Morgz, Sheffield’s 17-year-old YouTube sensation, to hold festival in city

Morgan Hudson - or Morgz as he is known to his adoring fans - is a ‘YouTube star’ with more than 10 million subscribers.

His ‘channel’ - which features videos of pranks, challenges and computer games - is watched by millions of people every day, with 60 per cent of his viewers based in the United States.

However, despite his huge popularity, unless you are a young teenager or the parent of one it is quite likely you’ve never heard of him.

A story in the Star recently told how security had to step in at Meadowhall after his fans threatened to overwhelm a recent public appearance there.

Morgan appeared at a special pop-up shop of his at the South Yorkshire shopping centre in April but had to cut short the visit after too many fans turned up.

After achieving global stardom online, the teenager is now branching out into live events, with the first to take place in his home town of Sheffield later this month.

MorgzFest will take place on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1 at the Don Valley Bowl in Attercliffe.

The two-day, family event will feature live stage performances from Morgz himself and mum Jill, as well as the world's largest inflatable assault course.

Speaking exclusively to the Star, Morgz said that since he first started doing videos four years ago, his life had been an ‘incredible journey’.

He said: “I never in a million years would have thought when I was filming videos in my bedroom that I would ever hit 10 million YouTube subscribers, have over 1.5 billion people watch my videos and have kids on the street wearing my merch.

“I'm pretty open about that fact that I found school hard, it was a struggle for me - YouTube provided me with an escape.

“I first started creating videos for my YouTube channel back in 2015, uploading gaming videos on Fortnite and Fifa, challenge videos and pranks which went viral on the internet overnight.

“Over the last 18 months it has turned into a full-time job. It's crazy to think about but I love that I get to do what I love as a career.”

Morgz said he was ‘still pinching himself’ that the festival was finally happening and the fact it was in his hometown made it even better.

He said: “Sheffield is where I’ve grown up and I wouldn’t have had it anywhere else! I love Sheffield and can't wait to bring people here.

“Any kids wanting to be a YouTuber or make videos, I'd say go for it. I get asked all the time what it takes to be a YouTuber, one piece of advice is to find what you love doing and share it with the world.”

Organisations which have traditionally spoken for businesses in Sheffield freely admit phenomenons like Morgz have happened very much under their radar.

Richard Wright, the director of Sheffield’s Chamber of Commerce, said Morgz’s success had given the entire business community something to think about.

He said: “MorgzFest is a great event for Sheffield and I'm sure that hundreds of people will enjoy it.

“It is also a great example of how the business environment is changing away from the traditional ways it has been run for years.

“Morgz is a social media sensation who appeals to the young and communicates with them that way.

“When you add this to the recent Fortnite explosion, where a 16-year-old boy was able to win around £900,000 dollars, and even to a lesser extent online retailing, you get great examples of how the world is changing and how modern businesses will have to adapt to a changing customer base.

“Well done to Morgz for bringing this all back to his home city.”