SI LifeStyle

Ellie Thumann Reveals Her Most Viral YouTube Video Ever

The social media star is an OG influencer, best known for her fashion, lifestyle and beauty content.

Ananya Panchal

Ellie Thumann.

Ellie Thumann.

YouTube sensation Ellie Thumann created her channel as a young teen and never looked back. Today, her platform full of relatable lifestyle, fashion and beauty content has more than 2.19 million subscribers. 

The Arizona native, who is also super active on Instagram and TikTok, always keeps fans updated with her latest modeling gigs, personal projects, travel adventures and impeccable style. The 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie was photographed by Derek Kettela in Puerto Rico earlier this year.

During Miami Swim Week, where the 21-year-old walked in the SI Swimsuit Runway Show at the W Hotel South Beach, she opened up about her most “viral” YouTube video, which came out in 2016.

“I think it was one when I was 14. It was a trend to do like a child you vs. teenage you. It was my first video that like got a lot of views… I think it has like eight million,” the Thumann shared in July. “And that’s on YouTube, too, which is wild.”

“That’s insane,” fellow brand rookie and body neutrality influencer Sixtine responded. “That’s like the population of a city.”

Thumann admitted that she looks back on that video now and feels a tad bit embarrassed, like most people do when they think about their teenage selves.

“It was like one of the most cringey videos but also I have to keep it up because I feel like it was such a pivotal point with my YouTube [career],” Thumann, who recently modeled for a Hollister clothing campaign, added.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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