Glam beauty vlogger and YouTube sensation Fleur Bell opens up about her trip to Tanzania with Davina McCall for Comic Relief
GLAMOROUS Fleur Bell has made a living out of being beautiful.
After launching her own beauty blog in 2009, the 27-year-old – known to millions as Fleur de Force – is one of the most recognised vloggers in the world.
And she is now set to gain a new audience, after being singled out as the new face of Comic Relief’s fight against malaria in Africa.
Fleur, who has racked up a massive 155million views on YouTube alone, was joined by Davina McCall on her first trip to Tanzania with the charity last year.
The pair developed a close bond as Davina showed Fleur the ropes.
And Fleur told how she ended up literally stepping into the TV star’s shoes – after her suitcase vanished, leaving her with no clothes or shoes to wear.
She told the Sun on Sunday: “Davina was like a mum to me in Tanzania, she just wants to look after you. That was what I got from her.
“When we arrived my luggage had been lost, and it never reappeared. I physically had no make-up, and no clothes to wear.
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“But Davina was like: ‘I have spares, you can wear my clothes!’ I wore her clothes for the whole trip, so right from the first day she helped me a lot.
“Otherwise I’d have been shopping in rural Tanzanian boutiques. She also brought along calming herbal teas for me in case I got nervous or upset.
“She was always there. And seeing her in action with the people we met was great.
“I’m quite a shy person, so just seeing the way she is with people taught me a lot in terms of me learning the Comic Relief ropes. She’s amazing.
“It was really nerve-wracking doing my first piece to camera with her, because she’s such an absolute pro. But thankfully I didn’t mess it up.
“When we nailed it on the first take, I was like: ‘Yes!’ I felt like doing a little dance.”
Fleur’s charity trip to Tanzania, in December last year, was worlds away from her glamorous day job as a beauty and fashion vlogger.
The blonde, who was recently seen comparing notes with Kendall Jenner, has won millions of fans with her video tips on lifestyle, fashion and beauty.
This year alone has seen her jet to Coachella, Cape Town, South Africa and New York, posting glossy shots and clips of her travels at each step of the way.
But Fleur, a former Geography student at London School of Economics, wasn’t always so confident about her videos.
And she admits that she kept her first efforts a secret – even from her parents.
She said: “When I started, this was just fun. I was at university and I was probably going into marketing. I was planning a completely different career.
“For the first few weeks I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even tell my parents.
“But then things took off and flipped me 180 degrees a different direction. Now even my mum has her own Instagram account, called Mum De Force.
“There have been so many moments where I have been like: ‘Pinch me.’
“I’ve just collaborated on a lipstick with MAC, which is mental, because people like Rihanna and Lady Gaga have done the same in the past.
“If I could have told myself at the beginning that I’d be doing that, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
She added: “I think what’s great about blogging and YouTube is that the girls on it are real girls, we’re not models and we’re not make-up artists.
“I’m not the kind of girl who always has to be wearing make-up, and in my daily blogs I don’t wear much because I’m showing my real life.
“I think that’s part of the appeal for people watching.”
As Fleur’s star began to rise, after just months of posting videos she abandoned her plans to go into marketing and became a professional vlogger.
And as success beckoned offline, the former student, who lives with husband Mike and their three dogs in Northamptonshire, also went on to pen two books.
She now also runs a bridal blog with her sister Hannah.
But beauty and fashion aside, Fleur told how she is delighted to have the chance to use her fan base to raise awareness for Comic Relief.
In 2015, the charity teamed up with health company GSK so they are better able to fight malaria.
And Fleur and Davina’s trip was arranged through the partnership.
Speaking ahead of World Malaria Day on Tuesday, Fleur said: “I grew up watching Comic Relief, and seeing the amazing work they do over the years.
“My husband and I travelled to Zambia a few years ago with them, and it was really positive trip.
“So when they got in touch last year and asked me to get involved again, I was really flattered to be asked. I can’t imagine anyone turning that down.
“It’s also not the sort of thing I usually talk about to people.
“Lots of what I talk about is beauty and fashion, which I love, but it is very top line. I don’t get deep very often, and yet this is something I care about.
“When I started posting pictures and videos afterwards, it was amazing to see people saying that they were moved, and had decided to donate.
“Quite a few also said it opened their eyes because they didn’t know malaria was still a problem. A lot of people forget there is a still a long way to go.”
Deaths from malaria have dropped by a massive 60 per cent since 2000. But despite this progress, a child still dies from the disease every two minutes.
And Fleur, who admits she was shocked by the statistic, begged people to continue supporting the cause.
She said: “It is shocking that despite the improvements, malaria is still killing so many children.
“While we were in Tanzania, I met a group of women who are travelling around to try and raise awareness amongst their communities.
“There were eight or nine of them, and they were all in their 20's.
“But when one of our group asked them how many of them had lost a child to malaria, they looked at her as if she was being ridiculous.
“One replied: ‘All of us, of course.’ We are lucky enough to live in a country where if you lose a child it is the most tragic thing that could happen to you.
“What is unimaginable for us is for them just an ordinary fact of life. And the most heart-breaking thing is that these deaths can be prevented.
“That’s why it’s so important that - although huge strides have been taken - there still needs to be a final push to get rid of the malaria risk for good.”
Fleur de Force is working with Comic Relief and GSK to raise awareness of World Malaria Day, 25th April. For more information visit , @fleurdeforce