Zoe Sugg has been accused of ‘sabotaging’ her brother Joe Sugg’s baby announcement, after making a shock return to YouTube last week following a four-month break from filming vlogs.
The influencer, 35, surprised fans with a catch-up makeup tutorial video for her five million subscribers, which was uploaded just hours before Joe, 34, and his partner Dianne Buswell, 36, revealed they were expecting a baby boy.
Now, sources have claimed Zoe was spurred on by Joe’s happy news and was ‘determined to get back in the spotlight first’.
A source told The Sun: ‘Zoe was always the bigger star in the family, but a few years ago things changed.
‘Once Joe did Strictly and got into a relationship with Dianne, he became the most well-known, and around the same time, Zoe took a step back to have her two children.
‘When she returned to YouTube over the weekend, everyone was very surprised – even more so because it coincided with Joe and Dianne’s baby announcement.
Zoe Sugg has been accused of ‘sabotaging’ her brother Joe Sugg’s baby announcement, after making a shock return to YouTube last week following a four-month break from filming vlogs
The influencer, 35, surprised fans with a catch-up makeup tutorial video, which was uploaded just hours before Joe, 34, and his partner Dianne Buswell, 36, revealed they were expecting a baby boy
The source added that following Joe’s reveal, there was ‘chatter’ among fans suggesting Zoe may have felt ‘put out’ and that her video could be seen as trying to ‘sabotage’ his news.
One fan even commented under Zoe’s video, titled ‘I’m Back! Where Have I Been’ questioning whether the timing was intentional.
Daily Mail has contacted Joe and Zoe’s representatives for comment.
During the video clip, Zoe asked viewers: ‘I’m not doing anything groundbreaking. Do people still want to watch my content? Is there anything left?’
She went on to explain that she’d taken a break from social media over the summer while her eldest daughter, Ottilie, prepared to start school.
Despite the speculation, the video was met with overwhelming support from long-time fans, racking up hundreds of thousands of views within hours.
Zoe has become less active online in recent years, citing the rise of fast-paced content and how it clashes with her more relaxed, chatty style.
Over the years, she’s faced her fair share of controversies, including backlash over hiring a ghostwriter for her debut book, a £50 advent calendar which was blasted by fans, and resurfaced controversial tweets in 2017.
Now, sources have claimed Zoe was spurred on by Joe’s happy news and was ‘determined to get back in the spotlight first’
A source told The Sun: ‘Zoe was always the bigger star in the family, but a few years ago things changed’ (Zoe pictured with partner Alfie Deyes in 2014)
The source added: ‘Once Joe did Strictly and got into a relationship with Dianne, he became the most well-known, and around the same time, Zoe took a step back to have her two children’ (Joe and Dianne pictured 2019)
Meanwhile, Joe and Dianne have carved out a loyal fanbase of their own, becoming a power couple both in and out of the social media spotlight.
Zoe was once the UK’s highest-earning influencer, reportedly worth £4 million back in 2019.
Her current earnings are unknown, but Joe is now said to be worth a staggering £8 million.
Now, sources claim a ‘secret sibling rivalry’ could threaten to drive a wedge between the once inseparable brother-sister duo, as both allegedly strive to outshine one another.
