Joe Sugg looks back: 'I'd like to stay curious and not be afraid of new things, just like that little boy in the picture'

Born in Wiltshire in 1991, Joe Sugg is a former roofer turned social media star, actor and author. Inspired by his vlogging sister Zoe, otherwise known as Zoella, he earned a place in the Brit Crew – a cohort of British content creators who dominated YouTube in the 2010s – thanks to his energetic personality and pranks. his long-suffering roommate. With more than 26 million followers on his social media platforms, he has since become a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing, launched emerging talent agency Margravine Management and performed in London's West End and the drama of the BBC Syndicate. Her book Grow, about the importance of connecting to nature in a digital world, is out September 15.

This is me on set period drama BBC Cranford. My aunt or my mother must have taken the picture. We had heard that the film crew was coming to our village, Lacock, and wanted extras for the show, so my whole family went back to the 1800s for the day. I was only in one scene, standing in the background looking shocked when a man with a broken arm walked in to see a doctor, but it was very exciting. Especially since Harry Potter was also filmed in our village a few years before - I had tried to be chosen as an extra for that too, but I hadn't succeeded.

Although I was absolutely devastated that I couldn't be in one of the greatest movies of all time, I quickly realized that I had been rejected because I looked so young and probably didn't fit the age range of the scene. I was the smallest in my year at school, so much so that under my yearbook picture I wrote, “Good things come in small packages. All through high school, I was teased a little because of my height, and all the girls thought I was cute – but not the “I want to be your girlfriend” type. Just: "Ah bless!" Luckily, I was also one of the fastest runners, and being athletic often means you're safe and respected at school.

I always been a well brought up boy. I have a vivid memory of being in grade school and accidentally smashing a pot with a basketball. The teacher sat our class down and said, “Although I said no one was allowed to play in the hallway near the potty, some of you ignored me. I'm very surprised at the boy who did this. While it wasn't a big rebuke, I just had to think, "I'm never misbehaving again." Naturally, I had a slight rebellious streak when I was 15 or 16 - around the time I had Tomb Raider and Avril Lavigne posters on my wall. I would play knock-knock-run on people's front doors, or hit pears with garden golf clubs into the road, unsure whether or not they would hit a passing car. It's such a country version of mischief compared to what people probably do in a city, but punching pears was my thing.

Before I left the sixth, we had to write what we wanted to be when we left school: I chose “to work in the media” or “thatched roofs”. I was pretty sure I was going for the latter, and I did, but thought it might be worth thinking about something else just in case I fell off a roof one day and decide stubble wasn't for me.

< p class="dcr-3jlghf">I joined YouTube in 2011, as ThatcherJoe, although my content wasn't just about my work. It was uncharted territory and I jumped straight into it without understanding how big it could get. Back then, there was no proven trajectory for YouTubers – it wasn't like joining the music industry or becoming an actor, where you can plan your path. The only things I was good at were being myself and editing. I thought I would do it for a year and if it ran out I would go back to thatch. Two years later, I had six million subscribers.

I'll never forget my first YouTube views paycheck: I spent it on a round of pub drinks for my friends. It was only £30, but at the time it was impressive to have found a new source of income. When things really started to take off, it was hard not to obsess over the numbers – subscribers and views per video. I would create a competition in my head with other YouTubers who were doing well, wondering how many subscribers they were getting - and if they were missing a...