Strictly Come Dancing contestant George Clarke has opened up about his unconventional career path, admitting his family initially found it difficult to comprehend his success as a YouTube content creator.
The unconventional career path
The 25-year-old influencer, who recently joined the BBC dance competition, revealed that while his family has always been incredibly supportive, they struggled to understand how filming videos in his bedroom could become a legitimate profession. George's father is Sean Clarke, the managing director of Aardman Animations, the celebrated studio behind British icons Wallace and Gromit.
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, George explained: "I've got such a supportive family through everything I've done. They have been there front and centre. Obviously, it is such a different world, and it is quite hard for people to get their heads around. It is just me posting videos in my room and that being a job, but they have always been so supportive."
Family support and viewing habits
Despite the initial confusion about his career choice, George's family have become his biggest cheerleaders. His father Sean, who started at Aardman in 1998 and worked his way up to become managing director in 2019, never misses one of his son's YouTube uploads.
George shared: "My dad and grandad have watched every video I've ever posted. My nan has always been very supportive, but it is nice to have something a bit more tangible for her, and she can understand. She's been telling all of her friends she doesn't normally vote, but she has been using all five for me."
The support extends throughout the family, with George revealing: "And one week, my uncle was getting flak from my Auntie because he used four votes for me and one vote for Vicky one week!"
Emotional Strictly journey and family challenges
George's Strictly experience has been particularly emotional, especially when he dedicated a performance to his mother Nicky, who is currently battling cancer. The influencer broke down in tears after performing a Rhumba with professional partner Alexis Warr, leaving both fans and head judge Shirley Ballas emotional.
Providing an update on his mother's condition, George said: "She's in high spirits, she is positive. When you speak to her, we ask how she is doing and ask if there is any news, and she will just try to gloss over it as quick as possible. She asks, 'How is your dance going this week, darling. Are you eating enough?' It just shows the person she is, she is very positive and hoping that things will improve."
This isn't the first health scare the family has faced. George previously opened up about his mother's battle with Encephalitis, a serious condition involving brain inflammation that left her in intensive care and unable to recognise her own son.
Recalling the traumatic experience, he said: "I saw her being wheeled out, and she didn't recognise me. That summer was filled with hospital visits as she relearned who we were. She even called me 'Fat Boy' for a while!"
Rising social media success
Since launching his TikTok account in December 2019 and subsequently expanding to YouTube, George has amassed over 3 million followers across multiple platforms including Instagram and Twitch. His content creation career has flourished beyond video platforms, as he also co-hosts The Useless Hotline Podcast alongside Max Balegde.
The podcast has proven so popular that it has led to a series of live shows across the UK, demonstrating George's ability to build a diverse media career outside traditional pathways.
Strictly friendships and future challenges
George has developed an unlikely friendship with Strictly host Claudia Winkleman during his time on the show. He described their interactions: "Our chats are just utter nonsense. It is just sarcastic remarks back and forth."
His dance partner Alexis Warr added: "I love hearing yours and Claudia's conversations. It is so entertaining, I love it."
Following his success in Blackpool, where he received three 10s for his Samba performance, George and Alexis are preparing for their Quickstep to I Get A Kick Out Of You by Frank Sinatra. The competition intensifies this weekend with the introduction of the Instant Dance challenge, which will test the couples' adaptability as they randomly select dance styles with minimal preparation time.
As Strictly Come Dancing continues, George Clarke represents a new generation of entertainers bridging digital content creation with mainstream television, all while maintaining strong family support despite their initial confusion about his unconventional career choice.
