Zoella faces further backlash as controversial 'homophobic and fat-shaming' tweets are unearthed

Just days after sparking controversy with her “overpriced” £50 advent calendar full of “cheap tat”, YouTuber Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, faces further backlash after offensive tweets sent from her account between 2009 and 2012 were unearthed last night.

Zoe and her team have hastily deleted the tweets since they were resurfaced, however, Yahoo Celeb UK can confirm that they were in fact live on her account until last night [14 November].

The messages on the prolific vlogger’s accounts have horrified her fans, with the star – who earns a reported £50,000 a month – ‘using homophobic slurs’ as well as ‘fat-shaming and sl*t-shaming’ people in the tweets.

One tweet sent in 2010 read: “I find it funny when gay men spit… It’s like they’re trying to be a bit macho but it never works.”

Another sent in response to another Twitter user in 2012 said: “Haha, it’s like everyone feels sorry for her. She could have ‘kept her legs shut’, excuse my choice of words, haha #Vulgar”.

A tweet from 2010 sees Zoe brand somebody a “skanky chav”, with a 2012 tweet about a woman “needing to get dressed” ending with Zoe laughing “skank attack”.

Zoe has also been accused of ‘fat-shaming’ in the social media messages, with a 2010 tweet about I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! reading: “People didn’t pay money to vote for Gillian [McKeith] to cop out like a fat kid at a swimming lesson ‘on their period’.”

And a 2011 tweet about The X Factor read: “Why did that fat chav go and stand next to him?”

Rather poignantly in the wake of her advent calendar scandal, another tweet from 2010 saw Zoe write: “‘Why are these clothes so expensive?’ Because they’re designer you tramp.”

Responding to the tweets, Zoe’s fans were horrified, taking to their own social media accounts to write:

Responding to the tweets, Zoe wrote: “I’ve seen a few of my old tweets from 7/8 years ago floating around (which I have now deleted) using words like ‘chav’ ‘skank’ and other words I wouldn’t use now as part of my language and lot of them were taken out of context, referring to TV shows.

“I would never say those things now and I’m sorry if I have offended anyone, that was not my intention. Obviously that is not who I am today and I’d like to think I’m a little older and wiser! I’m not perfect and I’ve never claimed to be, I’m only human!”

The 27-year-old star, who has 12million YouTube subscribers, previously responded to criticism surrounding her exclusive Boots advent calendar in a video that was uploaded last night.

Advertised as “the ultimate Christmas calendar from Zoella lifestyle” full of “individually designed” and “amazing and exclusive treats”, Zoe’s young fans have flocked to buy the pricey “12 Days Of Christmas” calendar, but many have now branded it a “rip off” after being left disappointed by the “cheap tat” inside.

Averaging just one and a half star reviews on the Boots website, Zoe’s fans have slammed the 12 products that the £50 price tag gets them, which includes stickers, confetti, and a pen.

Speaking out in last night’s vlog, Zoe insisted that she had no say in the price tag, telling viewers: “The calendar is something I have worked on for a year, I love the product, I am all about the creativity.

“The retailer decides how much they will sell it for, that’s completely out of my decision making. I don’t have the right to make those decisions.

“It makes me so sad that a product that I loved and worked hard on, and loads of you like, has left so many people upset. I feel just as let down about this.”

Previously, Zoe had said of the calendar: “This was so hard to get right and I really, really wanted it to be absolutely perfect so this did take a lot of time and tweaking.

“So I am very, very proud of it.”

Boots have since announced that the calendar will be sold at half-price, £25, from 16 November.

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