YouTuber Zoe Sugg has decided to film her smear test for her five million subscribers and 9.7 million Instagram followers to educate them on cervical cancer screenings.
The 29-year-old warms at the start of the 43-minute-long video that it features "raw conversation around cervical screenings and cervical cancer" and "a teeny bit of blood (not up close!)"
Zoella rose to fame on the video-sharing platform years ago and has since decided to make her intimate health examination public to encourage more women to book in smear tests.
Zoe explains her reasons in her car prior to the appointment for bringing cameras with her, saying that she had asked professionals;
"Is there anything I can do to help encourage more women to book in their smear tests or make people feel a little bit more at ease when they get their letter through the post?".
She decided to dash the uncertainty by filming the whole process and passing on her fans' questions to a nurse; "After ten years of vlogging, this is a moment! I've never done this before!"
Zoe first sits down with a nurse to discuss any concerns and questions from her subscribers, and the nurse urges anyone with worries to contact their GP and get more information.
She also explains how important it is to get the test done as young as possible, as it can detect cells which could later become cancerous.
Zoe then sits in the medical chair after changing into a gown, while the nurse talks viewers through the equipment she will be using. Zoe adds a timer to the screen to show how short the process is.
The timer revealed that the test took only 48 seconds, and the vlogger didn't appear to be in any discomfort. There had been some blood due to the oestrogen in her contraceptive pill, the nurse mentions.
Zoella chats more to the nurse following the procedure and discovered that she had never found anyone to have cervical cancer in all her time of doing smear tests.
She did found evidence in the past of cells which needed removing as soon as possible before they became dangerous. The nurse also urges viewers to check their breasts for lumps.
Zoe was praised by fans for using her platform for a worthy cause, seeing as the procedure is incredibly important for women's health.
Smear tests check for any abnormalities in the cervix which could cause cervical cancer if left untreated, and are offered to women aged 25 and above by the state.
New data from the charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust found that those aged 25 to 35 are put off by the idea of a stranger examining them, and the latest figures show that cervical screening rates among all ages are at their lowest in 20 years.
YouTubers Tanya Burr and Jim Chapman have announced that they are splitting after 12 years together.
The Internet stars confirmed they were going their separate ways in individual statements on their personal Instagram accounts.
Tanya revealed that they made the decision numerous weeks ago. She wrote: “Just wanted to let you all know that a few weeks ago Jim and I made the painful decision to no longer be together.
“We have a huge amount of love and respect for each other and will continue to remain friends forever. Thank you in advance for respecting our privacy at this difficult time.”
Jim added: “After twelve incredible years, Tan and I have decided to go our separate ways. We’re still absolutely the best of friends and have nothing but love and respect for each other.”
He continued: “We will continue to support one another in all our ventures and are both looking forward to what the future holds.”
Jim and Tanya first started dating in 2007. Jim popped the question in December 2012 and the pair tied the knot in the September of 2015 at Babington House in Somerset.
Tanya has been busy focusing on her acting career and has been spending quite a lot of time in LA. Fans believe the distance may be the reason for the couple’s split, but Jim and Tanya have yet to share the reason for their separation.
Zoe Sugg might be the most successful YouTuber in the biz but that doesn't mean she's immune to mental heath problems.
The 28-year-old, who has more than eleven million subscribers and more than ten million Instagram followers, has proved that not matter how amazing your life looks on social media, that it is rarely the case.
She took to Instagram to upload a picture of herself smiling in a cafe.
She then got candid about what she was going through.
She captioned it, ''I have major imposter syndrome at the moment! I’m constantly doubting everything I’ve achieved, everything I’m working on business wise and everything I’m working on in my personal life!”
She continued, ''It’s such a peculiar feeling and nothing I do seems to make it ‘less so’.''
She added, ''Be honest, we’re a happy, encouraging and very considerate bunch over here. A problem shared is a problem halved after all.”
One said, ''I totally get that feeling! it’s only natural but do know that you’ve achieved so much already and done some amazing things already and you’re only 28 so much more is to come. Proud of you always.''
While another wrote, ''These kinda of posts are what keeps me coming back to your account. Thank you for always being real Zoë!!!''
Zoe has spoken before about how she struggles with social media and the impact that it has on her mental health.
She said, ''I spoke a bit last year about the pressure, expectation and fear of posting that I have often experienced throughout my decade of sharing, but now more than ever, I second guess a lot of things I say or post.''
She continued, ''I also know that SO many of you do the same thing (regardless of follower count) and you can end up feeling a little suffocated and disconnected.”
Hear, hear Zoe – it's so refreshing to have people be honest about the pressures of everyday life and making us all feel less alone.
On November 29th, Deborah Ross of The Times wrote what can only be described as a SCATHING article about influencers which began like this;
"I have a dream. It is not a big dream. I am not Martin Luther King. I only do dreams on a small scale, so it is a small-scale dream and my small-scale dream is this: might there be any way we could do a find and replace on the word “influencer” so it is replaced by “detestable freeloader” wherever it appears? So we all know what, in fact, we are dealing with."
Yikes. To add to the drama-fest, YouTuber and Blogosphere's Influencer of the Year 2018 Melanie Murphy has responded.
We have to say, Murphy makes some noteworthy points;
Starting off her 13-minute YouTube video with a cool "Okay Deborah, calm down", she proceeds to explain the hypocrisy behind Ross' points with a level of clarity which is hard to deny.
Ross essentially slated influencers in her article, describing them as 'detestable freeloaders', essentially people who deserve to be hated because they receive complimentary items and give nothing in return.
Murphy responds by issuing the point that the media in general is funded by advertising and marketing, for example, on the bottom of Ross' article had a sponsored post, without which the article possibly would never have been read.
Promotion and marketing absolutely surrounds us, from celebrities such as David Beckham for Adidas, Beyoncé for Pepsi, Justin Timberlake for McDonalds, Jessica Simpson for WeightWatchers, Brad Pitt for whatever cologne he's feeling that day, Julia Roberts for Lancôme, Hannah Witton for PlayStation, Holly Willoughby for Marks & Spencer etc etc.
It's inescapable. However, just because they receive free objects doesn't mean that they give nothing in return.
The issue which Murphy takes with Ross' article is the sheer hypocrisy as well as the generalisations which she makes. She places every influencer in the same category, when many of them promote noble causes such as LGBT+ charities and organisations, cruelty-free and paraben-free beauty products, health foods, nutrition, sexual health organisations, disability and accessibility rights, chronic pain activists, and more.
Jameela Jamil's i_Weigh movement has become hugely successful, and empowers people to weigh themselves on their overall worth as a person rather than their body mass index. Jamil suffered from an eating disorder for years, and now uses promotion and Instagram to create a unified group of people who value and respect themselves. She also is a major campaigner for banning airbrushing.
Melanie Murphy claims that every successful creative has the support of brands behind them, and receive freebies. Many of them self-fund their projects, and use the money for other causes, others simply give away any freebies which they receive.
Murphy also points out that just because they gain complimentary products does not mean that those people aren't extremely hardworking. Many influencers balance their life online with their family and a side-job.
"95% of what I show, what I wear, I pay for myself," she claims. Through advertising and word of mouth, companies can use influencers for their branding, but this doesn't undermine the level of thought which goes into choosing which brands to work with.
Murphy works with Always pads to talk openly about periods, Barclays, who sponsor Pride, a show which explores bisexuality, PicMonkey, Wella for hair dyes which work against allergies, Holland and Barrett for cruelty-free health and nutrition products.
Numerous influencers and their agents are hugely picky about who they work with, the brands must make sense for the influencers for them to collaborate with them.
"I'm always so bloody proud of my paid-for content, always. The money these brands pay me enables me to write a novel and work on more artsy things like short films which I invest in myself but don't get money back."
According to the Youtuber, the media wouldn't survive without branding and advertisements. From YouTubeads to websites, podcasts, radio, television, newspapers and magazines, advertising is saturated in our industry.
For Deborah Ross to call followers of influencers 'morons' is entirely unfair, from Melanie's point of view;
"Under-researched drivel such as this which contributes to the negative rhetoric that surrounds bloggers and influencers, thousands of hard-working people. Some of which juggle a family or another job."
Many believe for Ross to declare that influencers have done nothing to merit this lifestyle is flawed and reductive, Murphy herself demonstrates a great engagement because of how she chooses brands to work with;
"I never try sneak anything in, I'm never shady. I am lucky and I'm very grateful, I don't swan around."
Lastly, Murphy places emphasis on the fact that YouTubeis a community which supports one another, they collaborate and shout each other out and lift each other up. In the journalism industry, there is minimal collaboration and no support between competing publications;
"You sit and write and you get aid to do that, there was a time where people would scoff at your job and say that that's not a real job. We actually support each other. You're not going to see The Times supporting an article from another publication."
She describes the loneliness which perpetuates society, and how YouTube can be used as escapism, or for self-help, for comedy, entertainment, advice or even just to connect;
"A lot of people are lonely and it's a beautiful thing to be able to connect with people through words through a lens. Families are smaller, the Church has collapsed, community has gone to shit. I feel like through my monthly blogs I encourage people to connect with their real-life friends and family"
As Murphy points out, building a following of thousands or millions doesn't just happen for no reason.
'Detestable freeloaders' aren't just empty vessels of advertisers; they're entertainers, they're singers, actors, writers, comedians, models, creatives, editors, lighting experts, agents and so much more.
Back in 1818, Mary Shelley published Frankenstein anonymously. Female authors weren’t respected 200 years ago, but today they are amongst some of the most successful writers that grace the shelves of bookshops around the world.
Women like J.K Rowling, Emily Bronte, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou and Margaret Atwood will forever be remembered for their wonderful words. They are historical icons in the literary world and have paved the way for many female authors.
There was a point in history when women’s voices were silenced, but we are now louder than ever.
Scarlet Curtis has perfectly captured the strength of women today with her book Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies.)
The Pink Protest co-founder hopes to bridge the gap between the feminist hashtags and scholarly texts in this honest and raw collection of women’s stories.
She enlisted the help of some of the most empowering contributors including Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Jameela Jamil, Chimwemwe Chiweza, Dolly Alderton, Adwoa Aboah and Beanie Feldstein.
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies) isn’t about learning how to be a ‘perfect’ feminist. It’s about reading the stories of our fellow sisters.
The stories shared in this gripping collection of essays are as diverse as the list of contributors.
“This is not a guide on how to be the perfect feminist, nor is it a full or adequate interpretation of one of the most complex movements in global history. This book is a collection of women’s stories,” author Scarlet Curtis commented.
Royalties of each copy sold will go to Girl Up, an initiative hosted by the United Nations Foundation.
The recent uproar surrounding decade-old tweets unearthed from YouTube superstar Zoe Sugg's Twitter proves that deleting those old posts from when you were an idiotic teenager is always a good idea.
The YouTuber, blogger and business woman was on the receiving end of serious backlash, when tweets that she posted a number of years ago were dug up and republished by social media sleuths.
The tweets were penned between 2009 and 2012, and one which offended people in particular was the following:
In other tweets, referring to an unknown person, Zoe also said 'I just saw her Twitter. She needs to get dressed tbh. Lol skank attack.'
She also tweeted that another woman should have '"kept her legs shut" excuse my choice of words haha.'
It is not known what she was specifically referring to in this instance, though Zoe mentions in her apology that she was discussing a TV show.
Another tweet showed her communicating with fellow mega-blogger Tanya Burr, in which she referred to someone as a 'tranny.'
Another tweet has been criticised as Islamaphobic.
In the tweet, Zoe took a picture of a woman in full hijab against her knowledge, and captioned it: 'There's a death eater on my train.'
Zoe, who has over 12 million followers on YouTube, has apologised for the statements that she made.
I’ve seen a few of my old tweets from 7/8 years ago floating around (which I have now deleted) using words like “chav” “skank” and other words I wouldn’t use now as part of my language and lot of them were taken out of context referring to TV shows but I would never say those
'I’ve seen a few of my old tweets from 7/8 years ago floating around (which I have now deleted) using words like “chav” “skank” and other words I wouldn’t use now as part of my language and lot of them were taken out of context referring to TV shows but I would never say those things now and I’m sorry if I have offended anyone, that was not my intention,' she said via Twitter.
'Obviously that is not who I am today and I’d like to think I’m a little older and wiser!'
'I’m not perfect and I’ve never claimed to be, I’m only human.'
Fans of the vlogger have rushed to her defence, claiming that Zoe was young and immature when she made the statements (she would have been aged 19-22) and that people change.
'I don’t think it’s fair that people are judging Zoella on tweets from 7 years ago. I used to be quite a nasty person 7 years ago but I grew up and learned from that and so did she,' said one.
However, others have been discussing the damage to the very wholesome brand of Zoella under the '#ZoellaIsOverParty' hashtag.
The apology comes after the online star was forced to defend her advent calendar, which received quite a bit of backlash online for it's price and quality of contents.
Mega blogger Zoe Sugg, or Zoella, has been forced to defend herself after criticism of an advent calendar from her lifestyle brand went viral this week.
An number of people have taken to social media to critique the cost of the calender, which retails for €65.00 for 12 days of 'special surprises.'
Originally, people were unhappy with the high cost of the item, but videos showcasing what the calendar includes causes uproar, with many declaring the products to be 'tat' and 'cheap.'
Can you believe the actual nerve of that Zoella trying to sell a 12 day advent calendar filled with shite like a cookie cutter,star shaped confetti and stickers to her 10 year old fans for £50
The advent calendar includes: a bag of glitter confetti, a candle,stickers, a Christmas bauble, a purse,a candle holder, room spray, a note pad, a pen, two cookie cutters and a fluffy key ring.
'A ridiculously overpriced advent calendar with a few knickknaks. DO NOT BUY,' reads one review on the Boots website.
In a new YouTube video, Zoe has addressed the criticism.
'The retailer can decide how much they sell that for, that's completely out of my decision making, I don't have the right to make those decisions,' she said, in a video titled Christmas Adverts and How We Met.
'I know that there are some of you who might not have known that.'
'I don’t want people to think I’m sat at home, like, counting fifty pounds every time someone buys this calendar and thinking that was a conscious decision I made to rip people off.'
‘Because if you know me, you know that there’s not a bone in my body that would think that way.'
Wow so @zoella downright lied about boots setting the price of the £50 advent calendar and Boots confirmed it. She's playing us all. pic.twitter.com/RQLRP2bxvZ
'And it makes me so sad that anyone would think that was my intention, because that is 100 per cent not my intention, my intention was to make a product I thought you guys would love.’
However, Boots responded to one dismayed Zoella fan who asked for a justification for the price of the calendar on Twitter.
The Boots Help Twitter page responded: 'We sell all products at the recommended retail price, as set by the manufacturer and supplier.'
Due to the drama, Boots have slashed the price of the calendar.
It is now available as the Offer Of The Week at half price, coming in at €32.50.
Zoella has had a bad week when it comes to both business and her social presence, as fans dug up a number of tweets from the vlogger's past which appear to show the online star mocking members of the LGBTQ community.
Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, is often cited as one of the biggest beauty YouTubers, gurus and bloggers in the world.
The 27-year-old has been filming YouTube videos in her bedroom for the best part of a decade, but the lifestyle influencer actually started out on a much bigger screen.
The makeup devotee was actually in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which she has previously mentioned in videos.
'I was 10 when they first started filming for the first film, and my primary school is in the village they used,' the beauty guru wrote in a blog post.
'So they came and asked everyone in my year (which was probably about 7 children) if we wanted to be extras.'
'Of course we said yes. I was in Hufflepuff. The first year, we were used in Snape's potion class scene.'
'I am not seen in the film annoyingly, but its nice to know i was there. We also got to mingle with the cast, we watched spider man with them.'
It seems that the world's biggest blogger is gearing up for Christmas just a little early (no harm in being prepared) with the launch of her epic advent calendar.
The blogger has already launched a successful beauty biz, which was followed by an equally successful lifestyle range, so it's not surprising that the YouTuber wants to add some festive aspects to her empire.
The Zoella All You need is Xmas advent calendar is currently available to order online from Boots, and we're getting our order in early.
Rather than focusing on confectionery treats, the boxes are filled with little trinkets, homewear and beauty pieces.
According to the description, the 12 treats include 'beautifully scented candles to stunning accessories, stationery, baking goodies and other special surprises.'
From what we can glean, (spoiler alert) there is definitely a scented candle, an orange-infused room spray and a very special Christmas bauble encased inside.
So for that major Zoella fan in your life, this could be the perfect pre-Christmas pressie.
Katie Hopkins literally says whatever is on her mind, and this time, YouTube sensation Zoe Sugg is the target of her rant.
The journalist called Zoella – as she is better known – "the s***test of the lot" in a controversail interview with Now magazine.
She claims vloggers like Zoella use the fact that they have been bullied to gain more popularity.
Katie further claims that these famous YouTube faces exaggerate the fact that they get picked on.
Zoella has spoken about being bullied before on her YouTube channel and in her book, Girl Online.
When Katie was asked if she has been bullied she said she has not "but I've heard stories where it's been so hideous for people that they haven't been able to think of any other option than suicide."
"That's when the word should be used, not with all these YouTube vloggers who were once called a t*** at some point in their life and now say they're victims of bullying so that they can resonate with every other teenager in the land.
"They need to get over themselves."
Katie was then asked if she was a fan of Zoella, to which she replied: "No, especially not the whole 'I've been bullied, now watch me put on some make-up I've bought from MAC. Zoella is the s***test of the lot."
