‘Someone just spent £1,700,’ squealed influencer P. Louise on a TikTok livestream last week.
Ever the savvy businesswoman, the Cheshire-based social media star-turned-beauty-CEO was midway through hosting a digital auction, with online bidders hoping to win a year-long supply of her make-up – including £5 eyeshadows, £5 foundation and £2 lip oils.
But that winning bid of £1,700, paid by a super-fan, was a drop in the ocean for the influencer – real name Paige Williams – who’s now thought to be worth £100million.
And it is these transactional exchanges with her loyal fans that have seen P. Louise, 32, attracting increasing scrutiny from her online followers.
Her eponymous beauty brand has only recently been granted access to TikTok’s controversial ‘live auction’ feature, which allows viewers to bid, in real time, on products and experiences – and Williams has certainly been making the most of the opportunity.
Her devoted fanbase have, in recent months, been paying eye-watering sums of money for items that, many argue, are worth a fraction of the price.
And today, I can reveal, there are members of P. Louise’s fandom who claim to be putting themselves into debt in order to win her products.
Or, indeed, to meet her in the flesh. In one recent stream, £200 worth of store credit, bundled with a meet-and-greet with Williams, sold for £1,000.
P. Louise’s TikTok auctions have been described as a ‘cash grab’ by one source
P. Louise during a TikTok auction, in which users can bid for items in the hope of winning prizes
In another, a fan spent £870 on the chance to attend a store opening (alongside additional products).
To put that figure into context, when Louis Tomlinson – a member of the biggest boyband in the world at the time, One Direction – offered meet and greets with his fans in 2014, it cost just £500 – to raise money for his local football team, Doncaster Rovers.
A source said: ‘It’s such a cash grab and it’s disgusting. The practices of the brand P. Louise, and how they cultivate a cult-like following among their customers, especially those influenced by current popular trends on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, are worrying.
‘Their business model is to just sell sell sell, there’s no care about the people.’
One viewer, posting under the username @natalietifftaylor, claims to have spent 14 hours glued to a livestream after being told by the brand that whoever watched for the longest would be rewarded. She walked away empty-handed. The prizes, she said, went instead to the top ‘gifters’ – users who send money to the creator during the stream.
While auctions are, by design, about outbidding others, TikTok’s ecosystem adds another layer with this ‘gifting’ element. Viewers are not just bidding on items, they are often spending money simply to be noticed, to climb a leaderboard, or to increase their chances of winning favour.
Comment sections beneath clips of the auctions posted on social media are filled with concern.
Some users have likened the mechanics of it to gambling. ‘Purchasing to be entered to win something is gambling,’ one wrote. ‘They are essentially doing live gambling streams.’
Which is even more concerning when the demographics of P. Louise’s fanbase are considered. The brand has built a formidable following among teenage girls and young women, who are particularly susceptible to influencer-driven trends and social pressure.
Critics argue that the brand’s marketing strategy relies on a sense of urgency, exclusivity and emotional connection that encourages fans to spend beyond their means.
‘I’ve racked up a huge credit card bill,’ one commenter admitted on TikTok, attributing the debt to repeated purchases from the brand.
Even within the influencer community, there is unease.
Make-up artist and content creator Robert Welsh did not mince his words, describing the approach as ‘unhinged’ and ‘predatory’. He was quick to clarify that he understands the mechanics of marketing, but argued that this goes beyond savvy salesmanship.
‘A TikTok auction should be fun,’ he said. ‘There are kids on the app. But somehow this ends up with fans spending rent money for a chance to meet P. Louise.’
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, there are further questions about transparency.
Despite the brand presenting its livestreams as originating from its glossy ‘P. Louise Empire’ headquarters in Stockport, I can also reveal they are in fact hosted from THG Studios in Altrincham – a professional production facility used by major media names such as ex-footballer Gary Neville.
The scale of the operation is now undeniable. In September 2025, P. Louise broke TikTok UK records, generating more than £2million in just 14 hours during a live shopping event. The brand now sits at the top of TikTok Shop rankings across multiple categories.
And that is precisely why the scrutiny matters.
What P. Louise is doing could easily become the norm. It’s not about whether it works any more. It clearly does. The real question is, what’s the cost of it all, and who’s actually footing the bill?
ITV bosses keen to expand Love Island podcast
I’m told ITV bosses are looking at plans to extend the official Love Island podcast beyond the show’s on-screen run, in a bid to reclaim a slice of the enthusiastic post-show conversations between its fans.
In the past, former Islanders make their rounds on independent podcasts, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and candid takes on relationships, fame and life after the villa, content that draws huge audiences.
My insider said: ‘These podcasts take all the talent and stories, and ITV are looking at how they can profit from that.’
An extended official podcast would keep fans engaged within ITV’s own ecosystem, offering exclusive insights while maintaining control of the narrative. And the timing feels notable. With the former hosts of spin-off show After Sun, Indiyah Polack and Amy Hart stepping down yesterday, ITV has an opportunity to rethink how it sustains the Love Island conversation.
Molly-Mae and Adidas are a hit
Molly-Mae wearing the matcha green Adidas Sambas, part of her sold-out collaboration with Adidas
Molly-Mae Hague’s Adidas collection sold out in under 60 seconds, and sources say there could already be room for a second drop. But the resale market has wasted no time catching up. I’ve spotted both the matcha Adidas Sambas and coffee Adidas Superstars popping up on second-hand site Vinted for nearly double the price. Originally retailing at £100, some pairs are now listed closer to £190 and above.
UP
Dami Hope on the We Need To Talk podcast
Former Love Islander Dami Hope has given his first sit-down interview with Paul Brunson on the We Need To Talk podcast and it’s well worth a listen. Opening up about his journey, including his relationship with Indiyah Polack – which came to a bitter end after she cheated – he comes across as refreshingly raw and self-aware. It’s not always easy to be that candid in public, but in my view, he handles it with real maturity. Note how he doesn’t speak negatively about her once.
DOWN
My down this week is London TikTokker Antonia Higham. While openness on social media is often a positive for influencers, her decision to document a facelift at 28 raises troubling questions. Since the end of March, she’s posted around 60 videos about the procedure, which took place in Istanbul. In one clip, she says: ’This is something I have wanted forever… I just want that youthful, lifted, fresh look.’ The sheer volume of content, and the message behind it, has sparked concern among viewers. As one commenter put it: ‘This made me ridiculously sad, the doctor who said yes to this [procedure] needs reporting.’
Victoria Beckham has partnered with Gap on a spring collection but skipped the usual influencer rollout. Instead, she’s kept it in the family. Jackie Apostel, DJ and model and girlfriend of her youngest son Cruz, has promoted the pieces on Instagram, calling them ‘absolutely iconic’. She, of course, was also papped yesterday while out in NYC wearing the new items. It follows my reports that Victoria helped launch Jackie’s career. The strategy seems to be working, with Jackie also landing a collaboration with luxury outdoor brand Barbour.
Jackie Apostel wearing a hoodie from the Gap and Victoria Beckham collection
A new Japanese restaurant, Mitsu, opens in Shoreditch this week, controversially taking over a former Nobu site. The 240-seater venue launches with a 300-guest influencer party this Thursday. I am expecting every TikTok foodie to be in attendance.
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