Who the Sugg is Joe, ask older Strictly fans?
YOUTUBE personality Joe Sugg may have over 25million followers, but that hasn’t stopped older Strictly Come Dancing viewers complaining that they’ve never heard of the latest contestant to be announced for the BBC show.
Joe (pictured) — the younger brother of beauty blogger Zoella — was announced today as the fourth star to be taking part in this year’s dance contest, alongside presenter Katie Piper, Steps singer Faye Tozer and Red Dwarf actor Danny John-Jules.
But despite his huge following and a successful career as a vlogger, filmmaker and author, the 26-year-old left many older viewers flummoxed.
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Robin Windsor joked: ‘I know I’m getting on a bit when I have to google the young contestants on @bbcstrictly.’
Many other Twitter users seemed to agree, with one dismissing Sugg with: ‘Majority of the audience watching this won’t know who he is, I certainly don’t! Next!’
Another sounded angry, tweeting that Strictly was ‘sidelining its loyal older audience’, adding that the term celebrity is being ‘stretched to the hilt’.
Younger fans weren’t having that, though, with one hitting back: ‘He has over 8 million subscribers on YouTube & over 5 and a half million followers on Twitter… just because YOU don’t know him, doesn’t make him a non-celeb!’
Another pointed out the problem went both ways: ‘All of the older generation need to stop complaining that they don’t know who Joe Sugg is when none of us lot know who any of the other people on Strictly are.’
One voice of sanity wrote: ‘I’m in my 40s and have heard of all the contestants… so far… but every year there is somebody I haven’t heard of but isn’t that what makes Strictly brilliant, that there is somebody for all the viewers to get to know?’
Joe himself seemed relaxed about the backlash, admitting a ‘lot of people’ might say ‘Who?’ after his name was unveiled.
He also confessed he is not a great dancer, adding: ‘I’m very nervous about it. It’s totally out of my comfort zone and I know it will be a huge challenge but that’s what life is all about.’
The remaining Strictly contestants will be announced over the coming days and the show is due to air this autumn.
Author: Anna Thomson
