Vlogger couple announces split to 9 million followers

Philadelphia: A couple who have been sharing their lives with their millions of followers every day on YouTube for nearly seven years have announced they are parting ways in an emotional break-up video.

Jesse Wellens and Jeana Smith, both 33, whose channel BFvsGF was founded in 2009 and has accumulated nearly nine million subscribers, announced their split in a ten-minute video. 

The former couple from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - who are known for their usually upbeat blogs featuring pranks, challenges and sharing details of their personal lives - said as they announced their split to their fans that it felt like they were 'telling a bunch of kids that their parents are getting divorced'.

In the video, entitled A New Chapter, the pair struggle to hold back their tears and emotion as they attempt to explain their decision. So far it has been watched more than 4.5 million times. 

Jesse says they are going to 'take a break' from blogging and their relationship and announced that he is planning to move to New York City and that Jeana will remain in Philadelphia.

He says daily blogging may look like 'fun and games' but that it put pressure on the couple and that it became 'toxic' for their relationship.

'Long story short, Jeana and I, this is like telling a bunch of kids that their parents are getting divorced basically, but Jeana and I are going to take a break from vlogging, we're going to take a break from each other,' he says in the video.

'I'm going to move to New York City, Jeana is going to stay here and we're just going to take some time off. ..It sucks, it sucks to me because I know a lot you guys are going to be super disappointed.'

With his head in his hands, he says sharing their lives every day for nearly seven years with millions online is 'not healthy' and had become a 'burden' on their relationship. 

He says: 'It sucks and I know a lot of you guys are going to be mad at us but at this point I don't care, I just need to be sane...I'd rather make bigger production stuff that isn't so much about my personal life. It's not healthy.'

Jeana says people think their lives are 'perfect' but that they have encountered problems that they have not included in their videos.

Fighting back tears, she says: 'I feel very lost and this is absolutely difficult, sad and upsetting time in my life and it's difficult to be in the public eye and have everybody with an opinion, everybody judges us and our relationship and I don't take things personally but I guess when things keep happening, like Jesse's saying it kind of would form your thoughts...

'Make us make decisions based on how to keep you guys happy.'

They did not rule out working together again, saying they still want to make videos together but Jesse ruled out daily blogs.

The pair issued a warning to any couples who might be considering daily video blogging together saying: 'Don't make daily videos'. They also begged their fans not to be 'mad' at them.

Jesse said: 'We're going to take a break for a while from videos. We'll be back. I'll be back soon, she'll be back soon, I don't know what we're going to do but we're not just going to let these channels die.

'I have great love for Jeana, I still want to make cool YouTube videos with her, just not daily vlogs. I still would love to do challenges, do things, but daily vlogging is what we need to chill out on.'

They end the video by declaring their love for each other.

Jeana says: 'I love Jesse so much, I really do and I always will.' Addressing his ex-girlfriend, Jesse said: 'I'll always love you forever.'

The announcement, which came just days after they posted videos from a holiday to Machu Picchu,  Peru, came as a shock to fans who said they could not believe the news. 

'No frickin' way have Jesse and Jeana broken up...I refuse to believe this [sic],' tweeted one fan. Another wrote: 'The biggest couple on YouTube just broke up. I can't believe it.'

They disabled comments on the video saying they did not want to be 'publicly judged' on their relationship any longer.

They added: 'We still love you all and appreciate all the support you have given us through the years and hope that many of you can understand and remain supportive with whatever happens.'

Since the video was posted, Jesse revealed that he is going to New York to find his daughter, who he has never met and was adopted.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Chapter six: Brooklyn...Ok yes I may have a daughter. We never met and its killing me. It's a long and crazy story. I need to get off my chest and find her...

'I feel like if I send this energy out onto the Internet about my daughter I might actually be able to find her. She was adopted. Family in NYC [sic]'.