Joe Sugg: British YouTuber and internet personality who grew to roughly 6 million subscribers by age 22, former roof thatcher, Strictly Come Dancing finalist, West End performer, author, and talent management company co-founder.
What this episode covers
Joe Sugg traces his path from a shy, self-deprecating schoolboy and aspiring animator to a roof thatcher who started YouTube as a hobby that exploded into a record-breaking career. He speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, anxiety, procrastination, and the burnout he hit around 2016-17 while juggling three channels, a book, and other projects. He discusses going to therapy (encouraged by his sister Zoe), learning he is a people-pleaser, and techniques for managing anxiety. He also opens up about meeting his girlfriend Diane on Strictly Come Dancing and why writing his nature book Grow helped him reconnect and find balance.
The guest's own work
Grow: Find Your Way to a Happier, Healthier You
Joe Sugg
“you were quite self-deprecating at that point in secondary school yeah i read in the book in chapter one of grow”— Stephen Bartlett
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Indistractable
Nir Eyal
“i learned this actually from a guest on his podcast called near iel he um he wrote a book on why we get distracted”— guest
Chicken Run
Aardman Animations
“if you know animations like oh how long it took to make chicken run or wallace and gromit you know these films take a long time to make”— guest
Wallace and Gromit
Aardman Animations
“how long it took to make chicken run or wallace and gromit you know these films take a long time to make”— guest
Indiana Jones
“first of all it was an archaeologist of course i wanted to be in diana jones and then uh secondary school”— guest
The Hunger Games
“i kind of use it as like the you know like um the hunger games a guy who's like sat on the train he sort of takes her through it”— guest
Big reveals from this episode
- Joe chose roof thatching with his uncle over university despite strong A-level grades, and his school advised against it.
- He compares his YouTube success to catching one record-breaking wave and now paddling around waiting for the next big one.
- Stephen reveals he signed several YouTubers in 2013-14 and believes early YouTube fame psychologically 'ruined their lives'.
- While still thatching five days a week, Joe was flown business class to LA to interview Simon Cowell with straw still in his shoes.
- Joe faced backlash and amplified imposter syndrome over his West End Waitress role from trained musical-theatre performers.
- Joe reveals a roughly two-year period of overwhelming anxiety and that he sought therapy after his sister Zoe paved the way.
- He met his first real girlfriend, professional dancer Diane, on Strictly Come Dancing at age 26-27.
Worth remembering
- Joe attended a tiny rural primary school of 52 pupils before moving to a secondary school of over a thousand.
- As a child he wanted to be an archaeologist, then an animator/model builder for Aardman.
- He cites Nir Eyal's idea that procrastination is avoidance of tasks carrying psychological discomfort.
- Stephen notes none of the YouTubers his company signed reached the size of Joe's British YouTube cohort.
- At his peak burnout Joe was running three YouTube channels solo, ideating, shooting, editing, and promoting all himself.
- Joe wrote his book Grow about being outside in nature after getting into balcony gardening during lockdown.
- His therapist taught him to manage anxiety by breaking time into chunks, e.g. treating a two-hour exam as four 30-minute blocks.
- Joe and Diane were once tailed by a paparazzo and shook him off while playing the James Bond theme in a borrowed Aston Martin.
- His manager Alex sent him a Harry Potter book care package during burnout even though he is not the biggest Harry Potter fan.