Rather than study for her exams, Charlotte McDonnell (formerly Charlie) started the YouTube channel charlieissocoollike in 2007. Posting a combination of vlogs, comedy videos and challenges, Charlotte’s channel broke out when her video How To Get Featured On YouTube was featured on the YouTube UK homepage.

What began as procrastination lead to Charlotte becoming arguably the UK’s first YouTube star, being the first to hit one million subscribers in June 2011. The novelty of ‘internet fame’ led to her appearing in various mainstream media, collaborating with Doctor Who, and somehow convincing Stephen Fry to record her video outro.

By 2013, Charlotte admitted she was burned out from content creation. She would focus less on YouTube as time went on, preferring to focus on screenwriting and later Twitch. By 2019, she announced that she had quit YouTube altogether.

She made a notable return to the platform in 2023, posting a video explaining that she was trans and setting her historical content to private.

We discuss Charlotte’s video style, her appeal and rise to stardom, as well as how she would influence a generation of creators.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:32 Respecting Charlotte's transition and decision to private videos

00:04:14 Our history with Charlotte

00:08:34 Best Way To Get Featured on YouTube

00:14:13 How to be English

00:20:17 Alfie Days reviews the channel

00:22:18 Challenge Charlie

00:29:31 FiveAwesomeGuys

00:30:55 Charlotte's music

00:38:29 Mainstream media appearances

00:40:22 Doctor Who fandom

00:48:29 Charlotte's later YouTube work

00:51:12 What happened to charlieissocoollike

00:57:01 The clues that I was transgender

00:57:48 Recent work outside of YouTube

01:00:23 The Stephen Fry channel outro

01:02:22 Charlotte's YouTube legacy

01:06:13 Why we have missed weekly uploads

01:11:38 Lucy's subscription: Dan and Phil

01:12:49 Max's subscription: The Chair Company (HBO)

SOCIALS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Email us at rewindtimepod@gmail.com

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Get more Lucy at www.youtube.com/@LucyLivinYT, www.tiktok.com/@lucy_livin and www.instagram.com/lucy.livin/, Max is at www.instagram.com/max.eagles