Every month we put one of our kid reviewers in the spotlight to find out all about them and how they became an influencer. This month it is Amigo James’ turn! Amigo James has been affiliated with us for a few years now so it is our pleasure to introduce him as our very first influencer in the spotlight!
How long have you been an influencer?
I have been an influencer for as long as I can remember. I started making my own YouTube videos in my bedroom when I was four years old. I thought I had a YouTube channel but my parents weren’t posting them anywhere. Then when I was about five, my dad decided to post a few of my videos. For the next few years, we just bought toys here and there and made videos. It wasn’t until 2019 that I started making regular videos and really starting “trying” to do YouTube.
What kind of influencer are you?
I am a Youtuber. I have two channels. One toy channel and we have just repurposed my larger channel and I’m pretty sure I’m going to use it as a gaming channel. I can’t decide if I want to do a lifestyle/ prank channel or a gaming channel. I also have an Instagram that I am working on now that I’m getting a bit older. We also have a family TikTok called AmigoFamHQ.
What platforms do you share your content on?
Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok
What is the best thing about being an influencer?
Being an influencer is super fun! I get loads of toys sent to me and I get to make videos with them. I have also been invited to so many cool events and I get to travel to London a lot for events and other things for YouTube. I’ve made so many friends over the past few years. Some of my best friends are other influencers. I also have been given so many amazing opportunities!
What is the hardest part about being an influencer?
I think the hardest part about being an influencer is the obvious part. You are putting yourself out there, and people can be really mean sometimes. It’s like that scene in Wreck it Ralph 2 when he walks into the comment room and sees all of the bad comments about himself. My parents have always been really good about protecting me from that kind of stuff. I never see or read the comments on any of my social media, before my parents, because they manage them. I have creative control of my socials, but my parents are the ones who do all the public stuff. I think it’s a really smart way of doing things and it is really wise for parents to be involved in what their kids are doing online. I have a really strong personality and don’t really care much about others opinions but no one needs to be seeing or reading things that could hurt their self esteem.
What do you wish people knew about being an influencer?
First of all, that we are normal people too. Secondly, that its really hard work! Like REALLY HARD!
What is the best opportunity you have had from being an influencer?
The most amazing opportunity I have been given was being invited into Disney headquarters for a casting meeting! It was all a bit crazy! It was in the beginning when I first started talking YouTube seriously. I met Viral Talent (a social media management company) at the London Toy Fair for the very first time and we just hit it off. A few weeks later they were offering to sign me and had me go to Disney for a casting meeting. It was so cool! I got to talk with their casting team and then they showed me around the Disney Headquarters, which was amazing! So who knows, maybe one day you will see me in a movie or on your TV.
Who is the coolest person you have met because of your channel?
Believe it or not, it’s other Youtubers, not a famous celebrity. Some of my best friends are other Youtubers that live in different countries. We love to game together and we love all getting together at events like Toy Fair.
What is your favourite video you have ever made?
Thats a really hard question! I actually have few favourite videos. One time I got to go to London to do a shopping haul for school supplies at Smiggle. Another time a Mega Magazine sponsored me to convert my bedroom into a gaming room. When the Detective Pikachu movie was coming out, I was asked to create a Detective Pikachu video to promote the Detective Pikachu plush. I’m a huge Pokémon fan so I was super excited. We invented a story about missing Pokémon and filmed all over the city as I hunted for them with Detective Pikachu. Another favourite was a SuperThings Mega Haul. I literally was sent boxes and boxes and boxes of the new SuperThings collection. I seriously love toys and I love collecting things so I love nearly every video. I also got to do the worldwide release of the Warbat toy for Godzilla vs. Kong. My video was the first time anyone in the world had seen the toy so it was pretty cool to see the internet go crazy over my video.
What was the hardest video to make?
All of the videos can be hard to make because you want to make sure you’re having fun, but also the toy companies will often times have specific things they want included in the video too. I was a part of the launch of Gormiti and the job was to promote the toys and the cartoon. They had specific lines that they wanted in the video so it was more like a TV ad so I found that one really hard. Also, I was a part of the team that was introducing the imoo Watch to Ireland and the UK. The watch itself was really cool, but the video was really hard. My dad and I had to redo it so many times because I wasn’t happy with the way the video looked. It was a contract for two videos, so the second one was super easy and fun because we learned from our mistakes on the first one.
What is the best thing you have ever been gifted?
Again that’s a really hard question! I love Treasure X and Goo Jit Zu so those are always cool videos. I also love getting gifted Pokémon items. The imoo watch is amazing. My gaming room is deadly! I love them all! Maybe if I had to choose one I would say SuperThings. They are really hard to come by in Ireland so I love getting them.
What is the best thing you have ever been gifted?
Again that’s a really hard question! I love Treasure X and Goo Jit Zu so those are always cool videos. I also love getting gifted Pokémon items. The imoo watch is amazing. My gaming room is deadly! I love them all! Maybe if I had to choose one I would say SuperThings. They are really hard to come by in Ireland so I love getting them.
Who is your favourite influencer and why?
Along with 25.2 million other people, DanTDM. But I also really like SquirrelStampede, Unspeakable and Adam B. I think I tend to like influencers who are fun and funny. I don’t really like channels that make fun of other people, or bully. I just like videos by people who seem real and authentic. I’d love to meet DanTDM one day!
What do you do with all the toys?
Thats a question that I think most kid influencers get asked a lot. The truth is that we do receive a lot of toys. I often keep toys that I don’t have or that are part of a collection. But I give loads away. It’s really fun to be able to give your friends really nice toys! We also have donated some to an adolescent counselling centre to use with play therapy and I give a lot to a local church. Pretty much anytime someone comes to our house, they leave with something.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
My Youtube channels are both called Amigo James at the moment. We are going to rebrand my toy channel because my little brother has started making videos too. But on YouTube, if you search Amigo James you will find me. On Instagram I am @amigojames, on TikTok, there is an @amigojames, but we only post on @amigofamhq. On Facebook and Twitter, it is @theamigojames