Biography
Who is WillNE?
Early life and education
William Jonathan Lenney was born on March 11, 1996, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. He spent his childhood growing up in the town of Monkseaton, located in Whitley Bay. As a young teenager, he began filming videos as a hobby at the age of 14.
He attended and graduated from Whitley Bay High School. Later, he enrolled at Loughborough University to study automotive engineering. He found the coursework difficult and disliked his studies, eventually deciding to leave university to pursue content creation as a full-time career.
Rise to YouTube fame
WillNE uploaded his first YouTube video in April 2012. He initially focused on gaming content before shifting his channel toward commentary and comedic analysis of online trends. During his first year at university, he balanced his studies with filming videos, reaching 15,000 subscribers by the end of that year.
His career gained significant momentum during the summer after his first year of university. He released a video documenting Blackpool Grime Media, a grime music group featuring child rappers, which went viral. This success helped his channel reach over 250,000 subscribers by the end of that summer. Following this growth, he dropped out of university in September to dedicate himself entirely to video production.
Projects and business ventures
In November 2018, he executed a media campaign to trick UK tabloid companies into believing he would appear on the reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Several publications, including Metro and OK! Magazine, printed reports about the fake rumors before the actual cast was revealed.
In 2024, he became a co-owner of Quadrant Esports, which is a content creation and apparel brand started by Lando Norris. By May 2025, he co-founded the iced coffee company Rodd's with James Marriott. The product launched in 300 Sainsbury's stores in the United Kingdom and quickly expanded its distribution to include Morrisons, Ocado, and various convenience store locations. The brand reported over £3 million in retail sales during its first year.
Football and personal life
He frequently engages in football-related events and charity matches. Since 2017, he has played for the Youtube Allstars in the annual Sidemen Charity Matches, scoring goals in both the 2022 and 2026 events. Also, he participated in a 2021 five-a-side tournament organized by TrueGeordie that raised over £100,000 for the Alan Shearer Foundation.
Regarding his health, he has reflex anoxic seizures. These seizures are triggered by the sight or discussion of gore. He experiences these episodes in enclosed spaces where he cannot easily exit, such as movie theaters or classrooms, rather than in places where he feels comfortable. He currently resides in London.
Birthday and age
WillNE was born on March 11, 1996, which makes WillNE 30 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. WillNE shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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