These YouTubers lost the most subscribers – here’s why and how many they have now

Subscriber count is often seen as proof you’re doing well, so even a brief drop can feel like a public embarrassment. Whether it’s due to a drop in content or just shifting audiences, these creators saw some of the biggest drops on the platform. Here are the YouTubers who lost the most followers, ranked from smallest to largest fall.

9. Logan Paul – 600K

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A post shared by Logan Paul (@loganpaul)

Logan lost around 600,000 subscribers in the immediate aftermath of his Suicide Forest video in 2018. The incident affected his follower base, but his rebrand as a boxer and businessman brought many of them back. It was a fall, but not a fatal one.

Peak: 23M

Now: 23.6M

8. Nikita Dragun – 800K

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A post shared by Nikita Dragun (@nikitadragun)

Once a beauty influencer, Nikita’s YouTube uploads have halted, and so has her subscriber growth. With only one video uploaded in the past three years, she’s quietly slipped out of the spotlight.

Peak: 3.55M

Now: 3.36M

7. Gabbie Hanna – 900K

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A post shared by Gabbie Hanna (@gabbiehanna)

Gabbie’s shift into more niche spiritual and music based content didn’t keep her mainstream fans engaged. From nearly six million subscribers to the low five millions, her fall has been steady.

Peak: 6M

Now: 5.03M

6. Trisha Paytas – Over one million

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A post shared by Trisha Paytas Hacmon (@trishapaytas)

Trisha Paytas was once the reigning queen of chaotic YouTube content, known for mukbangs, drama, and emotional kitchen floor breakdowns. At their peak, Trisha had over five million subscribers and was major in the influencer world. But after a dramatic podcast ending, and a wave of online drama, many long time fans began to unsubscribe. Their rebrand into family content hasn’t hit the same, with uploads now drawing fewer views than before.

Peak: 5M

Now: 5.15M

5. David Dobrik – 1.5 million

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A post shared by DAVID DOBRIK (@daviddobrik)

The Vlog Squad fallout and general creator burnout saw David’s channel drop from a peak of 18.2 million to about 17 million. He hasn’t uploaded regularly in years, and subscribers have quietly moved on, likely to other daily vloggers or TikTok creators.

Peak: 18.8M

Now: 17.3M

4. Colleen Ballinger – 1.5 million

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Colleen, best known for Miranda Sings, lost over 1.5 million subscribers following comments from followers. Her attempts at rebranding haven’t worked for many, and even her once devoted audience seems to be turning away for good.

Peak: 10M

Now: 8.18M

3. Lilly Singh – two million

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A post shared by Lilly Singh (@lilly)

Once one of the biggest names in YouTube comedy, Lilly Singh’s transition to traditional media, including a late night TV show, led to a disconnect with her main audience. Her reduced uploads became less relatable to long time fans. At her peak, she had over 17 million subscribers, now she has closer to 14 million and her average views have dropped significantly.

Peak: 17.2M

Now: 14.3M

2. Shane Dawson – 3.5 million

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A post shared by Shane Dawson (@shanedawson)

After his old videos resurfaced, Shane’s channel took a massive nosedive. He lost over a million subscribers and while he’s slowly returned to uploading, his channel never fully bounced back to its former glory.

Peak: 22.4M

Now: 18.7M

1. James Charles – four million

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A post shared by James Charles (@jamescharles)

James lost around three million subscribers within 48 hours of an online video, the largest subscriber drop in history at the time. After the 2019 fallout, a slow recovery, and then another wave of drama in 2021, James lost over four million subscribers in total.

Peak: 16.5M

Now: 24.1M

A big YouTube following isn’t as bulletproof as it seems. Even creators with millions of subscribers can see their numbers drop in a matter of days. Whether it’s controversy or creative shifts, audiences are quick to click unsubscribe, especially when there’s always another rising star waiting to be seen.

Featured image via Instagram @shanedawson @trishapaytas @gabbiehanna