jacksepticeye facts for kids

jacksepticeye
McLoughlin in 2018
Personal information
Born	Seán William McLoughlin (1990-02-07) 7 February 1990 (age 35) Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland
Education	Athlone Institute of Technology (BA (Hons))
Occupation	YouTuber actor
YouTube information
Years active	2012–present
Genre	Let's Play comedy vlogs
Subscribers	30.8 million (14 October 2024)
Total views	16.9 billion (14 October 2024)
Associated acts	Game Grumps PewDiePie Markiplier Ethan Nestor

Seán William McLoughlin (born 7 February 1990), known to millions as jacksepticeye, is a famous Irish YouTuber. He makes videos about gaming, comedy, and his daily life (vlogs).

Seán grew up in Cloghan, County Offaly in Ireland. He started playing video games when he was very young. He began uploading videos to YouTube in December 2012. His channel quickly became popular, reaching one million subscribers by 2014 and 10 million by 2016.

In 2017, Seán appeared on Disney XD and Irish TV. He also went on tours in Europe and the US with his "How Did We Get Here" show and the "Ready Player 3" tour with Game Grumps. In 2018, he started streaming special content on Twitch. He also continued making YouTube videos and appearing at live events like Summer Game Fest in 2020. In 2021, Seán even had a small role in the movie Free Guy, which starred Ryan Reynolds. The next year, he released a documentary about his life called How Did We Get Here?, which included parts of his tour.

Seán is also a co-founder of the clothing brand Cloak, which he started with fellow YouTuber Markiplier. He also owns his own coffee company, Top of The Mornin' Coffee. He is well-known for his charity work, helping to raise millions of dollars for different organizations.

Early Life and Growing Up

Seán William McLoughlin was born on 7 February 1990, in Cloghan, County Offaly, Ireland. He was the youngest of five children. He spent his childhood in Cloghan and also lived in Banagher for a while.

Seán started playing video games when he was seven years old. He loved playing on his Game Boy in a treehouse, finding a sense of belonging in the games. He got his nickname "Jack Septic Eye" after a childhood accident during a football game where he hurt his eye.

When he was 18, Seán and his family moved to a cabin in Ballycumber. He later studied hotel management at Athlone Institute of Technology, earning a degree. In 2017, he moved to Brighton, England. He chose Brighton because of its friendly communities and to have more privacy after fans found his home in Ireland.

Becoming a YouTube Star

McLoughlin at PAX East in 2016

Seán started uploading videos to YouTube in December 2012, using the name "jacksepticeye." At first, he focused on funny voices. Soon, he switched to playing video games and sharing his reactions.

In 2013, another popular YouTuber, PewDiePie, mentioned Seán's channel in a video. This caused Seán's subscribers to jump from 2,500 to 15,000 in just four days! By May 2014, his channel was so successful that he could make YouTube his full-time job. In August of that year, he reached one million subscribers. By February 2015, his videos had been watched over one billion times, and he had 3.2 million subscribers. The next year, he gained another six million subscribers.

In 2016, Seán was one of the first YouTubers to join PewDiePie's network, Revelmode. He also helped host the SXSW Gaming Awards and appeared in the 2016 YouTube Rewind.

In 2017, Seán was featured in a series called Polaris: Player Select on Disney XD. He also appeared on an Irish TV documentary, Ireland's Rich List, which brought him more attention in his home country.

Seán went on tour in 2017 and 2018 with his "How Did We Get Here" show. This show told the story of his life, from growing up in Ireland to becoming a famous YouTuber. He also played games with his fans during the show. In 2018, he announced a deal with Disney's Digital Network to create special content for Twitch.

In 2019, Seán joined the talent agency WME. In 2020, he took part in Summer Game Fest, an online event for gamers. That October, he shared that he would be in the movie Free Guy, which came out in 2021. He even gave advice to the director, Shawn Levy, to make the movie feel real to video game culture.

In 2021, Seán released a short film called "15 MONTHS" on his YouTube channel. In February 2022, he announced a documentary about his life, also called How Did We Get Here?, which showed his journey and included footage from his tour.

In 2023, Seán and comedian Chris Redd hosted a show called The Gamer and the Mouth, which combined gaming and comedy.

Popularity and Recognition

Seán's influence and income have been recognized in many ways. In 2017, Forbes magazine listed him as one of the Top Gaming Influencers. In 2018, Forbes estimated he was the eighth highest-paid YouTuber. He was also named the third most talked-about gaming personality on Twitter in 2019.

Forbes also included him in their "30 Under 30" list for Sports & Games in 2020, calling him "Ireland's most popular YouTuber." In 2022 and 2023, he was again listed among Forbes' Top Creators. His channel is known as the most subscribed in Ireland by many news outlets.

What's in His Videos?

Septic Eye Sam, the logo of the jacksepticeye channel. Its green color shows McLoughlin's Irish background.

Seán's YouTube channel mainly features Let's Plays, where he plays video games and reacts to them. He also makes funny gaming videos and vlogs about his life. He plays a mix of popular and unusual games.

He often works with other famous YouTubers, especially Markiplier and PewDiePie, who are his close friends. He has also interviewed traditional celebrities like Tom Holland, Dwayne Johnson, and Ryan Reynolds. His channel also includes comedy skits, short films, charity livestreams, and Q&A sessions.

His videos usually start with him giving a high five to the camera and saying, "Top of the morning to ya, laddies!" He chose this phrase and often wears a flat cap to show his Irish identity. He believes his Irish accent and background have helped him succeed. His videos often end with him telling viewers to "punch the 'like' button in the face, like a boss!" The color green is also a big part of his channel, representing his Irish heritage and appearing in his logo, "Septic Eye Sam."

Seán's videos are highly edited. His commentary while playing games is usually made up on the spot, full of humor, funny voices, laughter, and sometimes swearing. He calls himself the "most energetic video-game commentator on YouTube." He describes his content as an "assault on the senses" that people either love or hate. He believes his success comes from his energy, positivity, honesty, and consistency. Seán wants his channel to be a welcoming community, using the slogan "positive mental attitude" to encourage kindness online.

Seán also plays a character called Antisepticeye in some of his horror game videos. This character is an evil version of himself and lets fans interact with the story. His audience also creates fan fiction based on his content. Besides YouTube, Seán makes short videos for TikTok, which are often more personal.

Taking Breaks

For the first five years of his career, Seán uploaded two videos every day, then later one video per day. In July 2018, he announced he was taking his first short break from uploading. He explained that he was struggling with his mental health and feeling burnt out. Many other online creators also talked about burnout around that time.

In the years that followed, he continued to be open about feeling overworked and needing breaks. In July 2020, he took another break, saying he was exhausted and would no longer upload daily videos. When he returned, his first video was watched over 2 million times on its first day. In January 2021, Seán took a break due to personal grief. In July 2021, he took another break for over a month, explaining that he felt burnt out from making content so often. He said he would rather step back if he couldn't put his usual energy into his videos.

Other Cool Stuff He Does

Businesses

In October 2018, Seán announced Cloak, a clothing brand for gamers that he started with Markiplier. In June 2020, popular Twitch streamer Pokimane joined them as a third partner. Cloak has made special clothing collections with games like Minecraft Dungeons and Five Nights at Freddy's. The brand often donates a part of its sales to charities, like the World Health Organization's COVID-19 fund. Seán left the business in 2023.

On June 15, 2020, Seán launched his own coffee company called Top of The Mornin' Coffee. The company also partners with the Feya Foundation, a charity that helps fight world hunger. In April 2023, he started a podcast called Brain Leak with fellow YouTuber Ethan Nestor. He also announced a comic book series called Altrverse, which features characters from his YouTube videos. The first issue came out in December 2023.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Business Insider has called Seán "one of YouTube's most active charity supporters." In 2019, he received an award from Save the Children for his fundraising work. In 2021, he was recognized for raising over $6 million for charity between 2017 and 2021. In 2022, he won the Best Philanthropic Streamer award at The Streamer Awards.

In December 2016, Seán was part of a charity livestream called #Cringemas with PewDiePie, Markiplier, and others. They raised over $1.3 million to fight AIDS. In December 2017, he hosted two more charity streams for Save The Children, raising over $260,000.

Throughout 2018, Seán hosted many livestreams for different charities, including those supporting ill and disabled gamers, children's hospitals, and mental health support. He raised over $1 million that year. His December fundraising stream became an annual event called "Thankmas," leading up to Christmas.

Since then, his Thankmas streams have raised huge amounts of money. In 2019, he raised over $300,000 for Child's Play. In 2020, he raised over $200,000 for bushfires in Australia, over $650,000 for COVID-19 relief, and over $600,000 for Black Lives Matter organizations. He also helped MrBeast's Team Trees campaign, raising over $150,000 to plant trees. His 2020 Thankmas stream raised over $1.4 million for Red Nose Day.

In December 2021, Seán partnered with Tiltify for Thankmas to help New Story, a charity that helps homeless people by building 3D-printed houses. The campaign raised $7.6 million in total.

In November 2022, Seán worked with Tiltify again for Thankmas, raising money for World Central Kitchen. They aimed for $10 million and successfully reached it during the last hour of the stream! His 2023 Thankmas stream also supported World Central Kitchen and raised $6 million. Overall, Seán's Thankmas charity streams have raised over $25 million!

Personal Life

Seán McLoughlin is currently in a relationship with Dutch YouTuber Evelien "Gab" Smolders. He has played the drums since he was young and was once in a metal band called Raised to the Ground. Seán has shared that he has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Discography

With Raised to the Ground

• Risen from the Ashes (EP, 2009)

As Jacksepticeye

Filmography

Film

Television

Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

• List of YouTubers