Saffron Barker has admitted that BBC fans "didn't take her seriously" when she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing. The social media star was a celebrity contestant in 2019 after rising to fame by making videos on YouTube. The 24-year-old was partnered with AJ Pritchard, and they reached the semi-finals. She has spoken to Express Online exclusively about her Strictly experience and whether or not she still speaks to her former dance partner. Saffron was only 19 years old and the first female social media influencer to take part in the BBC dance competition, and she recalled how she felt when Strictly Come Dancing fans had their say about her.
"I think a lot of people, especially the older generation, didn't take me seriously," she said. "I mean the younger generation did because everyone was watching YouTube, way more than they were watching TV, which is why I guess TV wanted YouTubers to go onto TV."
She added, "I think like the biggest thing that it did was made people look at me from a different perspective and realized that actually I did a lot more than they kind of thought, like, 'Oh, she literally just picks up a camera', when actually there’s a lot more to that."
Speaking about how physically demanding the show was on the body, she explained, "I mean, as a whole, it's tiring on the body, but I think for me, I was young and I was fit. I think mentally it was harder than I found it physically. I loved every single minute of it. I would do it again within a heartbeat."
When quizzed about AJ Pritchard, who left the show in 2020 after four years, she said, "I feel like we have a catch-up just now and then, but we definitely don't speak every single day."
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Saffron Barker is part of a generation whose careers were made possible by YouTube. From uploading videos as a teenager in Brighton to becoming a household name, her remarkable journey reflects just how profoundly YouTube has shaped modern media and created space for authentic voices.
Now that YouTube has turned 20 years old, the platform has empowered creators like Saffron to grow from casual vloggers to full-scale media brands. With millions of followers, clothing lines, and podcast success, her career showcases what’s possible when creativity meets opportunity.
As the creator economy emerged, Saffron exemplified its growth, becoming a producer, entrepreneur, and storyteller. She became the first female social media influencer to take part in Strictly and later appeared on Celebrity Hunted.
