| “ | Childish. | ” |
―TGFbro's Hoodie Logo | ||
| “ | Taking all seriousness from life and replacing it with cake. | ” |
―TGFbro's original slogan. | ||
TGFbro or just TGF (which stands for The Ground Floor) are a duo of English YouTubers best known for their videos depicting challenges, stunts, pranks and paranormal investigations, usually including risky challenges. Originally consisting of just Jay Swingler and Romell Henry, the channel has since featured appearances from their friends Luke Spittle, Phelan McCormack, Axel, Louis and Jay Dimmock, who have all become official members. They are also known for their surreal brand of humour, which relies on unusual statements and outlandish situations to create comedy, and this has largely played a role in their outstanding success as a channel. The channel has also made additional revenue from sales of clothing, some of which has become surprisingly collectable and commands high prices from resellers.
TGFbro are known for their extreme videos, some of which have gained attention from news media. Notably, a video called 'I cemented my head in a microwave and emergency services came.. (nearly died)' which involved Jay cementing his head into a microwave and getting stuck while being unable to breathe. Another video, called 'Extreme Driving Test With TGF (CAR FLIPPED)' would result in Jay and Romell being summoned to court for reckless driving. The latter video has since been taken down by TGF themselves, however reuploads exist online. The video also led to the TGFbro channel becoming inactive from 2022 onwards, after the release of the channel's last video "How The Police Ended TGFbro". The main channel has been on hiatus since this video, but Jay and Romell have continued making content on their solo channels (some videos featuring the two of them), and have returned to making content together on their second channel MoreTGF, and have hinted at the main channel returning at some point in 2025.
History[]
Backstory[]
Jamie Michael "Jay" Swingler (born: March 17, 1995) and Romell Claudius Henry (born: February 8, 1995) were raised in the town of Dudley in the West Midlands; just outside of Birmingham, England. Jay being born at Wordsley hospital in West Midlands, and Romell being born in Lisbon, Portugal, before later settling down in Birmingham, where he would soon meet Jay and Luke at school.
YouTube Career[]
Before the creation of the TGFbro channel, Jay and Romell uploaded on a channel called TGF Madness. The channel was deleted later and the main TGFbro channel was created alongside a second channel, MoreTGF. When TGF was created, Jay and Romell were also accompanied by another guy named Brad.[1] Jay and Romell are also known for their surreal brand of humour, which relies on unusual statements and outlandish situations to create comedy, and this has largely played a role in their outstanding success as a channel. The channel has also made additional revenue from sales of clothing, some of which has become surprisingly collectable and commands high prices from resellers.
On the TGFbro channel, Jay and Romell (also joined by Luke Spittle, Phelan McCormack, Axel, Louis and Jay Dimmock later on) usually recorded and upload videos depicting challenges, stunts and pranks. Most of these usually result in pain and vomiting due to the aspects that they eat and take part in. They usually record their videos locally in Dudley, Halesowen, Oldbury and Birmingham whilst also visiting other places such as Leeds, London (Thailand as they referred to it as), Los Angeles, New York and Japan.
Their channel had over 5.3 million subscribers and 1 billion views. One of their most popular series was the annual "Christmas Calendar", which consisted of 12 to 24 videos for every day of December, usually including risky challenges. This series ran from 2017 to 2020. No Christmas Calendar was made in 2021.
During April 2020, TGF ran a small series titled "TGF on Lockdown" featuring Jay, Romell, Luke, Phelan, Dimmock, Louis, Jake, James and Jay's pet dog Gatsby. The series was a brief collection of videos styled as a TV show akin to The Office, where supposed segments of their lives play with sections of them talking to the camera as if they were being interviewed occasionally.
Channel hacking, controversies and hiatus[]
On July 9, 2022, the channel was hacked and taken over. The channel name was changed to "MicroStrategy [US]", and livestreams about cryptocurrency speeches from MicroStrategy Chairman, President and CEO Michael Saylor were being uploaded to the channel. The channel was then shut down and terminated completely on July 11. The same day, Romell stated in a reply to a user on Twitter that they knew about the situation, and were trying to get it back. On July 14, Jay and Romell got the channel back.
TGFbro are known for their extreme videos, some of which have gained attention from news media. Notably, a video called 'I cemented my head in a microwave and emergency services came.. (nearly died)' which involved Jay cementing his head into a microwave and getting stuck while being unable to breathe. Another video, called 'Extreme Driving Test With TGF (CAR FLIPPED)' would result in Jay and Romell being summoned to court for reckless driving. The latter video has since been taken down by TGF themselves, however reuploads exist online. The video also led to the TGFbro channel becoming inactive from 2022 onwards, after the release of the channel's last video "How The Police Ended TGFbro". The main channel has been on hiatus since this video, but Jay and Romell have continued making content on their solo channels (some videos featuring the two of them).
In January 2024, Jay made a post on his subreddit, "r/jayswingler", stating:
"Sorry to disappoint you, but i don’t think TGF will return. It became too hard to sustain. From a legal standpoint, it was just getting out of hand and life was becoming unbearable with all the trouble we dealt with over the years, not to mention the mental health issues, the broken bones, the cuts, the bruises and the pain. Sometimes you have to weigh up what’s worth doing in life and sadly TGF became something that eventually wasn’t worth the trauma. For a lot of people watching, it’s just a video that you press play on, watch it and forget about it after it’s finished, but for us it was weeks of work went into those videos, a lot of pain, a lot of trouble and multiple visits from the police. Sorry to disappoint, but i’ve always gone through life and done what i thinks best, my life isn’t dictated by 3rd party opinions and desires. That’s not how anyone should live. i love you all, and will forever be grateful of what we all built together with that channel - but now, it’s time for me to show you that i’m one of the best content creators on the platform and i can’t wait to show you all what I’m going to pull of on my own solo journey."[2]
Romell later also confirmed this in July 2024 on his new podcast "Vocal Pickups". However, in 2025 Jay and Romell returned to making content together on their second channel MoreTGF, and have hinted at the main channel returning at some point in 2025.
The TGF Store[]
The official merchandise website of TGFbro, which Jay and Romell use to sell various products, such as childish hoodies and the TGF Do It Cards. This website is frequently advertised in their videos. All of the merchandise released on The TGF Store is limited edition, meaning that once any items are sold out, fans who don't order in time are unable to purchase them. As a result of this, the childish hoodies usually sell out quickly.
Members[]
Members of TGFbro stood in front of the Childish Ice Cream Van
Originally consisting of just Jay and Romell, the channel has since featured appearances from their friends such as Luke Spittle, Phelan McCormack, Axel, Louis and Jay Dimmock later on, who have all become official members. Jay's girlfriend, Chloe Constance, has also frequently appeared during TGFbro videos.
Since the TGFbro channel went on hiatus in 2022, Jay and Romell have remained active through their solo channels, and have occasionally collaborated together.
Jay Swingler[]
Main article: Jay Swingler
Jay Swingler is an English YouTuber and the co-founder of TGFbro. He co-created the channel TGFbro with Romell. Jay was the main instigator of extreme stunts and pranks, known for his eccentric ideas, high energy, and willingness to put himself in dangerous or shocking situations for content. He was the chaotic force behind many of the channel's most notorious viral videos.
Jay was the driving creative force, constantly coming up with outlandish and often dangerous concepts for videos. He embraced the channel's "childish" and surreal brand of humor. He frequently put his own body on the line for views, which resulted in numerous injuries over the years. In 2024, he revealed that his time with TGFbro led to dozens of concussions and sprained ankles, along with pain and mental health issues.
On November 7, 2013, Jay created his own YouTube channel. He began using his solo channel more regularly after the TGFbro channel went on hiatus in 2022, occasionally collaborating with Romell on each-others channels. The main difference between Jay's solo content and his TGFbro content is a shift from extreme, risky, and surreal stunts to more mature, grounded, and long-form storytelling, explaining this was because he needed to change his life for his own mental and physical wellbeing. Jay also created a second solo channel themed around Pokémon cards.
In 2022, Jay made his professional debut as a boxer, and has won two matches thus far.
Romell Henry[]
Main article: Romell Henry
Romell Henry is a Portuguese-English YouTuber and the co-founder of TGFbro. He co-created the channel TGFbro with Jay. He was the quieter, more reactive partner in the duo, famous for enduring Jay's often-dangerous and surreal pranks and challenges.
On May 31, 2016, Romell created his own YouTube channel. He began using his solo channel more regularly after the TGFbro channel went on hiatus in 2022, occasionally collaborating with Jay on each-others channels. His solo content is a departure from the high-risk, immature pranks of TGFbro, shifting to more personal vlogs, podcasts, and entrepreneurial projects. Romell explained in 2024 that the TGFbro era was unsustainable for his physical and mental health and that the on-screen persona was an exaggerated version of himself.
In 2024, Romell launched his own podcast, Vocal Pickups, which focuses on telling personal stories and having deeper conversations with guests.
Phelan McCormack[]
Phelan McCormack is an English YouTuber and a member of TGFbro. He appeared frequently in older videos and the early solo videos of Jay and Romell, but has only appeared rarely since. In 2020, he became the main cameraman for TGFbro, and began appearing less frequently on-camera. He perviously had a solo channel with several videos that featured Jay and Romell which Phelan later deleted, although all his videos had been archived by TGFbro fans prior to this and subsequently reuploaded.
Luke Spittle[]
Main article: OiiLuke
Luke Spittle is an English YouTuber, a Twitch streamer and a former member of TGFbro. He is often considered by many fans to be the funniest person who frequently appears in TGFbro uploads, with quotes like "Bro your house is drowned what do you mean?" being fan favourites. One of Luke's main running gags on his channel and on TGFbro is his hairline. In nearly every video he appears in on the TGFbro channel and almost every upload on his channel, his hairline is mocked by either himself or another person at some point (usually by being called a dead trim).
In earlier TGFbro uploads, another gag included Luke accidentally roasting himself frequently (described by Jay as "victimising himself"). For a brief period, nearly every video created on the TGFbro channel, or Jay's personal channel would make a reference to Luke's Twitch. This usually came in the form of the phrase "Follow Luke on Twitch". Whenever Luke would attempt an activity such as a sport, he would typically compare himself to a professional at the sport, such as Tiger Woods when playing mini-golf. Occasionally he would then ask the person to @ him on Twitter or ask where they're at, like LeBron James or X Games.
In 2022, it was reported that Luke and Romell were no longer friends due to Luke not siding with Romell after Luke's family accused Romell of doing something he did not do. This makes it highly unlikely for Luke to return in any future TGFbro videos.
Chloe Constance[]
Jay Swingler's girlfriend, Chloe Constance, has frequently appeared during videos on most TGF channels. Chloe also has her own channel.
Jay Dimmock[]
Jay Dimmock is an English music producer and a member of TGFbro. He is the only member of TGFbro to not have his own solo channel.
Axel Grassi-Havnen[]
Main article: Axel Grassi-Havnen
Axel Grassi-Havnen is an actor, model & musician. He was born in London but later moved to Birmingham to live with his Mother & Grandfather, after his parents split at quite a young age. Axel has always been a creative, having learned to play the guitar at just 7 years old. He first collaborated with Jay and Romell in 2017, and became an official member of TGFbro in 2019. He was a contestant on the first season of Squid Game: The Challenge in 2023.
Jake Briggs[]
Jake Briggs is a self-proclaimed "influencer manager" who often worked with TGF. He has worked with TGFbro in videos such as 'Travelling To Every City In The UK To Say The Word 'Childish'' and 'I turned my friends iPhone X into a garlic scented candle...'. He also appeared in the TGF in Lockdown series. He has a LinkedIn page[3].
James Painter[]
James Painter is a member of TGFbro who has occasionally appeared in their videos. He appeared frequently in older videos, but has only appeared rarely since. He is prominent, however, in the TGF in Lockdown series, and other videos like 'I Started A Discord DISS TRACK Server...' and 'Why TGF Shouldn't Play AMONG US'.
Louis Wright[]
Louis Wright is an English YouTuber and TikToker and a member of TGFbro, who became an official member of TGFbro in 2020. He is best recognized for the comedy, lip sync, and rapping videos he posts to his itsyourboylouis TikTok account. His videos have earned him over 550,000 followers on the platform. He has also released music under the name LOU. He launched his TikTok account in June 2018, one of his most popular TikToks being a comedy duet with Addison Rae. His videos have received over 20 million likes on TikTok. His girlfriend is fellow TikTok star Melody Snook.
Roger Jones[]
The newest 'member' of TGFbro, joining in December 2020 during TGFbro's annual Christmas Calendar series. Roger Jones (also known as Roger from Tesco) is a 68-year-old customer service agent who works at Jay and Romell's local Tesco supermarket in Telford, England. He made recurring appearances in TGFbro's videos and was known for his humour matching that of others appearing in the videos, despite being the oldest person to appear.
Rob[]
Rob is a man aged in his 60s who frequently appeared in TGFbro videos beginning in late 2020. According to Jay, he was hired to paint his kitchen before beginning to take part of the TGF videos. He is sometimes referred to as "Susan" by Jay.
Jamie[]
A man named Jamie joined TGFbro in 2021, becoming the second member named Jamie alongside Jay Swingler.
Controversies[]
Cement Microwave incident[]
In December 2017, TGFbro uploaded a video called 'I cemented my head in a microwave and emergency services came.. (nearly died)' which involved Jay cementing his head into a microwave and getting stuck while being unable to breathe.
Following the incident, Swingler was criticised by both the public and the West Midlands Fire Service for "a call-out which might have prevented us from helping someone else in genuine, accidental need".[4] Swingler's initial response to the microwave incident was mixed, combining expressions of shock and gratitude with a more defensive attitude towards the backlash..[5][6][7] In subsequent years, his perspective has shifted toward genuine regret and a greater appreciation for the risks he took.
Immediately following the viral incident, Swingler released a follow-up video and made statements to the media. In a tearful video, he said he had "never appreciated life so much" and pleaded with viewers not to try the stunt themselves. He claimed to have been left "traumatised" by the near-death experience. In the same response video, he addressed critics by arguing that the emergency services were not wasted because he was in "f---ing need" and "would have died without them". He pointed to the viral nature of the video, controversially suggesting that "there is no such thing as bad publicity" and that the attention meant he was "doing something right". He stated that he should be fined for his actions and that he was "more than happy to pay it" by donating money to the emergency services. However, emergency services declined his offer, stating they do not charge for incidents where a life is in genuine danger.
In interviews and on his solo channel after leaving TGFbro, Swingler has reflected on the incident with greater maturity. He has admitted that his original response was influenced by the pressure of YouTube culture and his younger age at the time. He now recognizes the seriousness of his actions and the potential consequences for himself and others. He has acknowledged that his TGFbro persona was damaging to his well-being and that the constant escalation of stunts, like the microwave incident, was unsustainable. This change in perspective was a driving force behind his decision to end the TGFbro channel. Rather than boasting about views, he now uses his platform to genuinely warn against dangerous viral stunts, recognizing the responsibility that comes with having a large online following.
In 2018, the incident was dramatised in the Fox television series 9-1-1.[8]
Extreme Driving incident[]
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In March 2020, Jay and Romell uploaded a video to the TGFbro channel called "Extreme Driving Test With TGF (CAR FLIPPED)", in which the duo, accompanied by Richard Percival, a driving instructor, drive recklessly onto grass embarkments, crash into parked vehicles, and flip their car in the areas of Telford and Wrekin and Staffordshire.[9]
In a statement, West Mercia Police announced that Swingler, Henry and Percival faced prosecution under "Operation Snap".[10] The duo were charged with dangerous driving on 6 March 2020, while Percival was charged with two counts of aiding and abetting dangerous driving.[11] On 15 September 2022, Swingler and Henry pleaded guilty to careless driving and were sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court. Both were fined £1000 each, ordered to pay £95 court costs, and given five penalty points on their driving licenses. Percival was sentenced at a later date for aiding and abetting the driving of a car without due care and attention.[12]
Jay and Romell's responses to the incident was primarily shared after their sentencing in 2022. The response was markedly different from the microwave incident, reflecting a greater sense of maturity, embarrassment, and an understanding of the consequences. On the day of the sentencing in September 2022, Swingler posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the experience. He described having to watch the video in court as "the most awkward experience of my entire life" and said he "wanted to die" from the embarrassment. Swingler's tweet, in which he half-jokingly asked his followers if they wanted a video on the experience, came across as a more human and less defensive reaction compared to his comments after the microwave incident.
In the wake of the sentencing, Jay and Romell released a video detailing the court proceedings, fines, and license penalties they received. In October 2022, the duo appeared on the JaackMaate's Happy Hour podcast to discuss the incident and its legal repercussions. The tone was more serious and reflective, acknowledging the legal and financial strain it had caused. They also mentioned how the police investigation had "ended" TGFbro, suggesting that the era of their extreme stunts was over due to law enforcement intervention.
The driving incident and the resulting court case represented a significant turning point for Swingler, Henry and the TGFbro channel. The legal and emotional fallout provided a clear, undeniable external force signaling that their era of extreme and dangerous stunts was over. This incident helped precipitate the channel's end and Swingler's shift toward more grounded solo content.
Counterfeit Merchandise[]
In 2020, several counterfeit versions of the 2019 Childish Hoodies were released on other websites, claiming to be the official products. When Jay realised this was happening, he made a video on his personal channel informing fans of the situation, and stating that The TGF Store is their only official merch website. Romell would also make a video about the counterfeits in 2021.
Trivia[]
- For a very brief period of time in December 2020, the channel's name was shortened from TGFbro to just TGF. It was quickly switched back later, though.
- According to an older video of theirs, TGF stands for "The Ground Floor".[13]
- In 2021, TGF changed their profile picture to be mostly bald. According to Jay, this was so that they could incorporate Luke into the picture.
- For many years, the TGF profile picture featured pictures of Jay and Romell as kids; but this was later changed to adult pictures of them.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDRci2AY-e4
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/jayswingler/comments/1acot2w/tgf_is_no_more/
- ↑ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jake-briggs
- ↑ YouTuber comes unstuck
- ↑ This guy cemented a microwave to his head for a YouTube video, and had to be rescued by the fire brigade
- ↑ A YouTuber cemented his head in a microwave for views and firefighters were not impressed
- ↑ Man cements his head in a microwave as prank to get more ‘likes’
- ↑ '9-1-1' Premiere: The Best Procedural On TV Returned ... And Killed Harvey Weinstein
- ↑ Telford YouTuber charged over 'extreme driving' video
- ↑ Three men facing prosecution for driving offences - UPDATE
- ↑ Black Country YouTubers charged over 'extreme driving' video
- ↑ YouTube duo TGFbro fined £1k for flipping car near Wrekin
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_CG9pXeK_4I?t=585