How Hayley Morris Built a 9 Million Strong Social Video Audience

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by social video sensation Hayley Morris. Known for her viral vertical comedies and brilliant multi-character sketches, Hayley shares her journey from early YouTube experiments to creating hit series like ‘The V Hotel’ and her growing portfolio of self-funded short films. She reveals how she built an audience of over nine million followers, the creative process behind her weekly videos, why she’s passionate about retaining creative control, and how she sees the future of social video evolving. Hayley also talks about her plans to develop longer form episodic content for YouTube and the importance of balancing creativity with social platform algorithms. If you’re interested in social video, digital-first production, or how to build an audience from scratch—this is essential listening.

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Transcript

Justin Crosby: Hi, I am Justin Crosby and welcome to this week's TellyCast on the show. This week I'm joined by comedy creator and social media star Haley Morris, known for a hugely popular sketches and original vertical comedies. Haley's built a loyal following of over 9 million followers across social platforms.

Justin Crosby: With a brilliantly relatable humor and distinctive storytelling style. In this episode, we're gonna dive into her creative process, how she's made vertical video work for comedy, and what it really takes to succeed in the fast moving world of social video. Hi, Hailey, welcome at the show. Hello. 

Hayley Morris: Hey, thank you so much for having me.

Justin Crosby: Not at all. I've been dying to get you on the show. I love everything you do on socials. Thanks. And 9 million followers. That's amazing. 

Hayley Morris: It it doesn't feel like it's 9 million people, but it's yeah. When you see those numbers, you kind of disassociate from it and you're like, it's just a number.

Hayley Morris: It's just a number. And you kind of, I think you have to kind of go that route. Otherwise you start thinking about 9 million people that you're putting stuff out to in population of London kind of thing, you know? Yeah. 

Justin Crosby: Wow. Let's, let's start at the beginning. How did you get into. You know, how, how did you build this success of within comedy and social video?

Justin Crosby: Mm-hmm. Tell, tell us, tell us your story. 

Hayley Morris: I've been doing so, so like. Very, very early on when I was younger, my dad used to make well he used to write sketches that weren't for anywhere. They would just, you know, for him to just write and then my brother and I would act them out. He would film them. They exist somewhere.

Hayley Morris: I dunno where, but yeah, we, we used to just do these sketches. So I kind of grew up making videos. And then. One of my presents, I can't remember how old I would've been, but it was a, a camera that had video function on it. So I used to get my friends together and we'd film silent films 'cause there was no microphone.

Hayley Morris: And then I would upload them onto YouTube when YouTube wasn't seen as like a social platform. Yeah. I thought it was just a storage. Like website. So I used to just put these videos on there. They'd have all sorts of classical music in the background. So when YouTube introduced copyright, they all wiped, the channel got deleted.

Hayley Morris: 'Cause that's, I think that's kind of how they just dealt with it back then was just delete everything. Yeah. So those no longer exist. I have no idea how I would ever get those back, but it was kind of ingrained into me from an early age. I just enjoyed doing that. And then when I was at university, I was studying broadcast journalism and our lecturer kind of opened one of the lecturers with you all need to get comfortable on camera because, you know, first year is radio, second year is tv, and third year is whatever you want it to be.

Hayley Morris: But mostly it's gonna be sort of documentary or. Whatever format you wanna do. So I was like, okay, let's just start doing stuff on YouTube. And at the time that would've been maybe 2011 and I'd already had stuff on there. That I'd kind of just, I dunno. I think there's, there's an old video of me writing my name on a 10 pound note and then just hoping it would go out somewhere and someone would eventually find me somehow.

Hayley Morris: And I think, I think like years later, someone did. 

Justin Crosby: Oh really? 

Hayley Morris: Yeah. But obviously those 10 pound notes are, are dead now. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: But yeah, I kind of. Started doing that and then I remember the rugby team at my uni found it and I was like, delete it all. So I deleted everything and was humiliated. No one was mean about it, but I just was so mortified 'cause no one was doing that at the time.

Hayley Morris: And they were just little sketches and silly little videos that jet like genuinely weren't funny. Yeah. And then after I graduated I started doing sketches again and just kind of, I was doing that for years and years and years. I'd built about 10,000 followers. Wasn't hugely successful, wasn't really making any money of it.

Hayley Morris: And then eventually TikTok and, you know, reels and things came along and I. I think one of my friends who works in tv, she was like, you should start posting on TikTok. Like that's where, where people are, if you wanna start doing comedy acting. I was like, okay, yeah, let's, let's give it one a shot. You know, I'd, I'd done it for, for 10 years on YouTube and nothing had happened and I kind of felt a bit like I'd thrown away the opportunity of a career because I was so hellbent on getting into comedy and acting and that was the way I was gonna do it.

Hayley Morris: And then yeah, I kind of said, if it doesn't happen by the end of 2021, that's it. I've gotta give it up and, and, you know, really commit to a career now. And then December the 28th, 2020, I had been uploading through November and December, loads of different sketches on TikTok and had some success of like, you know, a hundred thousand views, which to me was mind blowing.

Hayley Morris: And then I started a me versus Brain series and it just, one of these videos went so viral and I. Kind of just started continuing to do that. And I was growing by about 10,000 a night. A night. A night. It was, I kept thinking, this isn't real. I'm gonna dream, I'm gonna wake up. This isn't real. Or someone's buying me all these followers.

Hayley Morris: And it was about a hundred thousand a month or more. And I hit a million on, on Instagram and, and TikTok really fast. And it was just the wildest experience. To think that, you know, months before I was like, if it doesn't happen, that's it. Yeah, so that's kind of how it all, how it all came about.

Justin Crosby: So did, so did you plan to be a journalist then? When you went, when you actually went to uni where you were you? Tell me you were studying broadcast journalism. So was it, did you originally want to be a journalist or when did that change to becoming a, a comedic actor and writer? 

Hayley Morris: So, I'd grown up wanting to act, but I was always kind of, no one really encouraged me.

Hayley Morris: Or said it was really possible. So I had thought about going to acting school and then I, I kind of felt like, you know, school teachers, people around weren't really saying that it was something that I could probably do. So I was like, oh, maybe I'm not good enough for this. And I thought maybe I'll do TV presenting.

Hayley Morris: And I still considered going to acting school. And then everyone said, if you wanna be a presenter, if you go to acting school, all the presenters are gonna come out the same. And I was like, I dunno if that's a bad thing. Mm. But I was kind of told not to go that route. Ended up picking broadcast journalism, hated it.

Justin Crosby: Right. I 

Hayley Morris: knew it wasn't for me. I hadn't really wanted to do journalism, but it was a really, really interesting course and I did really enjoy doing the course. And I think the experience I got from that has helped me in my career. Now 

Justin Crosby: in from being In terms of being in front of the camera, you mean?

Justin Crosby: Exactly, yeah. Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: And just knowing how to navigate it and you know, knowing. Like how to edit. I learned at uni knowing how to use a camera I'd learned at uni. These are things that otherwise I would not really have. I, you know, I'd have had to teach myself, but I kind of had that experience from uni, which really, really helped.

Hayley Morris: But yeah, like I think there was my first, or. Probably first two years of uni, I was really determined to get into that world. Yeah. Into presenting and into being a news journalist. And then I think I was like, I just don't think, I think it's, it feels very depressing. Yeah. And I was like, I just enjoy fun and humor and yeah.

Hayley Morris: So I just thought I, I'll just give comedy a go, but I didn't really, I never wanted to do standup. I just really enjoyed making. The content online and creating stuff that way. 

Justin Crosby: And have you ever done standup then, or is it purely, purely you're comfortable with the camera and that's kind of it, right?

Hayley Morris: I've done, yeah. I have done a couple of standup things or like an improv comedy night. It's just, it, there is nothing better than getting that laugh from the audience. Yeah. But I also think there is nothing scarier Yeah. Than the moments before and the moment you're there. Yeah. And I just don't think I have the nervous system for it.

Hayley Morris: I think it is a real skill and yeah, it's just. I think you either really want it or you don't. Yeah. And I don't feel like I really want to do standup, so I think it's a space that I'm too scared to be in. 

Justin Crosby: Well, talking about skill, I mean, a lot of your videos feature multiple characters. Yeah. And the V Hotel Yeah.

Justin Crosby: Is one for I try to relate to, but I'm not sure if I really can, but it's, it is probably. Talk mem more about the female in that anatomy than anything anything else at their house. But you play up to, you know, maybe six or seven different characters than that. Can you tell me through talk me through the process of how you script that, how you plan a show, and, and, and how.

Justin Crosby: How often do you publish? 

Hayley Morris: So it is once a week, every Friday. And it's, and that's important, is it that? Yeah, I think it's, at the beginning I kind of did every other day or every day and then I kind of was like, I'm running out of ideas. Went down to two a week and then I was like, every, every Friday just feels like that works and I think people get used to it.

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: So I've kind of always just stuck with that since, and that's been years. And it's almost to the point it's so routine for me. It's weird if I don't do it. But it starts with a top line idea. So it's I always try to think if it's the V hotel, what is something that I feel embarrassed about or I don't know enough about, and how can I make that funny or how can I make that relatable?

Hayley Morris: And then it will be kind of building that out. So I'll, I'll start with the bones of a script. And that is. Just literally the structure what beats are going where, and then I'll just start building it out. And then it might be that I haven't introduced a character before, so I'll think about how can I dress them.

Hayley Morris: 'Cause that for me is, is something I've always had so much fun doing. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: It's that how can I make this look like one of these characters, but still make it look as silly as possible. And then, yeah, just after that it is, it's setting up the camera, working out who's standing where. And then I'll just start that one, that one, that one, that one.

Hayley Morris: And then the edit is, is probably the biggest part. 

Justin Crosby: And is it just you? It's 

Hayley Morris: just me. 

Justin Crosby: It's just you. Yeah. And you've created 9 million followers just by you and the camera. Mm-hmm. And understand, I mean, how long does that, does an average. Video tech to take, to put together. You said, I can imagine the edit is the biggest part of it.

Justin Crosby: Yeah. But tell, tell me, you know, what the pro, how long that process takes. 

Hayley Morris: It depends. It depends what kind of video it is. So sometimes I'll do like a throwaway video, I call it, because it takes. An hour. And those videos are usually just me and one other character, or like even just me. And it is so, such a simple idea.

Hayley Morris: It usually has like texts on the screen. And it just, yeah, very, very quick edit, very quick film very quick. Don't really ever script it. And then I've got the like the V hotel or I've also got a drawer series where it's like my underwear drawer or the bedside table. Those one, the bedside table and the drawers they take so much longer.

Hayley Morris: Do they? Yeah. They're so long. And that's usually because I do also have to have someone with the camera. So I'm directing someone to do like whip pans. 'cause I can't do, I've, I've really thought about how can I do this on my own. Yeah. And yeah, setting up those, like talking head moments, the confessional.

Hayley Morris: Like sort of videos that, that just takes longer to script. And again, the edit is so much more than that. 'cause I might have not even had an idea of where this, what direction it's going in. I'll just have things I think would be funny for like a sock to say yes. Which sounds ridiculous. And then I'll just kind of patch it together when I'm in the edit.

Hayley Morris: Yeah. Those videos can take like three days, whereas like the V hotel can probably take from scripting to editing. Only about two days. 

Justin Crosby: Right. Okay.

Hayley Morris: Yeah, but I mean, sometimes it takes a whole week. Yeah. Just to come up with the idea. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: And the script. 

Justin Crosby: And do you ever find yourself thinking, oh, you know, because the, the other thing we hear, hear about creative burnout, don't we?

Justin Crosby: Mm-hmm. And it's like being that creative non, pretty much nonstop. I mean, do you ever take a break? Do you ever, do you ever say Right. Summer, I'm not gonna make any videos in August, for example. I mean, or is that, do you feel that you really need to make sure you, you're there every Friday? 

Hayley Morris: Yeah, I feel the pressure of the, the algorithm, right.

Hayley Morris: Sadly, I don't think the algorithm, and I don't think social media is really set up for anyone to take a break. 

Justin Crosby: Mm-hmm. 

Hayley Morris: I would love to get to a point where I am batch filming. So like four videos and it means I can take like the whole month of August off. Yeah. 'cause I've got them all ready to go. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah.

Hayley Morris: That's always the goal, but it always seems to be that there's another project that comes up that takes my my time, so I don't have time to kind of film all those back to back. I'd love to build a team. I think that's, that's kind of the dream. 

Justin Crosby: Okay. 

Hayley Morris: So having more people to have ideas bounce back and forth.

Hayley Morris: Yeah. Having people help me film, having people, I, I don't think I could ever give, give up the edit. I think that's something that, yeah, I do have a bit of like a, a control thing over. I, I know exactly how I want it to look. Yeah. And so I don't think I could hand that over to anyone. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: But yeah, 

Justin Crosby: it sounds very much like we, we had Max Foss on the show Yeah.

Justin Crosby: A few weeks ago. Your experience is very similar to him. Yeah. I don't think if you've ever spoken to him about it, but 

Hayley Morris: No, we've never spoken. But I did listen to his episode. Yeah. And it's very inspiring. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. It really was, wasn't it? Yeah. And, and he, he came through the hospital radio. Yeah. Route and and it seemed to, the stuff that he did on the big market in Newcastle.

Justin Crosby: So it just seemed to. Once he tried something and it really, really worked, and then that kind of changed his whole career in his own direction. And it seems like a, you know, similar sort of yeah. You know, impact on your, your career. So we, we we're obviously talking about a vertical video, but recently you've been doing short films and there's recent mo, your most recent one is called Hangry.

Justin Crosby: Mm-hmm. Tell us about hangry. 

Hayley Morris: So hangry is azo romcom. So it is two zombies and they are, you know, we're in a post-apocalyptic world. They are very much in love, and they stumble into a home where they are trying to decide what they should have for dinner, which is, you know, the age old debate that you have.

Hayley Morris: With your partner, which you know, is basically a script that is just taken directly from me and my boyfriend's conversations. It's, you know, trying to decide what you want for dinner. And it always ends up with, for me being like, don't worry, I'm just not gonna eat. But the twist is these are two zombies that are deciding which family member to eat of these humans that are, you know, just right in front of them.

Hayley Morris: And we get the two POVs. So you've got the zombies that are just having this really normal, grounded conversation. And then you have the POV of the family watching these two zombies that are like. Completely nonsensical. Just really just making really growling noise. Right, exactly. Yeah. And we kind of thought it was, you know, we took this, this idea of you know, couple disagreements and, and things like that.

Hayley Morris: And then just thought, what is a world that makes that funny and, and makes it silly and takes it out of just being. Just a conversation from a relationship. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: And we just thought the zombies just really added that fun to it. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: And we never see the zombie POV, we're always seeing it from the other side.

Hayley Morris: So it just, yeah, for me, I was like, this feels really fun and, and. Silly. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. And it was great 

Hayley Morris: to film 

Justin Crosby: and it is fantastic. And so tell me about the, the the, the crew that you have on that. Mm-hmm. Because obviously that's not something you can film yourself. No. It's like a proper production. 

Hayley Morris: Yeah. 

Justin Crosby: Talk us through that.

Hayley Morris: So, yeah, I do. So there's, we've done four. We've got one coming out in August. And we're working with Minds Eye, so they kind of provide us with a director, a producer, and then, you know. The whole crew that comes with that. People who do sound, you've got the dp. It, it is a, it is a huge crew. When you look at the credits, I'm always like, there are so many people I've notice.

Hayley Morris: Yeah. Yeah. It's it is, it's so much fun having that many people involved because I have always done stuff on my own. It feels it just the first time I stepped on set when it was Love and Loss, which is the funeral, short film, it was. Like a real two sides of it. First of all, I was like, I can't believe everyone's here.

Hayley Morris: For me, this feels really silly. And then the other side of it was, oh my God, this is an actual like set that I've, I've got here and this is all because of an idea that I've got. And everyone's here for this short film to help me bring it together. And there was, I, there was a lot of people early on that were like, do you not get scared acting in front of that many people?

Hayley Morris: And I'm like, well, no. 'cause everyone's worrying about their own job. You don't. No one's absorbed in what you are doing. Everyone just wants the best outcome for it, which is one of the nicest feelings, and it's a very freeing feeling. It's, yeah, it's all very, very surreal and very exciting and it's just made me want so much more of that.

Justin Crosby: Right. Okay. Yeah. Well, let's, let's, let's talk about that a little bit. So, so just. Practically, how's that? Have you invested in that? Yes. Is that, that's your investment paid for that completely self-fund paid? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And is the, and what's the end goal then? You say it's gonna be four of these films in mm-hmm.

Justin Crosby: In, in total. What's, what's your, your ultimate objective? 

Hayley Morris: So I've always wanted to, well, I mean, I've, I've been developing tv shows, but it's, it's not quite the market at the moment. It feels like you just keep pitching and it just, it kind of feels like nothing's coming back and nothing. People are quite scared to take risks.

Hayley Morris: So for me, I would love to get to a point where I can make my own TV show on YouTube. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: And kind of. Just, I feel like you've got so much more freedom with that. It, you get to make the decisions of what stays, what goes whether it works because it works or if it works because it has, you know, there's so many hoops you have to jump through.

Hayley Morris: Yeah. And so many people you have to say, yes, this is good for you and this is good for you. And, having that taken away, it just means that you can do exactly how you want it. Yeah, and it also, you've got the audience there. You know what that audience likes. You know what they don't like. And so you can make it specifically for your own audience that you've built, which I think TV doesn't always have, they don't have that direct relationship with their audience where you can just message someone and be like, Hey, as a, you know, like hypothetical, what would you think about this?

Hayley Morris: Mm-hmm. I just, I feel like you have that connection to be able to make something that you, you hope people would really. Really love and respond to. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah, so I really enjoyed hangry and, and love and loss as well was brilliant. Thank you. And, and just explain the premise of love and loss a little bit because it's like I really didn't, it was the first, it was, it was actually the first video that I'd I've seen of yours and just the way it started to develop was not what I was expected, but yeah.

Justin Crosby: Tell, tell us about the premise of 

Hayley Morris: that. So my, it's my character at the funeral of her boyfriend's mum and. It's. Basically sort of based around that relationship where your partner might have a stronger relationship with their mother in the sense that you feel like you're competing with the mother.

Hayley Morris: And so it's, it's, it's very much. That complex relationship with added kind of that intrusive thought element of saying the stuff that you shouldn't say out loud in the worst possible situation. So she has this big outburst at a funeral in front of everyone while the boyfriend is doing a eulogy for his mother.

Hayley Morris: And you know, she's saying stuff, he's saying stuff about her, like she was the funniest woman I've ever known. And she's like. What are you joking? I'm sta right here. And it just blows up and up and up to the point of no return. Yeah. And then there's a little twist at the end, but yeah, it was that, that was, it's, you know, with these short films, it's always just how silly can we make it and how outrageous of a situation can we play this?

Hayley Morris: Yeah.

Justin Crosby: But it's all very relatable. Yeah. That's the great thing about, so talking about your series, your vertical, coming back to vertical series as well are you, you planning on any new series on any, because obviously you've, you, like you said that you've got the the bedside draw and the sock, the lost sock, and the relationship between Ock 

Justin Crosby: Yeah.

Justin Crosby: And things like that. Any, any, any new ideas that you're planning on? 

Hayley Morris: I think it's just really expanding on, on the draws. 'Cause I, I just, I think it's, for me, it's. It's obviously in reality style and I'm having so much fun with trying this new format. Just creating these new characters and the dynamics and being able to have them interact in a way that other characters maybe haven't interacted in my other series.

Hayley Morris: So it's yeah, kind of going down that route and then eventually I'm, I'm looking to have them start to cross over. Okay. And I'd love to actually be able to make. Longer versions of those for YouTube long form. Right. Because they are so much longer. Yeah. That there's so much more that goes into them.

Hayley Morris: I end up cutting down so much. They could be like 10 minute episodes. 

Justin Crosby: Well, yeah. Well, so what's the average length then? Where the, for a TikTok episode? That of yours? 

Hayley Morris: So of tho that new series, about two minutes now. Yeah. But then all the other stuff has always been 30 seconds to a minute. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: But it's just, I.

Hayley Morris: I think you get to develop a, a character so much more in a longer timeframe. Yeah. You don't always get that in the short form When it's 30 seconds, it's, you know, someone might watch that video, never watch ones that come after it. Mm. 

Justin Crosby: So 

Hayley Morris: you don't have that episodic sort of feel of it. It just, yeah.

Hayley Morris: You, you don't get to really give it everything you want to give. Whereas these longer ones, I am able to do that and it feels a lot more fun. And it feels like people invest in it a bit more. Yeah. And they might not get as many views. But they, you feel like you've got more people investing in one of those characters and wanting to know where they go next or helping me decide where they go next, which is always quite fun.

Justin Crosby: Yeah. So ultimately creating TV shows for YouTube mm-hmm. How, how might that work financially as well? Because obviously it's big investment. Yeah. But equally you've got another nine, many followers, so. Mm-hmm. You know, you, you're an incredibly successful creator. You know it, are you, do you work with brands?

Justin Crosby: Are you planning on working with brands? 'cause obviously that's the, that's probably the, you know, one of the first places to, yeah. To, to, to go. 

Hayley Morris: So I work with brands on Instagram and TikTok, not so much on YouTube. And I mean, if there's any brands listening, if you wanna sponsor it, please get involved.

Justin Crosby: Right. 

Hayley Morris: It's, I think it's, for a brand, it feels like a risk or it feels unknown. It's not something that. A lot of creators are doing or have set up. But more than anything it would be ad revenue that I would hope would come from YouTube being able to kind of fund these projects. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. Yeah. That's, 

Hayley Morris: that's kind of the goal.

Justin Crosby: And how do you view. The overall social video environment, because we've heard Netflix making noises about going much more into the creator space. Yeah. And you can obviously see why do, do you, do you, you know, in, in the ideal world, is that what you would be doing is making shows for YouTube or making sure it's directly for Netflix that you retain creative control?

Justin Crosby: 'cause presumably, from what I can gather from you, that's super important for you. It's like, yeah, you have to be. The creator and you have to mm-hmm. Be completely in control of the script and direction. That's everything. 

Hayley Morris: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that is, that's the dream. But there's also, there are TV shows that I've kind of got treatments for and decks for that I would kind of not.

Hayley Morris: Feel like I have to have that creative control over. I have had you know, some production companies or people that they wanna take the stuff that I've done on the vertical series and wanting to take that into the TV world. But for me, it would be losing my IP or yeah. Giving up something that I've worked really hard on.

Hayley Morris: And I don't, I don't wanna do that. Yeah, that's, it feels like my baby, that I, I've kind of grown and I, I want to hold that and, and keep, keep it with me. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: But I kind of understand that. 'cause I think, you know, they see what works online and they see the numbers and they think, okay, if that works there.

Hayley Morris: But I don't necessarily think it always translates very well. I think sometimes the reason people like it on social is because it feels lo-fi. It feels like you've done it in your house and you're doing it alone. Whereas sometimes you can put a load of money into something and it becomes. Way too polished.

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: So those I feel precious about, but the, the decks and treatments that I have for TV ideas. Otherwise, I feel like I would be happy for a, you know, a director to come in and help with that and, and bring it. Whatever they see fit. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: So yeah, I think it, it depends on what the project is.

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: I 

Justin Crosby: mean, are you open to appearing in other comedy shows? I mean, is just basically as your own or playing a character or as a, a comedy actor. 

Hayley Morris: Yeah, definitely. That's, that's a, like a big thing I'm working on at the moment is, is, you know, auditioning, trying to get into, to the TV and film world. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah.

Hayley Morris: I'm basically, I just really, really enjoy making videos. I enjoy acting, it's. I think it, it's, it is been, I always think it's funny 'cause. People have always asked like, what's the secret? How did you get here? And I'm like, I just, I really love it. And even if I wasn't making money, I would still be here doing it.

Hayley Morris: It's, it's something that is so part of me that I just couldn't imagine not doing it. So yeah, I'm like that. For me, it's. The joy of it is, is just being on sets and, and creating and writing and acting, so, yeah. Yeah. 

Justin Crosby: Okay. And let's, let's talk about creators. 'cause there are so many creators coming through now.

Justin Crosby: It's such a vibrant sector. What advice would you give. Creators that are coming through who are maybe, you know, planning on going down the similar path that, that you've gone down. Any, any advice that you could give them? 

Hayley Morris: I would say just, just go for it. I think you can really sit on an idea and I think if you have an idea, just film it.

Hayley Morris: If it doesn't go well, it doesn't matter. Keep trying and if, you know, act on the ideas you have. Basically, I think whenever something comes into your mind, just film it. Do not worry about anyone around USA. And there were people that laughed at me, mocked me, said to my face, I can't believe you're still making these videos.

Hayley Morris: And then, you know, when it all blew up, I was like, this is why. Yeah. But yeah, I think it's just acting on the ideas you have and not being afraid to put yourself out there. 'cause I think putting yourself out there, you get such a reward from it. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: Yeah, just don't be afraid to do it. And it really doesn't matter what anyone is saying about you, just.

Hayley Morris: Do it 'cause you enjoy it. 

Justin Crosby: Banish that imposter syndrome. Exactly right. Exactly. And now it's time for Story of the Week where my guests get to highlight the content industry new story that's caught their eye. In the past seven days. Hailey, what's his story of the week? 

Hayley Morris: I think it's that YouTube is starting very slowly to roll out their episodic feature.

Hayley Morris: So I think so I dunno if the US have it, but the UK are gonna start having it. Yeah. Where you can do episodic context. So it's like series one, episode one. Episode two. So it will look like Netflix. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: Which is really cool. Like I find that. So exciting. Especially that's a big battle coming 

Justin Crosby: up, right?

Justin Crosby: Netflix and YouTube. Yeah, I think it's it's already started you going. Yeah. Yeah. Now it's, well, there's so much happening on YouTube at the moment. Obviously we've seen it's now become recognized as the biggest. Biggest channel on TV around the world, or certainly in the States, and certainly in, in the UK as well.

Justin Crosby: Much bigger than Netflix in its own right. I mean and, and there's starting to roll out automatic dubbing as well. Yeah. That's, that's starting to happen. I think I've 

Hayley Morris: just had a, a trial of that feature come up on mine. 

Justin Crosby: Right. Which 

Hayley Morris: is cool. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah, I mean, that must. You know, the, the potential for that.

Justin Crosby: Yeah, I mean, all of those markets outside English speaking markets, I mean, actually that's interesting. Your followers, are they generally UK based or is, or is it us It's your biggest audience. 

Hayley Morris: It's US' biggest, then it's uk and then depending on the platform, Germany is quite high on, I think Instagram and TikTok.

Hayley Morris: India's very high on YouTube. I think, who else have I got? Turkey on Instagram. So yeah, it, it, I think it, it is kind of that kind of 5% here, 10% here Yeah. Of, of, you know, countries that English isn't their first language. So it's really exciting Yeah. To think that they can have that dubbed in, in their, their own language and Yeah.

Hayley Morris: Yeah. 

Justin Crosby: Well that's really cool. Who knows what, where that will take you, right. When that, when that happens. So about Hero of the Week. Mm-hmm. Have you got Hero of the Week? You can share with us? 

Hayley Morris: Hero of the week. So this is a creator or anyone could 

Justin Crosby: be anybody who's done something amazing that's worth worthy of a shout out.

Hayley Morris: I think probably Cassie Wilson. She is a talker and she is just one of the most authentic, real people I've ever come across on TikTok. And she really stands up for people's rights and I just find her one of the most inspiring people. I think, yeah, Cassie Wilson. She's brilliant. Cassie Wilson.

Hayley Morris: Really back winter. Yeah. 

Justin Crosby: Alright, fantastic. And then who or what you're telling to get in the bin? 

Hayley Morris: Comments on social media. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. 

Hayley Morris: Yeah. They're really, it's you open a, a video of a, a dog and everyone is just angry. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. It's just a 

Hayley Morris: dog. 

Justin Crosby: Yeah. Now it's like, is it ai? Yeah. Is it not ai? Right. It's a 

Hayley Morris: really weird experience out there right now, but yeah, I think comments get in the bin unless they're nice.

Hayley Morris: We want support. 

Justin Crosby: Okay. Yeah. Okay. Negative comments. Yeah. They can get, get in 

Justin Crosby: the bin. In the bin. 

Justin Crosby: Fantastic. Hailey, thank you so much for coming on time. Ka it's been brilliant to meet you and best of luck with everything and, and I'm sure we're gonna be seeing you not only more of you on social channels but also on TV as well and the very soon.

Justin Crosby: So all the best with everything. 

Hayley Morris: Thank you so much.

Justin Crosby: Well, that's about it for this week's show. TellyCast was produced by Spirit Studios and recorded in London. We'll be back with another show next week. Until then, stay safe.