

seeing everything from like the past few years

and doing a vlog every day.

We've played your coming-out video in our youth space

and we all watched it.

So do you think that vlogging now is kind of a way for people to be

diverse and also have access to people that they identify with too?

What I really like about vlogging is that it's having people who

watch, like, your videos, for example,

for beauty tips and then you come out and they're like,

"Whoa! I've never met a gay person in my life."

You're giving them an access point to a community they may

otherwise not know anything about and I think that's really awesome.

So when I saw you come out, it just made me

really happy to see not only that you are part of the beauty

and lifestyle community,

it's just like to see more of LGBT representation.

If I had seen that when I was younger,

it probably would've changed so much for me.

I think it's awesome, because it's a medium you can be real and be vulnerable.

Like, you can have your beauty ones, but then you can also have one where

you come out, or you talk about what's going on in your life

and I think that everything in between, it's OK,

you're brave enough to put that on camera

and you're showing kids that they can be that brave.

Being able to see everyone flourish on YouTube and

it's so accessible for someone, like, that helped me a lot.

It's like, right now I don't have my family on my side.

It's like really sucky, but I can turn on YouTube and it's like,

people are putting... Sorry.

Are there napkins? No?

Oh. There we go.

I feel like I find someone to identify with and be like,

"I'm not alone in this."

We're taking steps and we're getting there

and kids and future generations aren't even going to have to think

about the things that we've had to think about and that's so amazing.

I feel really privileged to have been part of that conversation.

I think on a friendship, personal note with Ingrid,

I'm really proud of the video she's made.

The fact that she was open and honest

and brave enough to put it out there on the internet and millions

of people have seen it is something that I think is to be commended.

Vlogging allows for a new kind of relationship

between those on screen and those watching.

For fans, able to communicate directly with their idols,

it can feel intense.

But this illusion of closeness is also open to abuse.

It's causing concern amongst high-profile vloggers.

We've seen examples of guys not understanding

the level of responsibility and the risk involved in that.

When there's people who are emotionally connecting with you

on such a high level, then you basically have the power to

manipulate them and it can get really ugly.

Hi, everybody!

Mike Lombardo was a successful musician and YouTube star.

One fan, allegedly manipulated by him,

turned to vlogging to highlight her negative experience.

In 2011, when I had just turned 15 years old,

Mike Lombardo very suddenly took an interest in me.

So he texted me and immediately, right off the bat, he was just being

very aggressive and kept trying to bring the conversation back to sex.

He asked me for nudes and offered to send me some of his.

Mike Lombardo was convicted on child pornography charges

and sentenced to five years in prison.

And there have been other accusations of vloggers

abusing their celebrity status.

I went to a meeting group of a very popular YouTuber.

After the meeting group it became apparent that the YouTuber was

attracted to me and asked me to go to the cinema the next day.

Later on in the film he tried to put his hands on and near various parts

of my body that I wasn't comfortable with, so I moved them away.

He then tried to move my hands onto different parts of his body.

I was taken advantage of, both as a minor and as a fan.

The person I had this experience with was Sam Pepper

and whilst I haven't let it

define me, and I don't want it to

define me as a person online,

it's become evident from his recent

videos that he hasn't changed.

So today I'm going to see how open

people are about making out with me.

He's made a name for himself by posting contentious videos.

And increasingly other vloggers are targeting members of the public

with dubious exploits, looking to increase their viewing figures.

But there is a reaction against this behaviour.

At the end of the day, regardless

of what you call it, a prank,

an experiment, awareness raising,

when you touch someone without consent,

when you force them to be sexual with you, when you pressure

them on camera like that, that is harassment, violation, assault.

Laci Green is a prominent sex-education activist

with her own YouTube channels and MTV series.

Masturbation, self-pleasure is actually totally normal.

Do you know what I find kind of weird?

The idea of a single sex talk.

Done!

'I've come to Venice Beach,

'where Sam Pepper made his kissing video, to meet Laci.

'I wanted to talk to her about her fight against the growing

'problem of sexual harassment as entertainment.'

This is the video I think which caused most controversy.

Today I'm going to be pinching girls' bums with my secret hand.

Do you know where the Apple Store is?

-Like... I don't know if it's that way.

-I don't know.

I'm not really from here.

You can see the woman in these shots are quite uncomfortable.

What the fuck was that?!

I think that little old lady pinched your bum. Anyway, nice to meet you.

There's no way that I could have ignored this.

It was blaring, it was right in front of me.

It's in my own community, it's in my own home.

Here's the bottom line, this is disgusting, this is wrong

and it needs to stop.

Sam Pepper and anyone who behaves like Sam Pepper needs

to be held accountable.

OK, so a bit further down there and then...

-Are you touching my butt?!

-I would not do that. Come on!

What's interesting is that there's an advert before this,

-so this generated a lot of revenue.

-Yeah.

And people are definitely able to make a lot of money doing

this sort of thing.

For me, what's most upsetting about this is the message that it's

sending to so many young people,

that this is a normal, acceptable thing.

But there's still a lot of people like, you know,

imitators of Sam Pepper, who do the same exact thing

and there's really no accountability.

I like your boobs.

-My boobs?

-Marry me.

I donated my clothes to charity.

When this sort of stuff happens,

-if you see it going on, say something about it.

-Mm-hm.

This is an ongoing issue for me, is that I'm expected to say

something about every single thing that's on there. I'm the only one.

You know, I get e-mails all the time, "I've found this, I've found that."

"I can't believe that this is on YouTube."

"I can't believe this has as many views." And I'm alone.

It's like, where is everyone else?

Why aren't people talking about this?

It's not entirely surprising that we see real-world behaviours,

real-world problems, bleeding in onto the platform.

-But we have a real opportunity to change that.

-Yeah.

We have a real opportunity to make it a better place

and we're figuring it out.

And I think we need to keep pushing that forward

and having that conversation.

'And vloggers are beginning to speak out.'

I think recently people have been taking

fan-created relationship dynamics more seriously.

That's something that's really great.

I do think people like YouTube, they aren't just a platform,

they are trying to foster a community. So they need to take

responsibility for what happens within that community.

So with people like Laci who are not only stepping up

and being a voice but also saying,

"Hey, I don't need to be the only one here."

"Let's all speak up."

The best thing that other YouTubers can do in the event of other

people being awful, is to educate their audiences.

As the reach and power of vlogging grows ever bigger,

brands are desperate to exploit its influence.

This can be extremely lucrative for prominent social-media stars.

We've been working with EE for something very cool.

Tommy Hilfiger invited me to come to their New York Fashion Week show.

I wanted to show you a few items from the Body Shop's

Vitamin E range.

It's my own personal Krave. KSI's Krave!

So sometimes these people start, let's call it, relatively

innocently in talking about something that they're passionate

about and then slowly that changes into something

that they realise is marketable.

Because there are people out there who are interested in their

expertise and experiences and they can associate that with products.

But it's not just merchandise they're advertising.

Vloggers are selling their lifestyles, too.

And being your own brand can create its own pressure.

I have an insight into a world of social media that I believe not

many people are aware of in terms of how it works in advertisements.

I know a lot of other social-media personalities

and just how fake it all is.

Essena O'Neill was a teenage model and Instagram star,

who recently quit all forms of social media.

I had the dream life.

I had half a million people interested in me

on social media... On Instagram, sorry.

I had over 100,000 views on most of my videos on YouTube.

To a lot of people, I'd made it.

Everything I was doing was edited and contrived

and to get more value, and to get more views.

And then here at nearly 19, with all of these followers,

I don't even know what is real or what is not

because I have let myself be defined by something that is so not real.

But there are people who choose to share their lives online,

whose content is very real indeed.

I've been making plans for my suicide.

And, as a result,

I'm going back into hospital.

'Jonny Benjamin's vlogs are some of the most honest

'and raw I have ever seen.

'For Jonny, vlogging is a matter of life and death.

'A few years ago he had to be talked out of taking his own life.'

The point of this video is to...

First of all, if you're having suicidal thoughts

and feelings, to let you know that it's OK.

It's more normal than you think.

'Sharing his recovery online has become an essential

'part of his battle against the stigma of mental illness.'

Vlogging built up my confidence to go out there

and talk about mental health.

And it was through talking to other people online,

through my YouTube channel, that people were telling me

that they'd had bad experiences with the mental-health system.

That's what got me campaigning.

I was like, we need to make a difference here, you know?

'Now Jonny is a prominent mental-health campaigner.

'He lobbies politicians, he makes documentaries and he's convinced

'that recording and sharing his struggles

'has a powerful impact on others.'

I've had people message me to say that they've watched my stuff and

it's stopped them from taking their lives or they've gone and got help.

Do you think there's any danger maybe

in individuals turning to individuals like you

because obviously you're not...

you're not a professional?

I guess there's always a risk but then...

You know, I've had people message me

and that's the first time they've ever opened up

about their mental health.

And also I can tell them, from personal experience, it gets better.

When you're in that dark place,

just knowing that someone else has been in that place

and has got better, it can make all the difference.

'Jonny's campaigning is changing attitudes online.

'And he uses his experience to spread the word about the potential

'benefits of vlogging.'

Today he's holding a workshop for other people

who are passionate about changing attitudes to mental health.

It was easier to talk to the camera, which was, kind of,

non-judgmental, you know? It was just there.

I could say anything to it and I knew I wouldn't be judged.

So I called it my Recoverlogs.

It's just a horrible existence to

just constantly struggle.

The worst thing of all is doing it in silence.

Even watching that, I can feel the power emanating from it.

In that room there's seven other people

who it will mean a lot more to than me.

And that's a room in London. Imagine that across the entire globe.

It's just really incredible.

Again, it always comes up, I was basically told I need to love myself

and accept myself. And...

I need to do that now.

It's kind of good to see...

I don't know if any of you keep journals or blogs or things

but it's kind of nice to look back, when you've been through

a bad period and just know that you've overcome it.

We all know keeping it to yourself is just the worst thing possible.

Having that outlet to share

and express what's going on up here makes a massive difference.

For me, that's through vlogging.

'Jonny's workshop has inspired some of the group to'

vlog about challenges they've faced themselves.

Just to warn you, this camera is much bigger than

anything I ever use.

So if you can do it in front of this,

you can do it in front of anything.

Yeah, my first vlog. It's actually quite a nerve-racking thing to do.

To be honest, I'm shitting myself at being a mum

with an existing mental-health problem.

In 2011 I just couldn't cope any more and so tried

to end my life.

I found it lovely. I really, really enjoyed it today.

I definitely want to do another one.

Very, sort of, nerve-racking and...

Yeah, but it was good.

And it's hopefully, sort of...

Also talking about it will hopefully help other people

with mental-health problems to ask for help.

There's a whole world of people out there that vlogging can reach too.

I think it definitely is the way forward.

Weird, I found it easy to listen to that because I, kind of,

relate to, on a very small level,

because obviously I don't have those experiences...

But I know what vlogging is like and how it feels to do it.

It's kind of really hard to put myself in that situation.

But I know on my level I find talking things through

really helpful.

I think having individuals be the voice for other individuals,

you know, and other people listening

I think is genuinely changing the way

people can see the world.

I think for the next generation, the people who are watching

and the people who will be creating content soon,

I think it's actually a really positive outlook.

Vlogging can make us laugh and it can make us cry.

-Just too overwhelming.

-It has the power to change minds.

Right now we have an opportunity to fucking change the world.

-Even save lives.

-I feel like I've turned a bit of a corner.

With more of us sharing more of ourselves than ever before...

Let's go!

..vlogging is making stars of us all.

See you very soon. Goodbye!

Good...bye!