Who has had the biggest influence on your career? and What made them so influential?
It’s hard not to immediately name some of the biggest streamers, in terms of their following; the names who are known even by those who don’t watch them. Those guys are the benchmark and, when you’re starting out, it’s what you aim for. I knew Stop and Step and The Bandit personally before starting, and those guys were a huge influence. Once we started to look towards attracting a European audience, it was the likes of CasinoGrounds and, more specifically, Let’s Give It a Spin, who became that benchmark.
This is a job that is so much about personality and I’ve never taken influence from anyone in that respect. I think as soon as you curate a personality, you become disingenuous and I never wanted that. I swore to be authentically myself, and I have been – no matter who loves or loathes me. The other side is the content and that’s where I draw inspiration. Looking at what gets views, what brings a flurry of comments – the ways other men and women in this industry engage with their audience, and attracting new viewers.
And the great thing about this is that it’s not just the 'biggest' streamers you can draw influence from. Some of the 'smallest' streamers, for want of a better word, have the greatest tools, and aspects of their streams and content can be a great source of inspiration.
Name something that used to worry you which now, looking back, seems silly?
I used to spend a lot of time worrying if people would like me; and I know now more than ever that not everyone will like you in life, and that’s okay. I still aim to be respectful towards everyone, and hate the thought of any of my viewers or other content creators considering me to be rude, but I’m okay now with not being everyone’s ‘cup of tea.’
What would you say to yourself if you could go back in time and speak to yourself?
Well, depending on the age I’d probably warn myself about the hair loss! I guess I’d just tell myself that it’s good to put yourself out there, and try new things. If I had never put myself out there in my first YouTube video, I wouldn’t be on this journey now with thousands of wonderful viewers and great community members.
What have you always been, and likely always will be, terrible at?
Organisation. I’m not an organised person, and once I have three or four things going on at once I can feel quite overwhelmed. I think I’m getting better, but no – I probably won’t ever be very good at it. Or tidy!
What is your favourite band? and Why are they better than everyone else?
Spandau Ballet! I just love retro music – we actually parodied the “Gold” video as a promo for the launch of Gold Megaways and I loved it. I was in my element: wig and all.