James Charles not returning to YouTube’s Instant Influencer show amid grooming allegations

After an announcement confirming James Charles’ return as the host of Instant Influencer for its second season, YouTube has now revealed that the beauty guru will no longer be involved with the reality show.

Originally released in April 2020, Instant Influencer is a YouTube Originals reality show hosted by makeup guru James Charles. In the show, a group of influencers competed in different beauty-themed challenges, with the number-one spot taking home $50k dollars.

Despite some minor controversy, the show’s first season was a marked success, including an impressive 53 million views in its first month on YouTube. Charles and his fellow participants impressed millions of viewers and the show was quickly renewed for a second season.

However, after originally confirming his return in season 2, YouTube has now announced they are taking the show in a different direction amidst the grooming allegations surrounding the beauty guru, and he will no longer be hosting the second season.

In a statement to Variety, a representative from YouTube confirmed the decision but did not provide a specific reason for the change in plans since their original announcement.

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The statement revealed that the show will be taking a “new creative direction, including a new host,” while also thanking Charles for his work and reaffirming the platform’s plans to build on the success of season 1.

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This news comes roughly a month after the grooming allegations against Charles surfaced, claiming that he exchanged inappropriate photos with a minor. The influencer was quick to push back against the claims via a statement on Twitter, where he shared that the individual in question had originally told him he was a legal adult.

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It remains to be seen whether or not YouTube will provide a more detailed explanation of James’ removal from Instant Influencer prior to the start of its second season. We will make sure to keep you updated if any additional information regarding the situation becomes available.