What do we think of UK travel bloggers; Simon Wilson, bald, Steve marsh, hashtag Brady etc?
Posted by godsavedonalduck@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 95 comments
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Adventurous-Vast6031@reddit
Fan of Steve and Simon. I won a skint hoodie from Simon Wilson .
Icy_Newspaper5237@reddit
Don’t like that Wilson often films people without asking permission and they often seem uncomfortable. He does the Brit abroad accent too which is cringe. He’s not too bright to have hung around that bald one.
_horizontal_@reddit
Big fan of Steve Marsh’s content. I like that he’s always honest about travelling on a budget and goes to some obscure places. I don’t like when they get over-commercialised or go down the teasing and sponsors content of a lot of YouTubers. Paul Lucas is also pretty good. Used to watch Dennis Bunnik years ago but started to get tired of the fact that he’s clearly absolutely minted, I like grounded travel blogs.
Looper007@reddit
Even though, Marsh probably is earning more now as his channel has really blown up over the last year or two and his girlfriend Alicja probably has called it a day on her job as she's constantly travelling with him now. He still does trips that are affordable to his audience. As you said a lot of them fall into the trap of taking sponsors money with 80% of their videos just been that, and going to places their audience could never afford.
But Marsh has kept his style and content the same way he has since the start, the only real difference I notice is as I said Alicja appears in 90% of his videos now and he travels more aboard and stays in countries probably a few days longer then he once did.
PreparationLeather@reddit
They are on their second Queen Mary 2 cruise. I wouldn't call that affordable to his audience.
Ecstatic_Lynx8726@reddit
I believe Steve mentioned that this cruise was expensive at 51 days for 10K each . I find that Steve and Alejcia takes 1 expensive trip a year. I myself have never taken a cruise not sure that I could do a 51 day one but how cool that he’s sharing it with us🥰
Massive_Bed4643@reddit
Tbh tho they've done that, being their most expensive trip, and his business class fight to South America. One or two expensive trips out of 6 years content isn't bad. But tbh as he's said in Q&A's he doesn't do brand deals because he makes enough comfortably with youtube and patreon, which I appreciate the honesty.
Dramatic_Job_9908@reddit
Steve Marsh is the only one I regularly follow; his content is very cozy like a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day. I like how he covers a lot of places here in the UK (particularly in Scotland and the Isles) that I hadn't been aware of and then since went on to visit as a result. I also like how he doesn't do sponsorships and does a breakdown of how to get there and how much it costs. Just some nice wholesome stuff to watch and take inspiration from.
Looper007@reddit
Steve is great. A Youtuber who's actually put in the work and build up a large following. I do agree his videos are so laidback and cosy, took him a while to find his style but once he did he was on for a winner. His use of music is great as well. Also help he's a likeable man, that's probably one of the main reasons he build up such a following over the years.
He's become really popular in the last year or two (He went from having 50k subscribers for a few years to having over 320k subscribers in two years, I wonder how he became so popular in such a short time but I'm happy for him). He seemed to focus more on the UK based ones probably cause of his budget early on with the odd short trip aboard here and there for a day trip. Now with his recent success, he's not entirely cut back on the UK videos but he's definitely more focused on trips aboard, which seem to be his most popular videos with his new audience. Also his girlfiend Alicja seems to be a full time member of the videso now, I remember she only ever show up here and there (mostly for UK trips) during the first few years. Alicja, unlike other YouTuber's partners, isn't a negative to Steve's channel. She's a likeable presence and has her own fanbase it seems as her solo videos are popular. So she's not forced into his videos, she build up a good raport with his audience that her appearing more doesn't hurt it.
I think the lack of sponsors, as you said giving prices and details of the trip so his audience can do the same trip on a good budget or falling into the trap of staying at crazy expensive hotel resorts like a lot of Youtube Travel channel's paid by the hotels like a lot of them do when they become more popular that a good chunk of their audience could never afford to stay at . Not having change his style too, and just been himself also helps.
Personally I do prefer his earlier videos, but I still like his content today but those early ones when he travel to small islands in Scotland and cities people wouldn't go too was what really made him stand out for me.
Emotional_Test_553@reddit
I agree, she is a vast positive. Although there is an age gap, they are well suited, but I think her presence does make him look older. Still, she is miles better than "Bleeeer" Manson (Planes Trains). The monosyllabic twit really winds me up, especially as apparently he complains if he has to stay anywhere that's not first class / 4 stars etc. Coming back to Steve, I can't get out of my head that he is a bit like Callum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1ZMN1hBBqM
PreparationLeather@reddit
I think he's just 20 years old. Can you imagine how challenging being in front of the camera must be. If he really winds you up, then why do you watch the channel?
Looper007@reddit
She's a grown woman herself, she must be in her mid to late 30's herself, a lot Eastern European women are blessed with looking young even in their later years. I have no real issue with it but Steve looks like a man in his 50's for sure.
Ah you not a fan of Scott, I think he's great.
WoodyBABL@reddit
They celebrated her 30th birthday on the channel in 2025.
NeitherElevate@reddit
Alicja posted on instagram last year for her 30th birthday. They’ve mentioned before that they met pre-covid so Alicja would have been 23 at the most and Steve 45, the dirty old dog!
But yeah they’re both consenting adults and they seem like a great match for each other so I don’t care, I still enjoy the videos.
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
Never heard of them.
Significant_Sir_3065@reddit
Cheers mate, absolutely unbelievable insight!
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
You're very welcome.
Significant_Sir_3065@reddit
😂
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
I think I see where you've misunderstood me. I was saying in that other thread that I think saying "who" is perfectly fine in threads like this.
Significant_Sir_3065@reddit
Only messing x
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
Digging through someone's comment history for a gotcha is hardly 'messing'...
Significant_Sir_3065@reddit
What are you talking about "digging through comment history"
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
Did ye aye?
Significant_Sir_3065@reddit
What do you think otherwise? That I went out of my way to try and get a "gotcha" on some random reddit stranger . Wise up
Significant_Sir_3065@reddit
shut up
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
What, you think this is proof of some inconsistency? Also, how did you scroll through all my comments to find this? I shitpost quite a lot, so that's impressive.
xxMegaBabexx@reddit
Wow!
split-tennisball@reddit
Why answer then?
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
Because it answers the question.
split-tennisball@reddit
It's the Reddit equivalent of those amazon reviews that just say they did't buy the product.
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
"I don't think of them" is a valid answer. Op seemed to be assuming that these people are household names, but they are not.
split-tennisball@reddit
Doesn't really add anything to the conversation. Glad for your insight.
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
What have you added to the conversation? 😅 Practice what you preach.
split-tennisball@reddit
I've already answered the question in a separate comment.
CrossCityLine@reddit
Enough.
PipBin@reddit
Same here.
BaBaFiCo@reddit
Same.
Steak_and_Gravy@reddit
I really enjoy Steve and Alicja's videos. They are opening my mind to places to visit that I never would have thought of doing before.
DVLMN08@reddit
Simon Wilson seems sound, did like bald and bankrupt til I found out about his dodgy past. Mashtag can come across as a knob though I did meet him in a club and he was very nice, I would recommend honest places or Wendell.
salahiswashed@reddit
lol mashtag is a domestic abuser
Ecstatic_Food1982@reddit
I don't know who Simon Wilson is but what did he do that put you off?
DVLMN08@reddit
Bald and bankrupt has some dark sex crime allegations, they also found very old threads online about seedy sex tourism.
Ecstatic_Food1982@reddit
Thanks, I misread and thought Wilson did a programme called Bald and Bankrupt. I've not heard of either tbh so thanks.
PiCannon22@reddit
Steve Marsh is great. Seems like a nice bloke. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Alicja. She seems nice I guess but it does bother me when she always samples Steve's food 😅 so I'll just watch Steve's solo videos.
I've seen a fair few of Planes, Trains and Everything but I don't think Scott is as good as Steve in terms of personality. If he does an interesting video, I'll watch.
emoteyourself@reddit
I like Steve Marsh. I am just starting to question his channel name though because his partner Alijya (sp) is so much a part of it and I wonder does he share any of the revenue with her. And I'm also curious about their hx, like how did they meet and etc and how long have they been together. But mostly, I'm hoping he shares the channel revenue with her because she is 50% of the channel at this point. (Not that it's actually my business, but I'm human, I have thoughts)
Bald is a cad. There's something yuck about him.
Simon Wilson, that guy is classic adhd. I think his talking to random people and sometimes not being able to read a room is connected to that. I think he genuinely is interested in everyone he meets, always presents as super friendly, wants people to feel well-met but because of his energy level might appear aloof at times. I enjoy seeing the places he travels to. I thinks he's fun to watch.
Sunny_Unicorn@reddit
I used to really like Steve Marsh, but I've enjoyed his videos much less now they're couple based most of the time. I tend to skip them now.
They seem lovely, but I'm just less interested in watching two people travelling, I find solo travellers more interesting.
I think his subscribers have rocketed because there are two of them, it can make quite a difference by appealing to a broader audience, so I understand why he's done it.
I'm still a fan of Planes, Trains and Everything. As has been said, they're a little more rough around the edges, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Looper007@reddit
I do honestly prefer his solo videos too (he seems far more focused in with the audience when Alicja isn't around) and it has nothing to do with Alicja as a person, it's any solo Youtube traveller if they bring their spouse around with them, they won't be entirely focused in as they would be solo.
The funny thing is his most popular videos are his solo ones, with only one with Alicja featuring in his top 20 viewed videos (second most popular video features her). I think it's really just a case of him having a chance to bring his long term girlfriend away for trips inbetween doing his YouTune gig as he's got more popular (better income thanks to it) as I get the feeling she supported him a lot early doors with his Youtube carrer so he just treating her to some nice trips aboard, and also helps as I said that his audience likes Alicja too.
Looper007@reddit
It's funny, Alicja was never that big a part of his channel for the first few years, she would pop up here and there mostly for weekend trips he did in Scotland to small islands and stuff and she did her own solo ttrip video here and there. She was working full time i'm guessing as in some early videos you see Steve pick her up from Work. It's only with his recent massive upswing in Subscribers (he was in and around 50k for a few years, wasn't until 2023 when his channel really picked up a massively subscriber following, he's at 322k at the moment) and it wasn't until late 2024, when Alicja started to have a large part of the channel content, to the point now I wonder if YouTube is her full time career as she appears. She appears in 90% of his content in the last year.
I think Steve's channel's success is down to him to be fair, I'm sure Alicja is reaping in the success too especially as I feel she's probably call it a day on his job and is focusing on the channel too. I'd be more pushing for a channel rename if Alicja's presence was such a viewers boost but I don't think she has been. I like Alicja, she's slowly build a connection with his audience with small appearances over the years that her going full time now doesn't annoy anyone.
kinahan-123@reddit
Simon Wilson is probably one of the best for me, covers some of the basic “ travel influencers” locations, but his amtrak videos are great, he rarely gives a bad review which I think is great as he’s clearly trying to show positive instead of just all negative. But there is times where he could have been more honest or not as full on. Clearly works in his favour as he must average atleast 1 million views every video.
Callum abroad, who may be a less known travel blogger, he is very honest which as of late has got him in some trouble internationally. I guess you could call it a working class travel blogger as he’s done the usual but goes to some shady places and has mainly focused around Pakistan but shows the good and bad everywhere. Definitely recommend
As for the rest all hit and miss
Proper_North_5382@reddit
Watched Simon Wilson for a bit, but found him to be a bit too much sometimes. He's had some good series though.
Really enjoy Steve Marsh and regularly watch his channel.
Never heard of the others.
kinahan-123@reddit
Simon is great, but I do agree I think especially with some countries he’s been he may seem full on when he’s never met them and it could be off putting. But seems to work for him
split-tennisball@reddit
I enjoy Steve Marsh and the other Scottish guy (can't remember his name) who goes on cheap flights/bus trips. They seem insightful and I enjoy their humour.
Probably 50% of our YouTube viewing is travel vlogs. Always looking for inspiration for our next travels.
Dramatic_Job_9908@reddit
Planes Trains And Everything?
split-tennisball@reddit
That's the one
Looper007@reddit
Scott is great, another Youtuber who put in the work and paid out of his own pocket for years slowly building up his channel. Not as successful as Steve and his videos can be rough around the edges but some of his travels are great and as you said he's got a good presence to him and doesn't take himself serious. He does do some crazy cheap 12 hour travels on buses, which would kill the normal person lol.
Orwellwasright2026@reddit
Love the Scottish travel YouTuber Steve Marsh and his girlfriend Alicja. They are positive, kind, intelligent and decent people who always make me smile. Don't know the others.
FunkyYoghurt@reddit
TrekTrendy seems like a nice bloke.
IpromithiusI@reddit
Do we know how's it's all financed? Lottery win maybe? YouTube isn't paying for 25 grand cruises 8 times a year.
Islandfreckles@reddit
His parents live on Sandbanks...
FunkyYoghurt@reddit
You'd be surprised how much money some people make especially with sponsors. Daz Black is literally renovating a multi-million pound mansion to live in. Memeulous lives in the countryside outside of London on his own and CalFreezy lives in a Penthouse in central London. TrekTrendy isn't that far behind with subs and views.
TodmordenTourism@reddit
The voice he puts on when doing narration is embarrasing!
split-tennisball@reddit
"Today!"
split-tennisball@reddit
My girlfriend and I have a backstory that his mum is jealous of his girlfriend
beernon@reddit
Hashtag Brady is genuinely an unpleasant cunt and a bully. Bald is an international sex pest. Never heard of the rest
wordsfromlee@reddit
Mashtag Brady just got denied entry into New Zealand because they found out about his conviction for beating up his ex girlfriend.
He’s absolute scum.
imtheorangeycenter@reddit
Only got room for Phil Carr - party coz it's taking the piss most of the time. But not so much that I've subbed to him (I've only got one sub on any platform, and that's map men men men men)
Common_Man7669@reddit
Good shout. Believe he lives in my home town. Always live in hope of spotting him in the A L D I 😅
imtheorangeycenter@reddit
Yeah, local to me too, believe he's Epsom, right?
Common_Man7669@reddit
Yeah, I believe so 👍
Pinkd56@reddit
A few of them are sex pests iirc
godsavedonalduck@reddit (OP)
Only bald as far as knew?
cgknight1@reddit
I travel a lot but never heard of these people?
Ecstatic_Food1982@reddit
That's probably because you travel rather than sit around watching videos of people travelling. I've also never heard of them.
godsavedonalduck@reddit (OP)
I do both. Been inspired by most of these that I've mentioned at some point?
What makes you think I don't??
You should watch more of them, they're mostly interesting to watch and educational.
split-tennisball@reddit
What if you travel but also watch travel videos when you're not travelling?
TodmordenTourism@reddit
I don't think of them. I have seen Travel Beans and think they are over privilged rich kids.
dbxp@reddit
I don't know who any of those are but I remember a while back a lot of travel influencers were getting all expenses paid first class holidays to the gulf countries. It's doubly worse with the likes of fun for Louis who has this whole eco hippy image but then flies around the world funded by the likes of Dubai
ShitBritGit@reddit
Not heard of those people before.
The only thing I see that's close to a travel blogger is Sampson Boat Company. Watched for a few years now as they were (re)building their wooden boat as it was seriously good carpentry. Now it's done and they're headed back to the UK they've sort of transitioned into a travel blog. They've been stopped off in Mexico for a bit while heading towards the Panama canal. Very interesting stuff.
SuboptimalOutcome@reddit
Billy Moore?
He has a bit of a tendency to seek out the most rundown parts of an area, and can always find someone to tell him how rough it is, but when he covers somewhere I know it never rings true.
He did a video about a year ago, at one point he'd talking to a guy about how rough an area is, gangs, knives, etc. I grew up there, my auntie and cousins have lived there all their lives, my auntie's house was even in shot during the interview. She's lived there since the 70's with no problems.
TankFoster@reddit
Is one of them really just called Bald? 😆
madame_ray_@reddit
Yeah. His full handle is Bald and Bankrupt but his real name is Benjamin Rich. He used to do some really interesting videos in far flung former Soviet states but got deported and banned from Russia in 2022.
TankFoster@reddit
That's quite the bio, bloody hell.
TapirOfDoom@reddit
Wait until you hear about his financial situation
Neddlings55@reddit
You can be wealthy and bankrupt.
jmsl1995@reddit
Simon Wilson is a great chap
matty_lam_937@reddit
I like Dale Philip. No nonsense, and genuinely a funny and interesting guy. Am up yee 💪 🏴
I don't watch any others apart from Maya and Danny, who I feel are a very underrated channel, but put out some beautiful travel vlogs!
Live-Guidance7244@reddit
Never heard of the others but love Simon Wilson! What a nice guy!
Common_Man7669@reddit
Big fans of Wilson and Marsh. Both seem like nice guys who don't have any agenda and I genuinely enjoy the footage from places I've not been fortunate enough. Heard of Bald but strangely never watched any of his stuff. Loads of good stuff online these days if you like seeing relatable blokes just wondering around (the sort of thing I loved to do until the Mrs put to stop to it). Glad i can still live a bit of my life through these lads.
Honest places is another one I enjoy, check him out if you haven't.
Neddlings55@reddit
Ones a convicted domestic abuser: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/victim-speaks-out-after-suffering-7553500
surfermark99@reddit
They're interesting to view and make entertaining content if you're interested in cultures abroad that aren't in mainstream news and media.
I've followed Bald and Bankrupt and find him amusing. That Liverpudlian that did the Afghan vids was interesting and will watch more.
I like that they focus on the culture and the people and not so much on tourist hotspots. Going off the beaten track and that.
This whole niche of UK travel vloggers to parts of the world we just don't see in media isn't oversaturated.
Extreme-Usual-5623@reddit
They're living our dreams mostly.. travelling the world without a care
Stitch_Face_1982UK@reddit
All good, you're right about Mashtag though....I've gotta be in the mood. Simon is great, you can't not have your mood elevated watching him and the way he interacts with everyone....'Introverts Nightmare'. Bald also very good, love the different places he goes and the way he vlogs.
KnowingWoman@reddit
I've never heard of any of them.
MountainMuffin1980@reddit
Never heard of them.
I can understand following one channel on travel that you like, but 5+ is mad to me. Are you looking at their videos for inspiration for your own travels?
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