YouTube power couple Zoe Sugg, known as Zoella, and Alfie Deyes have largely disappeared from social media over the past six months, leaving fans questioning their future online presence. The couple, who rose to fame as vloggers in 2012, vanished without explanation, prompting speculation about their activities.
Signs suggest a permanent departure from their regular content creation. Deyes, 32, has begun selling his professional camera equipment on the online marketplace Vinted. Lenses, including a Canon lens originally priced at £600 (retail value £2,000) and another listed for £750, have been posted for sale. A Samyang fisheye lens, listed for £130, was uploaded four months ago. Deyes' Vinted account has garnered over 5,000 followers and 154 positive reviews.
Meanwhile, Sugg, 36, has reportedly been sharing life updates on a private Instagram account, accessible only to close friends and fellow influencers like Mark Ferris and Jim Chapman. While the content of this account, @tigerlilyneverland, remains private, it indicates Sugg is not entirely abstaining from social media.
This news has been met with frustration from many long-term fans who feel their sustained support has been disregarded. "What a slap in the face to all the loyal fans who have supported her for over a decade... she does, in fact, owe them a brief explanation, or a few words. It’s just rude now," one fan wrote online. Despite the public silence, attempts to reach the couple's manager, Maddie Chester, for comment over the past six months have reportedly gone unanswered.
The couple has continued to profit from their business ventures, including their clothing line Future Self and journal brand Dear Sunday, with products still available for purchase. Deyes made a brief return to social media in March to announce a 36% discount on the DearSunday website in celebration of Sugg's birthday, a move that further disappointed some followers.
Shifting Priorities and Family Life
Prior to their social media hiatus, Sugg and Deyes had been gradually reducing their online output and increasing the privacy surrounding their personal lives. Speculation regarding Sugg's reduced online presence has linked it to her children's privacy, particularly since their eldest child began school last September. The couple had previously expressed a desire to limit online exposure for their children.
Despite the concerns, recent sightings suggest the couple is well. Fans have reported encountering Sugg and Deyes in their hometown of Brighton, with one noting Sugg appeared happy and engaged in normal family life at a village fete. They were also photographed in March with Sugg's brother, Joe Sugg, and his partner Dianne Buswell, shortly after the birth of their baby boy, Bowden.
Local Planning Dispute
Behind the scenes, the couple is involved in a dispute with neighbors over the construction of a new home for two donkeys on their £2 million Sussex property. The installation of three shepherd's huts, fencing, and gates on a five-acre agricultural plot in Hassocks was reportedly undertaken without the necessary planning permission from the local council. Objectors claim the development negatively impacts the area's character and charm and that they were not consulted.
Sugg and Deyes initially gained fame through vlogging, documenting aspects of their lives, beauty routines, and shopping habits, amassing millions of viewers. Sugg built a significant business empire from her online success, while Deyes gained prominence through his channel, PointlessBlog. The couple, who began dating in 2012, became a well-known figure in the UK's vlogging scene, accumulating a combined following of over 20 million subscribers. They became engaged in September 2023 and have two daughters.