Joe Sugg

Sugg created his 'ThatcherJoe' channel in November 2011 and reached the 1 million subscriber mark two years later. His channel became known for its pranks, impressions and challenge videos, such as the Whisper challenge, which became a popular YouTube trend after Sugg created a YouTuber version of the challenge in 2014.[3] He also created a 'YouTuber Innuendo Bingo', similar to the BBC Radio 1 segment, and was later invited to appear on the Radio 1 segment himself.[4][5] In January 2013, Sugg created his vlogging channel, 'ThatcherJoeVlogs', and in June 2014, he created his gaming channel, 'ThatcherJoeGames'.[6][7] In March 2019, Sugg started a cooking channel, called In the Pan, with his girlfriend Dianne Buswell.[8]

Sugg made an uncredited cameo voiceover as a seagull, along with former housemate Caspar Lee, in the 2015 UK version of the film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.[9] Also in 2015, Sugg appeared alongside Caspar Lee in the direct-to-DVD film Joe and Caspar Hit the Road,[10] which was shown on British television channel E4 in April 2016.[11] A second DVD, Joe & Caspar Hit the Road USA, was released in 2016.[12] Alongside fellow YouTubers Alfie Deyes and Marcus Butler, Sugg starred in an episode of the British television show Release the Hounds, which aired on 2 March 2017.[13]

In 2018, Sugg became the first 'social media star' to appear on Strictly Come Dancing, and was partnered with professional dancer Dianne Buswell. The pair reached the finale and finished as runners up.[14][15][16] Shortly after the 2018 final of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC announced Sugg as co-presenter of New Year Live, alongside Stacey Dooley.[17] On 22 February 2019 Sugg co-hosted The One Show on BBC One, with Alex Jones.[18] On 25 February it was announced that Sugg would be one of the hosts for the Red Nose Day telethon on the BBC on 15 March 2019.[19]

Sugg voiced Gus in the UK version of Wonder Park (2019).[20] In May 2019 Sugg guest starred on the Cartoon Network show, The Amazing World of Gumball, in the role of Azreal.[21] In July 2019, Sugg announced via Instagram that he would have a cameo voiceover as a character called Pizza Boy in the 2019 film A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon.[22]

In January 2020, Sugg was a guest panellist on the BBC One show Would I Lie to You.[23] In March 2020, he appeared as a contestant on The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off, in which he fainted due to a flesh wound, but recovered to take the title of Star Baker.[24] In April 2020, Sugg appeared as a contestant on I'll Get This.[25]

It was announced in August 2020 that Sugg would appear in the fourth season of the BBC One drama, The Syndicate.[26] In September 2020, Sugg announced that he would be the voice of the robot R-41 in 'Daleks!', an animated Doctor Who series which was released on YouTube in November 2020 as part of Time Lord Victorious.[27]

Sugg was a member of the YouTube Boyband that raised money for Comic Relief and was featured in The Guardian.[28][29][30] He also featured on the 2014 single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" as part of the Band Aid 30 charity supergroup, raising money for the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa.[31][32] On 31 January 2020, Sugg released his debut single, "Say It Now".[33]

In August 2019, Sugg was cast as Ogie Anhorn in the musical Waitress in London's West End. He debuted in the role on 9 September 2019,[34] and gave his final performance on 30 November 2019.[35]

Sugg is the author of the graphic novel Username: Evie, published in 2015 by Hodder & Stoughton.[36] The writing is by Matt Whyman, with artist Amrit Birdi, colourist Joaquin Pereyra, and letterer Mindy Lopkin. The story is about bullied teenage schoolgirl Evie, who dreams of a place she can be herself. Her terminally ill father creates a virtual reality for her, but dies before it is completed. After he leaves her an app that allows entry, Evie is transported into a world where everything is influenced by her personality.[37] A second graphic novel, Username: Regenerated, was published in 2016 as a sequel to Username: Evie,[38] and the third and final graphic novel in the series, Username: Uprising, was released in 2017.[39]

In late 2016, Sugg and his sister Zoe released a range of branded merchandise called 'Sugg Life', created in collaboration with The Creator Store, a company owned by Alfie Deyes and Dominic Smales.[40][41] The term 'Sugg Life' is a play on 'Thug life', a phrase popularised by Tupac Shakur and more recently an internet meme.[42] The online shop offered a range of products such as hoodies, stickers and phone cases. In August 2017, The Creator Store opened a pop-up shop in Covent Garden which, for ten days, sold limited edition 'Sugg Life X PB' merchandise; a collaboration of Sugg Life and Deyes' 'Pointless Blog' brands.[43] The Sugg Life online shop became inactive in May 2018.[44]

Sugg, along with his professional dancing partner Dianne Buswell, appeared in the Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour during January and February 2019.[45] The two made Strictly Live Tour history by winning 25 shows in a row against six other couples,[46] later becoming the overall tour winners having won 28 of the 29 shows.[47][48]

On 5 November 2019, it was announced that Sugg would be participating in the 2019 Christmas special episode.[49] A week later it was announced that he would be dancing with Dianne Buswell, as he did in series 16 of the show.[50]