{"id":223501,"date":"2016-06-18T14:26:46","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T14:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=223501"},"modified":"2016-06-18T14:26:46","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T14:26:46","slug":"youtube-star-lonelygirl15-back-after-seven-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/06\/youtube-star-lonelygirl15-back-after-seven-years\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTube ‘star’ Lonelygirl15 back after seven years"},"content":{"rendered":"
A YouTube vlog-style series, which was said to be one of the first examples of viral video, has had new material uploaded for the first time since 2009.<\/p>\n
The video has already had thousands of views and original fans of the channel, Lonelygirl15, have expressed surprise.<\/p>\n
The show, in the form of a confessional vlog by a teenage girl, launched in 2005 and was later revealed to have been scripted.<\/p>\n
It attracted millions of viewers, even after the staging was announced.<\/p>\n
The film makers called a press conference after a year, following increasing suspicion among fans and the media that the central character, Bree, was not a real person.<\/p>\n
Co-creator Mesh Flinders, speaking before the new video was uploaded, told the Guardian that he did not think the project would work in today’s climate.<\/p>\n
“On YouTube now we wouldn’t get away with this for 30 seconds,” he said.<\/p>\n
“People would know she’s fake immediately.”<\/p>\n