The name ‘Memeulous’ is well-known on YouTube — a content creator who has amassed over 4.5 million subscribers on his main channel, and 1.1 million on his second channel. However, for years none of his large following knew as much as his real name. Even now, only his first name, George, is known — all other personal information remains a mystery. One of the biggest talking points of the online sphere is its emphasis on appearances, yet this is something which Memeulous has never encountered. As a ‘faceless’ content creator, he has created his image with his trademark hat, sunglasses, and black and white bandana, leaving no part of his actual face visible.

True to form, this is what Memeulous is wearing when I meet him, right before his event at the Cambridge Union. On top of his signature look, he has also donned a waistcoat and Cambridge gown — clearly choosing to fully immerse himself in his surroundings. The over-the-top outfit may have just been for fun, but it serves to remind me that the occasion marks a significant moment in the YouTuber’s career — it is his first ever public appearance. With that in mind, I ask why he chose to accept the invite to the Union, after many years of remaining behind the screen. “It’s just a bit of an honour to be invited to speak,” he tells me. “When they messaged me, I looked at their YouTube channel [where they had] people like Stephen Fry, and I was like, ‘Why have they invited me?’ But I just thought it would be a cool thing to do.”

"There’s obviously going to be a certain level of curiosity"

Known primarily for his commentary videos focused around online culture, Memeulous has amassed a large following over his many years in the channel, and continues to entertain viewers with his humour and acute observations. He often produces videos in collaboration with other popular content creators, and reveals that he is most proud of The Eboys podcast, which he launched with fellow YouTubers WillNE, James Marriott and ImAllexx at the start of lockdown — “they’re some of the only videos that I go back to and watch to this day.”

It is impossible to avoid the elephant in the room — his identity. Even when sitting directly opposite him, I am unable to make out any part of his face; this is someone who has mastered the art of remaining a mystery. I ask him how he feels about people inquiring about his identity, and whether he has ever felt a pressure to show his face. He pauses for a moment before responding: “I feel like there’s obviously going to be a certain level of curiosity, and it’d be a bit weird if I was like ‘That’s making me feel uncomfortable, you can’t be curious about that,’ because I guess it’s natural to be curious.” He amends this by adding that “some people try and take it too far [...] they’ll go out of their way to make you feel uncomfortable. But it’s very rare.”

"If you put yourself out on the internet, you’ve got to expect some level of [backlash]”

But would he ever actually reveal his identity? “A couple of years ago, it was something I was genuinely considering [...] because I just felt as though it would maybe help in some way.” However, he has since had a change of heart — he thinks that “it wouldn’t really make a difference. And if anything, I feel as though I’m better off like this, not showing my face.” It seems as though the closest his audience will get to seeing his face is his ‘eye reveal’, done to commemorate reaching 4 million subscribers in 2020. 

Seeing what has happened to other ‘faceless’ content creators, it is clear why Memeulous has decided to remain anonymous . Recently, the YouTuber and Twitch streamer Dream chose to reveal his identity, and received an overwhelming response online, the majority of which was not positive. Memeulous takes a moment to reflect on this reaction, and the relationship that viewers seem to have with online creators. He puts forward that Dream is “just a normal looking guy,” but argues that “even if he was the most attractive man in the world, he would have got a lot of backlash just for the way he looks, he hid it for so long.” Memeulous also mentions that he and other faceless creators were brought into the conversation when this was happening, with many saying that the negative reaction to Dream’s appearance would make them not want to reveal their identities either. However, he is quick to dispel these ideas: “It’s not really because of that [...] if you put yourself out on the internet, you’ve got to expect some level of [backlash].”

It’s clear that Memeulous has found a niche that works for him. Within a space that is often characterised by its superficiality, he has gone against the grain by choosing to hide his face and has found success nonetheless, proving that sometimes in social media, appearances really aren’t everything.