They’re the YouTube power couple known for sharing every aspect of their lives – from moving house to becoming pregnant and getting engaged – with their millions of followers online.
So after 16 years of constant updates, it’s no surprise that Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes’ fans have become concerned by their sudden three-and-a-half month break from social media.
‘We miss the “Zalfie” family,’ one wrote.
‘Starting to get worried about you all,’ said another.
Zoe became famous on the back of her blog and YouTube channel in 2012, growing a beauty and lifestyle channel into a multi-million-pound brand Zoella. She became Britain’s first YouTube millionaire and Forbes Magazine declared her the most powerful beauty vlogger in 2017. Zoe also started Zoella Beauty, which sold bath, body and beauty products for five years until the company was dissolved in 2019.
She started dating fellow YouTuber Alfie, better known as Pointless Blog, in 2012 and soon they were one of the UK internet’s most prominent couples.
They were also part of the Brit Crew, a highly influential group of nine British YouTubers, among them Caspar Lee and Tanya Burr, who were popular in the early-to-mid 2010s.
But now, sources say that ‘Zoe is ready to give it all up and focus on family life’.
Zoe and Alfie began dating in 2012 and quickly became one of the most prominent YouTube couples
After 16 years in the industry, ‘Zoe is ready to give it all up and focus on family life,’ sources say
Alfie was pictured yesterday with Zoe’s brother Joe and his partner Diane Buswell and their newborn son Bowden
Zoe, 35, and Alfie, 32, live in Brighton with their two daughters – Ottilie, born in August 2021, and Novie who followed in December 2023.
They got engaged in September 2023 after more than ten years together and are yet to tie the knot.
Zoe and Alfie, who have a combined following of over 20million subscribers, typically take a break from YouTube every January after doing ‘Vlogmas’ – a tradition in which tireless content creators post daily video blogs from December 1 until Christmas Day.
However, they have now been absent from social media for almost four months – a move sources say is ‘out of character’.
Alfie did make a return to Instagram after three months away with a post on International Women’s Day on March 8, giving fans some reassurance that the family are all doing well.
Just days later, he shared a topless selfie and showed off his new beard, which confused some fans and left them concerned about Zoe’s continuing silence.
Many thought the couple would return to social media when Zoe’s brother Joe Sugg and partner Dianne Buswell, who met on Strictly, announced the birth of their first child, a baby boy named Bowden, on Instagram on Wednesday.
Alfie liked and commented on Joe’s picture of their new baby, showing he’s still active on the app, although he no longer posts regularly. But Zoe’s lack of interaction with the post has led many fans to believe she has deleted Instagram altogether.
Alfie shared a topless selfie showing off his new beard, which confused some fans and left them concerned about Zoe’s silence
The couple have now been gone from social media for almost four months – a move sources say is ‘out of character’
Zoe, right, holding hands with her daughter Novie as they joined new parents Joe and Dianne in Sussex
However, she and Alfie were quick to travel to Sussex to meet baby Bowden.
They were spotted enjoying a family walk in the sunshine on Thursday with Joe and Dianne, who looked every inch the proud new parents.
Zoe attempted to keep a low profile in sunglasses and a baseball cap, teamed with a baggy white jumper and jeans, walking hand-in-hand with daughter Novie.
In recent years, Zoe and Alfie have also posted on YouTube less frequently. They now focus on their lifestyle brands and broader influencer work, including promoting their clothing company Future Self and its sister brand Dear Sunday.
But according to Companies House, from 2024 to 2025, Future Self Clothing LTD’s net assets have fallen sharply from £196,346 to £69,878, driven largely by a steep rise in its short-term debts, which climbed from £19,623 to £111,755.
In contrast, Zoe’s personal company Zoe Sugg Limited appears to be booming, with net assets jumping from £2.9 million to £4.9 million.
Meanwhile, Alfie’s business has seen only modest growth, with net assets rising to £2.07 million from £1.85 million. And the company is still carrying more than £411,000 in short-term debts, albeit down from £516,000 the year before, which might explain his reluctance to give up his online platform.
Zoe has faced her fair share of controversies over the years, including backlash over homophobic and fat-shaming tweets she wrote between 2009 and 2012. They resurfaced in 2017 and she made a public apology. Other controversies include fans becoming enraged that she hired a ghostwriter for her debut book Girl Online, a teen romance novel published in 2014, and disappointment over the £50 advent calendar she sold in 2017 which only had 12 doors.
Zoe’s younger brother Joe recently announced the birth of his and Strictly dancer Dianne Buswell’s son Bowden
While millions of loyal fans have stuck by her for years, this unexplained silence has harboured disappointment from social media and has rubbed some fans the wrong way.
One pointed out: ‘Zoe sounded like she was over YouTube during Vlogmas.
‘If they plan to give it up and family does come first, it would be nice to do a goodbye and thank you video after all. Neither would be living the privileged life if it wasn’t for their followers.’
Another said: ‘It is bizarre that they still sell Dear Sunday merch and expect their audience to invest when they’re clearly not giving back.
‘Maybe Dear Sunday was their last chance to cash in on their fans before they quietly quit YouTube and social media.’
Last year Zoe and Alfie ended Vlogmas on Boxing Day and resumed vlogs on February 23, but kept fans updated on Instagram during their hiatus.
Zoe later took another break from vlogging last summer and returned to her YouTube channel – which has five million followers – on the same day that her brother Joe announced his partner Dianne was pregnant. But Zoe’s video led some fans to accuse her of ‘sabotaging’ her brother’s baby news as she uploaded the video just hours before his post.
But it was that candid come back video that first raised questions about whether Zoe would continue posting regularly. In the video she said: ‘Sixteen years is a really long time to be sharing aspects of your life on a public platform… Sometimes it is nice to take a step back and have a little break and re-evaluate.
‘Do people still want to watch my content? Is there anything left? Is there still space for my type of content?
‘Is there a place for me here anymore? Have I shared everything I have to give? Those are some of my honest thoughts and feelings.’
The video was met with overwhelming support from long-time fans, racking up hundreds of thousands of views within hours.
But it’s become clear that Zoe and Alfie have slowly been taking a step back from life in the public eye. Last year the couple declined the opportunity to feature in a documentary about the Brit Crew – the YouTube group that was once so central to their careers.
As their vlogs become less frequent, their social media presence dwindles and their personal lives becoming more private, is it only a matter of time before they leave the lives they’ve built online?
And how, after 16 years of watching ‘Zalfie’, will their followers feel if the couple quit then for good?
Zoe and Alfie’s representatives were contacted for comment.
