Is This Britain’s Most Controversial YouTube Father? Jonathan Joly Sparks Outrage Again With Shock ‘Teen Makeover’ Stunt on Eight-Year-Old Daughter

For years, whispers have followed Jonathan Joly wherever the camera rolls. Whispers of exploitation. Of blurred boundaries. Of childhoods lived under constant digital surveillance.

Now, the controversial YouTube patriarch is facing fresh fury — after encouraging his eight-year-old daughter to “transform into a teenager” on camera in a stunt that has left viewers stunned, disturbed, and angry.

The 45-year-old influencer — who rose to fame alongside wife Anna Saccone through their once-hugely popular family vlog channel — has ignited another firestorm with a new video many are calling his most disturbing move yet.

A Childhood Turned Into a Challenge

In the now-viral clip uploaded to his personal channel, Jonathan sets his eldest daughter Emilia, 13, a challenge:
Turn her little sister Alessia, just eight, into a convincing “teenager.”

The incentive?
A £100 prize to be spent on make-up and beauty products at Sephora — if Alessia can fool an age-verification app into thinking she’s a teenager.

At the start of the video, Alessia is scanned. The result: seven years old.

Then the transformation begins.

For over 30 minutes, viewers watch as:

• Her long blonde hair is scraped into a “trendy teen” bun

• Layer after layer of foundation, bronzer, concealer and eyeliner is applied

• Lip gloss is swept on

• A new outfit is chosen: a flimsy top, denim shorts, oversized sunglasses and chunky jewellery

Before the final reveal, Emilia proudly declares:
“She’s got real potential to be a teenager.”

When the app scans Alessia again, the result flashes up: 14.

Jonathan erupts with delight.
“You did it too good — she’s older than you now!”

Outrage Erupts Across the Internet

While Jonathan praised the end result as “epic” and “super cool,” the online backlash was swift — and brutal.

Comment sections filled with disgust:

• “Who the hell approved this idea?”

• “This is genuinely disturbing to watch.”

• “Let her be a child. You only get one childhood.”

Others directed their fury straight at Jonathan:

• “This man has no concept of boundaries.”

• “He is complicit in sexualising his own children.”

• “This is digital exploitation, plain and simple.”

One viewer summed it up chillingly:
“This will live on the internet forever. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

A Family Built on Cameras and Controversy

Jonathan and Anna built their £1million-plus empire by turning everyday family life into round-the-clock content. Since launching their channel in 2010, they posted daily updates of pregnancies, births, bedrooms, breakdowns and childhood milestones to over 1.6 million subscribers.

One of their most watched videos — a 16-minute film of Emilia’s birth — alone racked up more than 5.4 million views.

The family later made global headlines when their son Eduardo transitioned and changed identity to Edie — another deeply personal journey captured for public consumption.

But by 2020, criticism reached boiling point.

Accusations of:

• Overexposure

• Exploitation

• Emotional harm

• Consent violations

The backlash grew so loud that by 2022, most of their video archive quietly vanished from YouTube. For many, it looked like the end of the controversial family vloggers.

The Unsettling Comeback

Then, last month, without warning, the channel returned — rebranded as SacconeJoly Sisters, with Jonathan stepping slightly out of frame and Emilia placed front and centre.

Yet behind the scenes, critics say little has changed.

When a fan recently asked if Emilia would soon have her own channel, Jonathan replied that although she “could,” he prefers to handle all the filming and editing himself — confirming he still controls every frame, every cut, every upload.

“She just gets to have the fun,” he said.

For many, that comment alone rang alarm bells.

Growing Fear for the Children’s Future

With four children now ageing under the permanent digital shadow of their parents’ past content, concern is growing over the irreversible impact of online childhoods:

• Permanent digital footprints

• Sexualised imagery

• Loss of privacy

• Psychological consequences yet unknown

And now, with an eight-year-old being publicly rebranded as a teenager for entertainment and money, critics argue the family has crossed another dangerous line.

As one viewer put it bluntly:
“This isn’t content. It’s a warning sign.”