From meet-and-greets to marriage: A look back at Zoella and Alfie Deyes’ YouTube romance

It feels like we’ve collectively been going through a Zoella renaissance. First there was Vlogust (her vlogging every day in August) and then – the moment we’ve been waiting for basically the last decade – Zoe got engaged to her long-term boyfriend and father of her children: pointlessblog aka Alfie Deyes. It’s a YouTube miracle.

So, for the fans that have been there from the start, let’s take a look back through Zoella and Alfie’s long and winding YouTube romance— from meet-and-greets to accidental hard launches and recent marriage proposals:

2012 – Zoe queues up to meet Alfie at a meet-and-greet

Despite being one of the biggest names on YouTube, Zoe actually met Alfie by standing in line to see him at one of his fan meet-and-greets. They quickly became friends and socialised in the same 2010s UK YouTube crowd. Alfie apparently later saw Zoe at a party and told his friends he thought she was “hot”.

February 2013 – The ‘My Valentines Date’ video

As if trying to send the fandom into a total frenzy, Zoe and Alfie posted a video called My Valentine’s Date in February 2013. They said they were “just friends” in the video but six months later they revealed they were actually a couple, after lots of speculation by their subscribers.

August 2013 – An accidental hard launch and blog post announcement

By the summer, fans were almost certain Zoe and Alfie were dating. But it wasn’t until YouTuber Jim Chapman posted a vlog with Zoe’s laptop screensaver of her and Alfie kissing in the background that everybody was certain. Zoe then wrote a blog post called “Zalfie” confirming they were a couple and the internet lost its mind.

October 2014 – Zoe and Alfie move in together

Just over a year after going public with their relationship, Zoe announced she and Alfie had moved in together. “It wasn’t that we didn’t want anybody to know, it’s just that it was a really fun and exciting process to do together, and this is the first time we’ve properly lived together,” she said in the vlog.

November 2014 – Nala joins the Zoella and Alfie family

A seriously main character of the Alfie and Zoella journey was their pug Nala. She even has her own Instagram account with 225k followers.

June 2017 – They move into their £1.7 million home in Brighton

Three years after Zoe and Alfie first moved in together, they bought a house in Brighton – reportedly worth almost £2million. It had a huge garden, stunning interiors and, as we all remember, many (many) homeware hauls followed. Like, please, why was I buying throw cushions aged 12? The power of Zoella.

August 2021 – Their first daughter Ottie arrives

After announcing their pregnancy in March 2021, Zoe and Alfie welcomed their first child Ottie in August. “She’s here! Meet Ottilie Rue Deyes 💕 29/08/21,” Zoe told her followers.

July 2023 – Zoe and Alfie announce they’re pregnant again

Just before Ottie’s second birthday Zoe and Alfie announced they’re expecting another child. “Our family is growing! Little girl joining us in December,” they wrote in a joint post. So, that makes sense why she’d do vlogmas in August instead of December. Imagine the chaos.

September 2023 – Alfie proposes to Zoe on holiday after more than ten years together

And now we prepare for the internet’s royal wedding. Because, after more than a decade as a couple, Alfie proposed to Zoe on holiday last week – three months before they’re due to welcome their second child. So. Much. Going. On. Just when we thought we were over 2010s YouTube, I’ve never been more sucked in.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• A look inside the love lives of all your favourite OG British YouTubers 

• Ten year transformations: What the OG British YouTubers look like now 

• The rise and very rapid fall of the British YouTubers we all watched in the early 2010s

Featured image credit via Instagram