YouTube has been around for over 15 years. The company was originally launched in February 2005, and has only grown since then. Users can find all sorts of videos, ranging from tutorials and DIY projects to comedy/original sketches to, recently, full movies, and virtually everything in between. With this rise of popularity came a new era of career: video content creator.
There are numerous creators on YouTube that are household names, such as the innovative celebrity MrBeast, as well as those that are lesser known. For this article, however, we are going to dive back into the archives of the early days creators, looking at the current lives of people like Jenna Marbles and Pewdiepie, who helped shape the way we consumed content in the early era of YouTube.
8 Jenna Marbles Is Loving Domestic Life
Jenna Marbles joined YouTube over 12 years ago, posting content that spanned popular trends, dog-related content, and "relatable" material. The creator posted her last video on June 17, 2020, and during her internet career she gained over 20 million subscribers and a total of over 1.7 billion views on her videos.
Since departing from YouTube, Jenna has stepped away from social media altogether. The former content master does not have a public Instagram or Facebook account, and has not been active on YouTube for almost three years. That said, she tied the knot with long-time partner Julien Solomita last December, and he shared some photos of the wedding day on his Instagram.
7 Shane Dawson Is Settling Down
Shane Dawson posted his first YouTube video in 2008. Over the last 15 years, Dawson has uploaded over 550 videos, focusing on attention-grabbing content like conspiracy theories and feuds with other creators (such as beauty guru Jeffree Star). As time went on, he slowed down his release schedule and has only been publishing a few videos a year over the last couple of years.
At 19.3 million subscribers, Shane is still making videos, just more sparingly than in previous years. In January of this year, he married his partner Ryland Adams and is settling down into the husband lifestyle. He also hosts a podcast called Shane Dawson Podcast, where he posts episodes on a regular basis.
6 Rhett & Link Are Still YouTube Moguls
Rhett and Link are a best friend duo that began making videos in 2011 under the show name Good Morning Chia Lincoln. Not long after, they renamed their morning show to Good Mythical Morning and have been releasing weekly videos for well over 10 years. The show has developed a strong following, prompting the creators to create their own "Mythical Society" for patrons to join as well as a Mythical Convention.
Both hosts are fathers, so they have been devoting their off-time to their families. Rhett has recently decided to pursue a solo career in music under the pseudonym James and the Shame. He released his first album, Human Overboard, in 2022 and is likely working on new songs. Link is not currently working on any individual projects, but has dove back into his creative side with Rhett for their side channel Rhett & Link.
5 PewDiePie Is Expecting His First Child
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, has smashed YouTube records and currently holds 111 million subscribers. He gained popularity by posting daily gaming videos, but has transferred to posting whatever content he wants to a few years ago. Nowadays, he still makes videos, but publishes them on his own time rather than adhering to a specific schedule.
The Swedish YouTube phenom married his wife Marzia Kjellberg in 2019, and the two are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first child! The announcement was made in February, and the couple are in high anticipation. In other family news, they brought home a new pup in January.
4 Zoella Has Shifted Her Focus To Family & Business
Zoe Sugg, who went by the username Zoella, first joined the video site in 2009 as a beauty YouTuber. She gained a following thanks to her bubbly personality, beauty hacks, and banter with fellow British-based YouTube creators like Alfie Deyes, Tanya Sugg, Caspar Lee, and her brother Joe Sugg.
She and Alfie have been together for almost a decade, and in August 2021 they welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Ottilie Rue. Zoe officially stopped making YouTube videos four years ago, though she can still be seen in Alfie's vlogs from time to time. Instead, Sugg is focusing her energy on being a mom and the apps she has created: Filmm and Template.
3 Smosh Has Evolved & Continues To Make Videos
In 2002, Anthony Padilla created a website called SMOSH where he (and later his friend Ian Hecox), could post flash animations and skits. They joined YouTube in 2005, posting parodied music videos and comedy sketches. Over the years, Smosh evolved and brought more people into the "comedy collective."
In 2017, Anthony left the YouTube group and instead focused on a solo channel. His internet series "I Spent A Day With ___" is a popular one, and he has over 7 million subscribers. The Smosh channel was purchased by the Good Mythical Morning production, and continues to make videos every week out of their rented part of the Mythical studio.
2 NigaHiga Has Dropped Off The Social Map
Among the top of the charts from the early YouTube days is Ryan Higa, whose username was nigahiga. He began posting videos in 2006, embracing the comedy genre by releasing original comedy songs, goofy "how to" videos, and random sketches. Higa was able to amass a following of over 21 million followers in his prime-time of creating.
Higa has not posted a video since April 2020, addressing Asian hate during the height of the COVID pandemic. The rest of his socials have also been quiet, as the Vegas internet star's Instagram has been silent since August 2021 when he posted a photo of himself holding a cat. The one site he does seem to frequent is Twitch, where he streams semi-regularly.
1 Miranda Sings Is A Touring National Icon
If you were on YouTube in the late 2000s/early 2010s, chances are you came across a Miranda Sings video. The channel has over 900 videos uploaded after starting in January 2008. Colleen Ballinger, who is a professionally trained singer, developed a large following for this character she created. Miranda had a specific fashion and beauty look, and was the best singer in the room.
Colleen is now a married mom of three, but still takes time to indulge her creative side. While her YouTube channels (both Miranda Sings and Colleen Ballinger) have been inactive for the last three months, she has spent the first few months of 2023 touring America as Miranda, performing to crowds of adoring fans.