Joe Sugg

Joseph Graham Sugg, born on 8 September 1991, is an English digital content creator, vlogger, actor, author, and entrepreneur. He initially gained widespread recognition through his YouTube channel ThatcherJoe, which accumulated over eight million subscribers. Sugg subsequently expanded into mainstream entertainment, competing as a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing and acting in the West End production of Waitress.

Sugg grew up in Lacock, Wiltshire, attending The Corsham School. His online handle ThatcherJoe stemmed from his former apprenticeship as a roof thatcher. He is the younger brother of internet personality Zoe Sugg. On the genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?, Sugg learned that his lineage includes early electrical telegraphy workers in Jersey, 18th-century Huguenot refugees from Normandy, and a London jeweler who survived the Great Fire of London.

Sugg launched his main YouTube account in December 2011, reaching one million subscribers within two years. His channel featured pranks, impressions, and challenges, including a popular digital version of the Whisper challenge. He later created separate vlogging and gaming channels. Sugg also participated in musical projects, contributing to charity releases such as the YouTube Boyband and Band Aid 30, as well as releasing solo singles including Say It Now and Wild Things.

Expanding into traditional media, Sugg provided voiceover roles for UK film releases including The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Wonder Park, and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, as well as animated series such as Daleks!, Corpse Talk, and The Amazing Maurice. He starred in direct-to-DVD travel films alongside Caspar Lee, made his scripted television debut on the BBC drama The Syndicate, and won Star Baker on The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off.

In 2018, Sugg became the first social media star on Strictly Come Dancing, reaching the final with partner Dianne Buswell. The pair later won 28 of 29 shows on the live arena tour. Sugg subsequently co-hosted the official Strictly Come Dancing podcast and presented BBC broadcasts including New Year Live, The One Show, and Red Nose Day, later co-hosting the television series Raiders of the Lost Crafts.

Sugg has also worked in publishing, theater, and business. He created the concept for the graphic novel Username: Evie, which became a rapid bestseller in 2015 and generated two sequels, later writing the 2022 nature guide and memoir Grow. On stage, he portrayed Ogie Anhorn in Waitress in 2019. For business ventures, Sugg co-founded the talent agency Margravine and established Final Straw Productions, which partnered with BBC Studios to produce entertainment projects.

Sugg has been in a relationship with dancer Dianne Buswell since 2018. The couple share a home bought in 2021 and welcomed a son born via emergency C-section in March 2026. Sugg also acts as an ambassador for the charity Age UK.