Highlights
- Paid subscriptions to UK-based creators on Substack have crossed 500,000
- High-profile British names including Charli XCX and Jamie Oliver are expanding their presence on the platform
- Substack says audiences are increasingly seeking direct and long-form connections with creators
Substack’s UK growth reflects a wider shift in online audiences
Substack’s British creator economy has reached a new milestone, with paid subscriptions to UK-based publishers and writers now surpassing half a million.
The figures, shared exclusively with The Hollywood Reporter, underline how the platform has evolved far beyond its early identity as a newsletter service. Substack is increasingly positioning itself as a broader home for writing, podcasts, video and audience communities, giving creators more direct control over how they reach readers.
The UK has become Substack’s second-largest market after the United States, with British creators across entertainment, food, politics, culture and media continuing to build paying audiences on the platform.
Among the most recognisable names currently using Substack are singer-songwriter Charli XCX, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who joined the platform in late 2025.
Long-form writing is attracting creators beyond traditional media
Part of Substack’s appeal lies in the freedom it offers creators to move beyond the limits of traditional publishing and social media formats.
Charli XCX, for instance, recently used the platform to write in detail about developing the soundtrack for Wuthering Heights, while Lena Dunham incorporated Substack into the launch of her book Famesick.
Singer Lizzo also used the platform to discuss her public controversies at length, while Oliver described Substack as a space where he could explore ideas and subjects that would never fit into television programming.
The UK’s strongest-performing Substack creators currently include London Centric, Philippa Perry, Vittles, Ottolenghi, Comment is Freed and Exponential View. Media and screen industry publications such as The Media Club, The Indie Hustle, Film London and Business of TV have also recently established a presence there.
Globally, readers are now paying for more than five million subscriptions across the platform, covering subjects ranging from film and finance to food, fashion and politics.
A platform increasingly built around direct relationships
Farrah Storr, Substack’s head of international and former editor-in-chief of ELLE UK and Cosmopolitan, said the latest figures reflect changing audience habits online.
According to Storr, readers are becoming more selective about the voices they trust and increasingly value direct relationships with creators rather than algorithm-driven content feeds.
The company has also continued expanding internationally. Substack recently revealed that one in three publishers on the platform are now based outside the US, while new translation tools are being introduced to support further global growth.
The platform is also preparing to complete nine new international hires across regions including France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Australia and Brazil.
As more writers, public figures and entertainers look for greater ownership over their audiences, Substack’s growth in Britain suggests long-form digital publishing is entering a new phase — one driven less by viral reach and more by loyal communities willing to pay for a direct connection.
