madeleine olivia : Most liked Posts

@Seven of Nine covered it I think, but here's mine!

At the start of the year Maddie and Alex moved into their new Georgian home. This was announced in a classic smug 'We've been keeping a secret...' Youtube video. Maddie disclosed that they had previously only been considering houses with two living rooms and it's been downhill from there really. The new home can never just be called a house and must always be referred to as a Georgian Home or Period Home or Georgian Farmhouse or some other wanky title. The gorgeous Wisteria also gets mentioned constantly.

They insisted that they love their new house and it's perfect, they then proceeded to make lots of big changes, like installing a new kitchen. Even though they managed with their cornish cottage kitchen for years, Maddie apparently needs a brand new huge kitchen for her job. They have a fridge and freezer big enough for a family of four (to fit inside) and have installed some huge cupboards that make the room feel nice and closed in. Oh and they have an Aga, which are known for being environmentally friendly.

Content wise, there has been a lack of food videos or any other non sponsored sit down video, and instead we've been treated to weekly vlog videos which mainly focus on Maddie repeating herself whinging about the beams in the kitchen while wandering around in huge tent dresses. These videos are part renovation update, part weekly vlog, often include a haul/ sponsored content and the branding of them is generally a mess. All videos now start with a 'highlight reel' which often includes someone laughing at a dog or Maddie telling us how great a brand is. She also uploads plenty of ADs, usually to Instagram. Youtube videos now heavily feature plinky plonky piano music and mimic 'slow living' style videos, even though they're not. There are three of them working on this content from their office in the garden of their Georgian Period Home.

Sustainability has gone out of the window since moving house and Maddie has recently purchased a new Apple Mac, replaced all their bedroom furniture, bought brand new furniture for their spare room, a new kitchen, a hot tub, plenty of new clothing and loads of plastic netting for their back garden which will be extra enjoyable for the local wildlife. They have also discussed getting a second car.

Maddie posted about there being some big scary changes, as far as we can deduce this was in relation to her leaving her management company. Speaking of work, 18 months into the pandemic Maddie gave us all the top advice to try setting up a separate workspace if we're struggling to focus at home. She also gave us a helpful video of her decluttering her tea cupboard, which was very insightful.

The house has had lots of problems which was the perfect opportunity for Maddie to publicly complain about every tradesman she's working with. She then wonders why no one wants to prioritise working with her. There was also a video on Instagram addressing 'haters' which seems to be directed here, but plenty of other comments have picked up on her lifestyle changes and apparent change of ethics.

Perhaps the only thing that has stayed the same is Maddie's constant flicking her hair around, touching her hair and refusal to tie up her hair when making food. Side note, if anyone finds a strand in their food it's likely to taste of whichever shampoo brand is sponsoring her that week.

They are now planning their wedding and Maddie has already been to see one venue without the groom, which is perfectly normal and fine. Everyone can't wait to see how sustainable the wedding is.

TLDR: Sustainability? We don't know her.

ETA I forgot to mention the sunglasses collaboration

Life cycle of the privileged:

0-18: This is a nice life, I hope I can have a similar one when I grow up, I can't see any reason why not. I just need to work hard like my parents tell me.

18-30ish: Starts uni, meets people of all backgrounds and releases how tough other people have it and nothing is guaranteed. Starts to live in squalor at uni, then gets a low paying job after graduation, and subconsciously worries they won't reach the lifestyle they grew up with. Convinces themselves they actually don't need that lifestyle, plus it's unfair anyway! Money doesn't even make you happy! Minimalism! Tiny houses! Sustainability! Private schools are the devil! Campaigning for anything and everything!

30ish onwards: Privilege most likely catches up with them, through connections, inheritance, education, partners, such that they are much more financially stable that the average person their age. Things like Madeleine being able to live rent free with relatives, potential gifts of money to help with house purchase. Realised they CAN live that life with a huge detached house in the countryside, in a fancy school district, maybe even private school. Oh, did I say I was a minimalist? Never mind...


* disclaimer: I made this for a bit of fun and of course it's not true 100%, and not trying to shame those who are or aren't privileged. I'm not even saying for certain that Madeleine did have this experience or outlook, just that if she did, she isn't the first person and sure as hell won't be the last. Hope that makes sense!

Things you'll never hear an influencer say:

'We're moving house because we feel that we've outgrown our current place. Because of everyone watching these videos and buying my books we can afford to buy somewhere much bigger. So thank you for all your support.'

Instead we get:

'We've been keeping a secret! Surprise sneak peaks! Buying our second property before the age of 30 with no stamp duty while people are literally dying in a pandemic is SO stressful. We only wanted to move somewhere with two living rooms but we've settled for just the one'

I've unsubscribed

I don't know if I want to follow her anymore. Her USP was minimalism, sustainability and veganism. Without that she's another smug, insufferable rich white girl place your bets, how long before that aga is used for a nice roast lamb LOL

Bgoo1 said:

Hi Maddie's friend/family member

Click to expand...

I don't understand what friends/family of influencers think is going to happen when they come to forums like this to try to put a positive spin on their friend's shitty behaviour. Do they think everyone here is going to say, "oh yeah you've got a good point. I've totally changed my opinion and won't post here anymore"?

I've been watching Maddie's videos since she has single digit subscribers. Under 100. I've seen her channel evolve and change. All the different interests she's had and videos topics she's covered. I was watching when she was cycling every day and just got into minimalism. I watched her go to Thailand, get into zero waste, move to Cornwall, declutter over and over, and start renovating her house. I saw her attitude and positivity decline. She started doing things that aren't sustainable or vegan. I witnessed as her attitude got shitty and her behaviour even shittier as her morals eroded away every time a brand offered her money.

I fully support influencers who change, grow, learn, and acknowledge that. Maddie doesn't. She thinks she can continue to say she's a minimalist, vegan, sustainable while not following any of those princicples even loosely - or rather she thinks she can waive any accountability but saying she "doesn't use labels" when she literally built her entire YouTube career on labels!!!

I'm on this forum talking about her content because I miss when she filmed videos that were honest, open, and true to her word. It shocks me how much she's fallen away from her principles and how ignorant she's become to her privilege and the influence she has in regards to promoting excessive consumerism. She's so far removed from minimalism and sustainability now.

They basically want to change everything about that house. The video starts with Maddie talking about some work that needs doing that they didn't know about and the quote being really expensive.... then in a few minutes she's talking about major changes in every single room, so clearly money isn't actually an issue.

I think my favourite part was that instead of replastering the bathroom and just fixing the leak in the shower they're ripping the whole thing out and putting in brand new everything.

She talks about needing to sort out one of the rooms with another bed because of how many people are staying at Christmas (???.... is this really how people are choosing to model their houses!? I have no room for anyone to stay at Christmas or any other time and that's fine because my house isn't a hotel). Anyway then she talks about knocking through the wall between two of the rooms and how she doesn't care about it being a 3 bed. So which one is it!?


I stopped watching before the end because of how ridiculous it all is. It feels like rich, out of touch people trying to spend as much money as possible as quickly as possible without thinking about what they even want. The timing of the video was tone deaf considering the cost of living crisis in the UK and the energy prices increase hitting us all tomorrow. Meanwhile Maddie wants a chandelier in her dressing room (yes really).

I also really dislike this whole spiel we're sold these days about minimalism or zero waste being something aEsThEtIc. You know who is living minimalist? Poor people. People who reuse margarine containers and ice cream containers to pack their lunches, who reuse jam jars, not out of a visual impetus but out of necessity. People who cannot afford to replace their sofa every year to fit the current boho/industrial/whatever look. Who need to buy second hand because they don't have the money to shop new.

It just doesn't pull in viewers when you're living like that. Nobody wants to be sold on poverty and necessity, we all love the idea of minimalism or zero waste helping us into prosperity, even if its "immaterial" prosperity like peace of mind, order and structure, being a good person, etc. The glorification and commodification of poverty as being something virtuous.

(Not judging, I am the same.)