I watched my first Zoella video at the age of 14.

At that time, she still had a relatively small audience – at least compared to her 4.8M-strong audience of today – and mostly filmed Primark shopping hauls and make-up reviews from a corner of her Somerset bedroom (which was blanketed in fairy lights). When she wasn’t filming collaborations with her friends or answering questions on camera for her viewers, she was posing for selfies on her Instagram and writing about her favourite baking recipes on her blog. She was like the big sister figure I’d always wanted: relatable, funny and, most importantly, real.

Over the years, my attachment to Zoella – who has since rebranded herself simply with her name, Zoe Sugg – has faded. I’ve grown up, discovered new interests and learnt a lot about myself: so much so that I didn’t really need that guidance anymore. At least, that’s what I thought.

Because, out of the blue, Zoe Sugg has given me the guidance I didn’t even know I needed. Years after I gave up watching her videos and stopped following her social media posts with an almost religious zeal, she’s reminded me exactly why her videos were so impactful in my teenage years. And in the process, she’s revealed how powerful influencers – with their normal(ish) lives and relatability – really can be.

“Zoella’s smear test videos are an empowering example for young women like me”