Not Your Average Influencers is an intimate BBC documentary that delves into the fascinating lives of Lauren Faulkner and Charlie Allan and the challenges they come across as full-time influencers.
The 22-year-olds from Edinburgh, started their YouTube channel in late 2019 and since then have amassed nearly 100,000 followers between them.
Back in May the couple won ‘Best Newcomer’ Cosmopolitan Influencer Award for 2020. This came as no surprise as their channel, Trans Life & Wife is completely open, honest and hilarious covering really important topics. Thus creating much needed conversations about mental health.
The channel features the highs, lows and the intimate details of the couples’ life. Such as an hour-long emotional YouTube video, where Lauren opens up about her struggle with OCD and Emetophobia.
Emetophobia is an extreme fear of nausea and vomiting. Those who experience emetophobia may also fear being out of control while they are being sick or fear being sick in public, which can trigger avoidance behaviours. It is a condition that is not widely diagnosed even though it is a fairly prevalent anxiety disorder.
The couple also regularly use the platform to educate their audience on trans matters; from what it’s like taking self-medicating hormones, to answering common assumptions about their relationship.
Not to mention adorable videos of their milestones and celebrations throughout the chaos of coronavirus and lockdown. One thing that makes their content stand out is how down to earth and completely upfront they are. Something you don’t often see with YouTubers and influencers.
Being brave enough to open up and speak about your own mental health and the struggles you face is incredibly brave and can make such a difference to other’s who may suffer too.
In 2020 having a platform with such a giant audience comes with great responsibility. Lauren and Charlie’s channel is up there with one of the best and the BBC documentary really captures exactly why.
The documentary is available on BBC iPlayer until November 2021: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000q7l3/not-your-average-influencers
Film Media and Journalism student at the University of Stirling. Editor in Chief at Brig Newspaper. Edinburgh / Stirling
