Are Creators Making TV Watchable Again?
The Creator Effect: Why It Matters for TV (and Brands)
Creators have taken over the role from traditional ‘celebrity TV’ and there’s a reason why people prefer it. It doesn’t feel far removed from reality. Creators have truer origins to the audiences watching than a hero-celebrity ever will. It makes it easier for them to build their own ‘fandom’ but one that is connected, rather than aspirational.
In fact, a 2024 YPulse survey found that Gen Z trust influencers more than traditional celebrities when it comes to recommendations.
When Strictly Come Dancing pulls in 8.6 million live viewers (BBC, 2024) and social chatter spikes because a digital creator is part of the cast, it’s proof that “event TV” still works but creators are the bridge making it relevant again.
Case-in-Point: Niko Omilana on The Celebrity Traitors
Niko Omilana is a YouTuber and creator with 8.2 million subscribers and over 708 million total views, who is most well-known for his comedy-style videos. His entry into The Celebrity Traitors instantly injected viral potential into the format.
According to Radio Times, Niko joined “to bring a different way of thinking” That quote alone was shared thousands of times on X before the show even aired; exactly the kind of pre-launch buzz marketers dream of.
- Built-in reach: With an engagement rate of 4.08 %, Niko’s audience isn’t just large, it’s highly responsive.
- Gen Z magnet: Around 78 % of his YouTube viewers are under 35, a demographic that traditional broadcasters struggle to reach.
💡NewGen Nugget: Repurposing content through a social publishing team is highly valuable, doubling the reach and views with the same content.
Case-in-Point: George Clarke on Strictly Come Dancing UK
George Clarke brings a combined 3 million+ social followers across TikTok (2.3 M), YouTube (620 K), and Instagram (700 K). His background as a relatable, high-energy content creator makes him a natural fit for Strictly, which historically skews older.
For the BBC, casting George was a strategic play: according to The Sun, his TikTok followers are predominantly aged 18–30, a group the show has struggled to attract in recent years.
- Audience bridge: Strictly’s median viewer age is around 55, but George’s fanbase helped boost younger viewership on BBC iPlayer, which saw a 22 % increase in 16–34 viewing minutes during his debut week.
- Cross-platform momentum: His rehearsal vlogs regularly pull 500K–1M views on TikTok, outperforming BBC’s official clips in engagement per view.
💡NewGen Nugget: TV exposure drives social engagement, which in turn drives viewers back to the broadcast. It’s not about replacing TV; it’s about extending its lifecycle.
The Stats Behind the Shift
Let’s put the broader picture in numbers:
- Broadcast-TV reach: Down to 73.8 % overall, and just 45–48 % among 16–24s (Ofcom, 2025).
- Average viewing time: 16–24s watch only 33 minutes of broadcast TV daily, including ~20 minutes live (Ofcom, 2025).
- YouTube on TV: People now spend 39 minutes/day on YouTube, with 16 minutes of that on TV sets (Ofcom, 2025).
- Channel 4 data: Among 16–34s, 47 % of Channel 4 viewing now happens via streaming rather than linear broadcast (Advanced Television, 2024).
- Strictly Come Dancing: The 2024 final attracted 8.6 million live viewers with a peak of 9.6 million, reaffirming TV’s event power (Yahoo, 2024).
💡NewGen Nugget: These stats show a dual reality, broadcast TV is shrinking in time spent but still commands massive reach for the right events. Injecting creators helps link those worlds together.
Key Takeaways
Content synergy beats channel silos.
Creators collapse the wall between broadcast and social. If you “cast” a creator, plan how their ecosystem (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) will fuel conversation beyond the broadcast moment.
Authenticity is the new production value.
63 % of Gen Z say they prefer “authentic” creators to “polished” ones. When creators appear on TV and remain true to their style, audiences respond and marketers benefit.
Leverage platform-native behaviours.
Design for the remix. Niko’s “chaos” clips were instantly meme-ready. George’s rehearsal bloopers trended on TikTok. These moments create organic amplification that paid campaigns can’t match.
Track both TV and digital metrics.
Look beyond ratings: measure search spikes, sentiment, hashtag volume, and cross-channel lift. A hybrid model of BARB + social analytics tells the real story.
Final Thoughts
So are creators making TV watchable again? Absolutely. Traditional formats like Strictly still command millions of live viewers, proving TV’s mass-reach power. Yet by weaving in digital-native stars such as Niko Omilana and George Clarke, broadcasters are making those formats feel alive to audiences who had long since moved on.
For brands, the lesson is clear: TV provides reach; creators provide relevance. When those worlds merge, you don’t just get ratings, you get culture.
So, as 2026 marketing budgets take shape, the smartest campaigns will treat creators not as add-ons but as co-authors. Build TV moments that live on social, social moments that drive viewers back to TV, and measure the entire ecosystem.
Because yes, creators really are making TV watchable again. And for marketers, they’re making it measurable, shareable, and impossible to ignore.
Get in touch with NewGen today to discuss how you can stay connected and involved in your audience and community.