YouTube sensation Caspar Lee reveals some of the happiest memories from his remarkable career
South African star opens up about fame, friendship and life as a internet celebrity
YOU'LL find it difficult to walk through central London right now without seeing a massive photo of YouTuber Caspar Lee.
But even the superstar himself admits to being a bit wowed by the sight of his face on billboards across the capital.
He's one of 18 web celebs chosen to take part in a massive advertising campaign called "Made For You", which celebrates the biggest British YouTube stars.
Even though he's got almost seven million subscribers on YouTube and another four million followers on Twitter, he admits it's a bit strange seeing his own face on posters all across the city.
"It's surreal," he tells The Sun Online when we catch up with him on the day the campaign lit up London.
"I was coming into London in an Uber and I wanted to tell the driver to wait so I could see it.
"It's really cool. My great aunt called me. She's in her eighties and knows what I do, but as soon as she heard I was in Piccadilly Circus it became real to her.
He has a gigantic following, but Caspar's famous in a different way from the people you generally see on billboards.
Like so many other YouTubers, he has been able to build a new kind of relationship with his fans, who feel like the stars they watch on their laptops or mobiles are more like close friends than the distant, untouchable celebrities of times gone by.
"We're open about we're doing on a day to day basis. There's less of a curtain," he continues.
"So when fans come up to me, it's like they are seeing someone they really know really well, like an old friend.
"I'm very honest about who I am: the person you see online is pretty much the same as me in real life."
Caspar is originally from South Africa but now lives in London.
He started uploading videos as a teenager, before becoming so successful that he stopped needing pocket money from his parents.
"My first big moment was when I was able to tell my mum that I didn't need a packed lunch, because I had enough money to buy food from the tuck shop," he remembers.
"I loved entertaining friends and I really enjoyed school, because I am quite academic.
"But by the last year of school I was focusing more on YouTube, which came as a bit of shock to teachers."
[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N-pI46HstU]
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After a brief "tug of war" with his parents, Caspar started to gain fame as an interviewer, prankster and joker with a charming, slightly nervous persona.
";It felt really good when I went straight from school to doing YouTube," he adds.
"That was the point when I realised I could do my hobby full time, which was amazing."
Since then, he's shot videos which show him taking singing lessons with Justin Timberlake, getting a look at Cara Delevingne's underpants, nervously kissing two Bond girls and even talking about sex with a porn star.
"I made a video with Robbie Williams, who was so fascinated with YouTube and didn't realise it was so big," Caspar says.
"We showed him a video of our tour and just said: 'Wow, this is a real thing.'
He laughs when we ask whether Robbie was worried Caspar might be more famous than him.
"No, not at all," he replies modestly.
"No one is more popular than Robbie Williams in my eyes."
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