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The Accidental Influencer: How My Need to Get Likes Nearly Ruined My Life
I thought I could have lots of followers, without needing followers.
I thought I could monetise my account without selling out.
I thought that I was different, that I wasn't like other girls.
But I was, and that's why I had to stop.
When Bella Younger spawned Deliciously Stella – her hilarious and daring social media alter ego – she wanted to prove once and for all that Instagram does not equal reality. Within weeks, she'd gone viral and begun her very own #influencerlife. Shoot. Post. Repeat.
In 2016, Bella gained 75,000 followers overnight, and hundreds of likes a minute. Soon she was being paid thousands of pounds to beat up a cake for the 'gram, attend ludicrously lavish influencer gifting events and was dropping emoji-bombs left, right and centre. But even as the constant rush of notifications fuelled her endorphins, life among the Instafamous began to take a toll. As Bella's carefree presence flourished online, her health began to spiral offline, culminating in a stint at The Priory for social media addiction.
Should she have undertaken a month-long run of stand-up comedy immediately after she was discharged? Probably not, but the pressure to be ‘on' and online was all-consuming – and she had followers to please after all…
Funny, frank and fearless, The Accidental Influencer is a relatable story of the precarious balancing act between our online and offline selves – and the truth behind the staged shots, spon-con, and the coveted but ever-elusive blue tick.
I thought I could monetise my account without selling out.
I thought that I was different, that I wasn't like other girls.
But I was, and that's why I had to stop.
When Bella Younger spawned Deliciously Stella – her hilarious and daring social media alter ego – she wanted to prove once and for all that Instagram does not equal reality. Within weeks, she'd gone viral and begun her very own #influencerlife. Shoot. Post. Repeat.
In 2016, Bella gained 75,000 followers overnight, and hundreds of likes a minute. Soon she was being paid thousands of pounds to beat up a cake for the 'gram, attend ludicrously lavish influencer gifting events and was dropping emoji-bombs left, right and centre. But even as the constant rush of notifications fuelled her endorphins, life among the Instafamous began to take a toll. As Bella's carefree presence flourished online, her health began to spiral offline, culminating in a stint at The Priory for social media addiction.
Should she have undertaken a month-long run of stand-up comedy immediately after she was discharged? Probably not, but the pressure to be ‘on' and online was all-consuming – and she had followers to please after all…
Funny, frank and fearless, The Accidental Influencer is a relatable story of the precarious balancing act between our online and offline selves – and the truth behind the staged shots, spon-con, and the coveted but ever-elusive blue tick.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2021
8 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 13, 2021
The Accidental Influencer is an extremely funny and captivating book by comedian, writer and brand consultant Bella Younger, a.k.a. Deliciously Stella, about the highs and lows of being an accidental influencer. These days everybody wants to be an Influencer, but in Bella Younger’s experience, the reality is not all it’s cracked up to be. In 2015 Bella founded popular Instagram account Deliciously Stella, parodying wellness influencers with a six-pack of beer on her stomach and food ‘inspo’ posts such as avocado with Easter eggs on toast. At the height of her fame, she had 150,000 followers and this ended up spawning a spoof cookbook, a successful podcast, a sold-out live show at the Edinburgh Festival, and the hilarious web series ‘Stella gets her wings’ parodying Victoria’s Secret models. Bella was invited to product launches, fashion parties, press days and pop-ups. Sometimes she was paid just to show up. In 2018 Bella decided to ‘kill’ Stella off, finding she’d accidentally been sucked into the very life that she had set the account up to satirise. With a unique insight into the extremities of ‘influencer culture’, The Accidental Influencer will explore how Bella ended up at the height of Social Media fame and what made her want to escape it. Social Media is unavoidable – and readers will learn from Bella’s experience how to manage it – with a healthy dose of Deliciously Stella’s cynicism and wit along the way.
This is a laugh out loud amusing, informative and compelling read right from the outset and Bella has such a friendly, conversational writing style that it almost seems like chatting and listening to a friend. She seems so excited to share her dispatches from behind the front line of Instafame, and the book is her chance to share the highs and lows of being an accidental influencer, have her final say on wellness and tell readers why she thinks social media is making us all crazy. I like to believe that bad decisions make good stories. Luckily this book is full of both. I vividly remember when Bella digitally killed Stella off – it felt at the time like a revolutionary act, and utterly seismic. Why on earth, having built up such a fantastic phalanx of devoted followers, would someone as effortlessly funny choose to just stop? Bella has truly lived through the maddest part of this odd corner of our culture – and this extremely entertaining book is as much for people secretly spiralising wishing they were eating a Crunchie, as it is for anyone lurking on IG, wishing their follower numbers would magically go up overnight as the world discovers how gorgeous and interesting they really are. Bella has a natural wit and fantastic voice and I highly recommend this book for those looking for a lighthearted, holiday, beach read in particular, or those interested in the shallowness and arrogance of influencers and the sides to being an influencer that you do not usually see or hear discussed.
This is a laugh out loud amusing, informative and compelling read right from the outset and Bella has such a friendly, conversational writing style that it almost seems like chatting and listening to a friend. She seems so excited to share her dispatches from behind the front line of Instafame, and the book is her chance to share the highs and lows of being an accidental influencer, have her final say on wellness and tell readers why she thinks social media is making us all crazy. I like to believe that bad decisions make good stories. Luckily this book is full of both. I vividly remember when Bella digitally killed Stella off – it felt at the time like a revolutionary act, and utterly seismic. Why on earth, having built up such a fantastic phalanx of devoted followers, would someone as effortlessly funny choose to just stop? Bella has truly lived through the maddest part of this odd corner of our culture – and this extremely entertaining book is as much for people secretly spiralising wishing they were eating a Crunchie, as it is for anyone lurking on IG, wishing their follower numbers would magically go up overnight as the world discovers how gorgeous and interesting they really are. Bella has a natural wit and fantastic voice and I highly recommend this book for those looking for a lighthearted, holiday, beach read in particular, or those interested in the shallowness and arrogance of influencers and the sides to being an influencer that you do not usually see or hear discussed.
August 6, 2022
I eat up anything, both fiction or non-fiction, that focuses on fandoms, social media, or influencers. It is a topic I find endlessly fascinating and so knew I would be easily impressed with this book's contents. I knew little of the focus before diving in and nothing of the influencer who penned it, Bella Younger, or Deliciously Stella as she is known on Instagram.
Bella's Instagram account sought to gently poke fun at those who seem to mostly reside online and whose carefully curated squares promote their seemingly effortless beauty and the perfection of their lives. Fans came flooding in to congratulate her on showing an apparently authentic and actually relatable representation of what many influencers were promoting. However, she too started to become obsessed with her responses, like ratio, and follower number. Despite in an entirely different vein to them, she too morphed into two people in one body - one who everyone thought they knew but who was a character curated for an online presence, and the real Bella, whose thoughts were spiralling and anxieties creeping in.
This was a very raw novel to read. There were moments of utter hilarity and dry wit but these came in-between the self-doubt, the dark thoughts, the declining mental health, and so much more. The balance of the two made this both a compulsively readable as well as a very relatable read. I commend the author on both her honesty and in making the reader aware of the very real individual who lies beyond the images they post. Kindness to them is necessary, but kindness to themselves first is vital.
Bella's Instagram account sought to gently poke fun at those who seem to mostly reside online and whose carefully curated squares promote their seemingly effortless beauty and the perfection of their lives. Fans came flooding in to congratulate her on showing an apparently authentic and actually relatable representation of what many influencers were promoting. However, she too started to become obsessed with her responses, like ratio, and follower number. Despite in an entirely different vein to them, she too morphed into two people in one body - one who everyone thought they knew but who was a character curated for an online presence, and the real Bella, whose thoughts were spiralling and anxieties creeping in.
This was a very raw novel to read. There were moments of utter hilarity and dry wit but these came in-between the self-doubt, the dark thoughts, the declining mental health, and so much more. The balance of the two made this both a compulsively readable as well as a very relatable read. I commend the author on both her honesty and in making the reader aware of the very real individual who lies beyond the images they post. Kindness to them is necessary, but kindness to themselves first is vital.
November 7, 2021
I'm glad that's over...vacuous narcissistic and proves influencers are what we think they are...
May 30, 2021
Social Media Addiction: If that is relevant to you or someone you love this book might be for you. It isn't for me - yet.
November 30, 2022
I chanced upon this in the library and since I’m always slightly ambivalent about Instagram and other social media, I thought it would be interesting to read this and see what life is like for an “instafamous” person.
The Accidental Influencer is the story of Bella, who creates a satirical wellness account “deliciouslystella” and achieves fame. However, she soon struggles to deal with the pressure of being seen only for her account, the demands to live a certain way, and her ambitions to be more than just “Stella”.
What surprised me about this book was how fast Instagram had a negative effect on Bella. At her peak, Bella had 150k followers; her mental health issues started worsening at around 20k followers. That’s really early on in the book and I kept wondering why someone would continue on a path they know is harming them early on. The answer is, of course, that a higher number of followers makes you more attractive for other projects and as an aspiring comedian, Bella felt like she needed the account to break into the comedy/arts scene.
Alongside her story, Bella mixes in her musings on social media and what’s trending. It generally worked well with her story, though I did feel that the enormity of her closing her “Stella” persona was dampened by her talking about how everyone was writing a “confessional”. Closing Stella was clearly huge for her, given how she spent chapters talking about how she felt constrained by Stella and wanted to get rid of her; there was no need for her to apologise for doing so. In a way, it feels like she is trying to pre-empt criticism by acknowledging it first.
I also thought it was a bit strange/insensitive that Bella’s author biography at the back associates her so strongly with her Deliciously Stella account, mentioning all the things that have resulted from the account (the spoof cookbook, the podcast, and the sold out live show at Edinburgh Festival). I think this is the paradox that Bella has been grappling with throughout the book – she wants to be seen as more than her account, but it’s her account that has gotten her the opportunities. And I can see why she tried to pre-empt criticism, I went to look up Bella after reading this and realised the account is still up. It’s not very active, but I see a pinned post promoting this book. In a way, it feels like a clever bit of marketing to keep the deliciouslystella handle; but also not quite in line with what I assumed was “killing” the alter ego.
Overall, this was a fascinating read. It’s clear that social media isn’t suitable for everyone, but we’ve made it such a big part of our lives and our careers. I wonder what’s the alternative: can we help creative people make a living without draining their mental health? Is social media the only way to discover new people to follow? There are a lot of questions that this book raises regarding our relationship to fame (or the perceived benefits of fame), our careers, and social media. The answers, on the other hand, are something that we have to come up with.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
The Accidental Influencer is the story of Bella, who creates a satirical wellness account “deliciouslystella” and achieves fame. However, she soon struggles to deal with the pressure of being seen only for her account, the demands to live a certain way, and her ambitions to be more than just “Stella”.
What surprised me about this book was how fast Instagram had a negative effect on Bella. At her peak, Bella had 150k followers; her mental health issues started worsening at around 20k followers. That’s really early on in the book and I kept wondering why someone would continue on a path they know is harming them early on. The answer is, of course, that a higher number of followers makes you more attractive for other projects and as an aspiring comedian, Bella felt like she needed the account to break into the comedy/arts scene.
Alongside her story, Bella mixes in her musings on social media and what’s trending. It generally worked well with her story, though I did feel that the enormity of her closing her “Stella” persona was dampened by her talking about how everyone was writing a “confessional”. Closing Stella was clearly huge for her, given how she spent chapters talking about how she felt constrained by Stella and wanted to get rid of her; there was no need for her to apologise for doing so. In a way, it feels like she is trying to pre-empt criticism by acknowledging it first.
I also thought it was a bit strange/insensitive that Bella’s author biography at the back associates her so strongly with her Deliciously Stella account, mentioning all the things that have resulted from the account (the spoof cookbook, the podcast, and the sold out live show at Edinburgh Festival). I think this is the paradox that Bella has been grappling with throughout the book – she wants to be seen as more than her account, but it’s her account that has gotten her the opportunities. And I can see why she tried to pre-empt criticism, I went to look up Bella after reading this and realised the account is still up. It’s not very active, but I see a pinned post promoting this book. In a way, it feels like a clever bit of marketing to keep the deliciouslystella handle; but also not quite in line with what I assumed was “killing” the alter ego.
Overall, this was a fascinating read. It’s clear that social media isn’t suitable for everyone, but we’ve made it such a big part of our lives and our careers. I wonder what’s the alternative: can we help creative people make a living without draining their mental health? Is social media the only way to discover new people to follow? There are a lot of questions that this book raises regarding our relationship to fame (or the perceived benefits of fame), our careers, and social media. The answers, on the other hand, are something that we have to come up with.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
December 1, 2023
Overall, felt like this delved too much into the mental health struggle of the author - like it was more a memoir of living with her particular struggles with her mental health...rather than focusing on what being an influencer and the behind-the-scenes of it looked like. The parts I most enjoyed were when she spoke of the 'world' around the time of Deliciously Ella and the clean eating movement, then the downfall of that trend and authenticity started being the new flag being waved around. Felt like she was in the trenches and thus with a bird's eye view of the world of online personas, Instagram, and influencing and thus in the prime spot to pull the curtain back. The parts about her mental health felt a bit triggering at times, too 'there' in stark detail and like we were in the spin with her...
Still, it's a decent look at a world many of us hear of yet don't really know about
Still, it's a decent look at a world many of us hear of yet don't really know about
August 22, 2022
I found this incredibly honest and refreshing, not just about Instagram but about mental health in general.
January 11, 2023
I very much enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Bella Younger all about her instagram journey, mental health and her everyday life as a viral sensation.
An easy read.
An easy read.
September 29, 2021
Once upon a time, a posh girl with good connections wanted nothing more than to find a posh lad with a few thousand acres and settle down to raise a brood of floppy haired children, golden labradors and some rare breed cattle.
Times have changed.
A couple of decades ago, anybody with a talent and ambition hoped that Fame Academy, X-factor or whatever the talent competition of the time would make them famous overnight. Those without talent but with a lot of personality, hoped that Big Brother or some other reality TV show that valued brazen behaviour ahead of decency, would make them famous overnight. These days, it seems to route to fame is via Love Island if you've got a great body and have had lots of 'work' done on yourself...........or...........you could become an 'influencer'. The online world if full of such people but most of them don't make it.
Bella Younger set out to parody the 'clean eating' Instagram Influencers by creating Deliciously Stella - an antidote to Deliciously Ella, a super-famous influencer of her day. Honestly, that clean eating nonsense really deserved somebody to take the mick out of it, and Bella stepped up to take the anti-clean eating mantle. With jokey photos of avocado and eggs on toast (with the eggs as Haribo jelly egg sweets) and images of herself covered in ketchup, she tapped into an anti-zeitgeist, a reaction against perfect blondes in yoga pants eating quinoa and spouting mock-science. Good for her.
Be careful of the demons you poke fun at.
Her attempt to be an anti-influencer went horribly astray. You could say, she created a demon and then had to live with her. The constant craving for likes, followers, on-line validation, and a world of celebrity parties and free goody-bage lured our Bella over to the dark side. And some.
There are a lot of novels doing the rounds at the moment about influencers. I don't need any convincing that it's a pretty shallow and very hard work way to make something that looks a bit like a living but could evaporate overnight if you do something that blows your image or reputation. I cannot for the life of me imagine why anybody would choose to live like this - but then my head's not turned by free handbags and warm prosecco.
Bella was absolutely not the person to fall for this. With a long history of mental health issues, it nearly destroyed her. Luckily she had a fantastic (wealthy) family and lots of great connections to fall back on, but I felt so sorry for her as she spiraled into anxiety and depression and trips to and from the Priory.
The book can be funny but it's very serious in places. It's easy to see how people get sucked into this addiction to online validation and Bella writes really well and very honestly about what happened to her. Selling your would to your faceless followers and manipulative brands is not for the feint-hearted.
I'm rather glad I'm too old and boring to be tempted by this kind of thing and I hope that Bella finds real world validation and happiness. This book should be compulsory reading for anybody tempted to follow her down the same influencer path.
Times have changed.
A couple of decades ago, anybody with a talent and ambition hoped that Fame Academy, X-factor or whatever the talent competition of the time would make them famous overnight. Those without talent but with a lot of personality, hoped that Big Brother or some other reality TV show that valued brazen behaviour ahead of decency, would make them famous overnight. These days, it seems to route to fame is via Love Island if you've got a great body and have had lots of 'work' done on yourself...........or...........you could become an 'influencer'. The online world if full of such people but most of them don't make it.
Bella Younger set out to parody the 'clean eating' Instagram Influencers by creating Deliciously Stella - an antidote to Deliciously Ella, a super-famous influencer of her day. Honestly, that clean eating nonsense really deserved somebody to take the mick out of it, and Bella stepped up to take the anti-clean eating mantle. With jokey photos of avocado and eggs on toast (with the eggs as Haribo jelly egg sweets) and images of herself covered in ketchup, she tapped into an anti-zeitgeist, a reaction against perfect blondes in yoga pants eating quinoa and spouting mock-science. Good for her.
Be careful of the demons you poke fun at.
Her attempt to be an anti-influencer went horribly astray. You could say, she created a demon and then had to live with her. The constant craving for likes, followers, on-line validation, and a world of celebrity parties and free goody-bage lured our Bella over to the dark side. And some.
There are a lot of novels doing the rounds at the moment about influencers. I don't need any convincing that it's a pretty shallow and very hard work way to make something that looks a bit like a living but could evaporate overnight if you do something that blows your image or reputation. I cannot for the life of me imagine why anybody would choose to live like this - but then my head's not turned by free handbags and warm prosecco.
Bella was absolutely not the person to fall for this. With a long history of mental health issues, it nearly destroyed her. Luckily she had a fantastic (wealthy) family and lots of great connections to fall back on, but I felt so sorry for her as she spiraled into anxiety and depression and trips to and from the Priory.
The book can be funny but it's very serious in places. It's easy to see how people get sucked into this addiction to online validation and Bella writes really well and very honestly about what happened to her. Selling your would to your faceless followers and manipulative brands is not for the feint-hearted.
I'm rather glad I'm too old and boring to be tempted by this kind of thing and I hope that Bella finds real world validation and happiness. This book should be compulsory reading for anybody tempted to follow her down the same influencer path.
July 17, 2022
I thought it would be funnier than it proved to be, but as an insight into mental wellbeing and the drawbacks of social media it was worth reading. It could have been more judiciously edited in terms of the Deliciously Stella front end, the finale gets to the point more effectively.
July 14, 2021
I have to admit I didn’t know who Bella Younger/Deliciously Stella was before I read this but I absolutely loved her story. I insta stalked her through out reading it so I also had visuals to the words written. This book documents her rise to becoming an accidental influencer while she was trying to break through as a stand up comedian while also suffering badly with her mental health. An extremely honest and open account of her life and I’m so glad I read this.
July 19, 2023
I’d never heard of Deliciously Stella or Bella Younger before reading this book. I liked the cover and the description sounded interesting so I thought I’d give it a go. I found ‘The Accidental Influencer’ funny and heartbreaking at the same time. It made me laugh out loud. It’s absolutely hilarious in places.
There are some very serious aspects to Bella’s story; having a healthy relationship with social media, looking after her mental health and wellbeing, being able to reach out for help and accept it, getting obsessed with likes and comments etc. These are powerful lessons from someone who has been there [the top of her game] and survived, she can help those traversing a similar path navigate their way through an artificial and virtual life by giving an aerial view commentary. She knows this path well.
I felt that I had to look up Deliciously Stella online, so that I could see this lady. She’s not afraid to go ‘there’ [wherever ‘there’ is] where others daren’t, in this tell-all book. Living/existing in a counterfeit, corrupt, artificially created fairytale world of social media is not healthy, nor realistic, and hopefully Bella’s story will encourage and support others experiencing similar issues. Getting back into the ‘real world’, not living through a computer screen; enjoying simple pleasures that are free, such as spending time in nature and being anonymous is a gift. I’m glad that Bella is now free. Bless her. Highly recommended to our ambitious loved ones and wannabe influencers everywhere.
There are some very serious aspects to Bella’s story; having a healthy relationship with social media, looking after her mental health and wellbeing, being able to reach out for help and accept it, getting obsessed with likes and comments etc. These are powerful lessons from someone who has been there [the top of her game] and survived, she can help those traversing a similar path navigate their way through an artificial and virtual life by giving an aerial view commentary. She knows this path well.
I felt that I had to look up Deliciously Stella online, so that I could see this lady. She’s not afraid to go ‘there’ [wherever ‘there’ is] where others daren’t, in this tell-all book. Living/existing in a counterfeit, corrupt, artificially created fairytale world of social media is not healthy, nor realistic, and hopefully Bella’s story will encourage and support others experiencing similar issues. Getting back into the ‘real world’, not living through a computer screen; enjoying simple pleasures that are free, such as spending time in nature and being anonymous is a gift. I’m glad that Bella is now free. Bless her. Highly recommended to our ambitious loved ones and wannabe influencers everywhere.
July 6, 2021
I never followed Bella's Instagram when she was at her heights with Deliciously Stella but I found the idea of someone becoming an influencer then quitting really interesting. And the whole influencer sphere is something I'd like to know the ins and outs especially as more people are stepping back and are really struggling behind close doors. Social media often doesn't tell the truth, it often is all about the highs, even if someone lows are mentioned, it's almost done in a very palatable, snap bite way.
This was fascinating and I enjoyed hearing about the highs and lows. But I felt something was missing, I dunno, which is why I'm giving this a 3.5. Maybe I wanted a bit more or maybe some opinions from other people who were/are influencers.
But Bella's writing is witty and easy to follow. You don't have to know about her social media. She paints an easy image of what her content was so it is very simple to imagine what it was.
This was fascinating and I enjoyed hearing about the highs and lows. But I felt something was missing, I dunno, which is why I'm giving this a 3.5. Maybe I wanted a bit more or maybe some opinions from other people who were/are influencers.
But Bella's writing is witty and easy to follow. You don't have to know about her social media. She paints an easy image of what her content was so it is very simple to imagine what it was.
December 30, 2024
Nečakala som veľa od tejto knihy, a ani som nedostala veľa :D Vidieť, že Bella Younger nie je spisovateľka, lebo štýl písania naozaj nebol dobrý... Stále sa opakovala, chcelo to byť nasilu vtipné. Viem, že to bol opis skutočných udalostí, ale mala som pocit, že čítam dokola to isté, že sa veľmi ľutuje, predramatizuje udalosti a proste mi ten štýl nesadol, a rovnako ma estra nazujal ani príbeh. Asi to bolo zaujímavé pre niekoho, kto ju poznal aj pred tým a poznal to prostredie, ale ja som veľa referencií nepochopila.
February 27, 2024
Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy via NetGalley. Really enjoyed Bella's memoir which revolves around her mental health and the impact of social media addiction. She has some really valuable insights into the negative cycle of chasing likes for validation. Easy to read and follow.
October 14, 2021
Really enjoyed this book, it took the glamour out of the influencer world. Bella spoke so honestly and frankly, not looking for sympathy but just telling her story. A great read.
May 27, 2022
Enjoyed the audiobook immensely as it’s narrated by the author. Such an interesting and current topic and take on it!
April 6, 2024
For anyone thinking about becoming an influencer, read this book first and see if you still want it as badly as you thought 📚
April 26, 2024
This book was really good. It was comical but also showed being an influencer isn't always as good as people think it is.
May 13, 2024
It wasn’t what I expected and not for me.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews