Daily Star OnlyFans: the UK celeb shift you can’t ignore

If you’ve ever scrolled your feed and thought, “Wait, they’re on OnlyFans now?”, you’re not mad — you’re clocking a genuine 2025 vibe. UK celebs, reality names, and even competition show alums have been quietly (and sometimes loudly) flipping to direct‑to‑fan income. It’s not just thirst traps and tip jars; it’s a full‑blown creator economy with grown‑up spreadsheets, accountants, and — yes — tax letters.

Here’s the tea: big names are using OnlyFans to top up or transform their income, alongside brand deals and touring. At the same time, attention from HMRC has sharpened, especially when public bragging makes earnings easy to spot. Add splashy mansion‑style creator pads (you’ve seen the viral clips) and headlines about moguls sniffing around the platform — and you’ve got a culture shift hiding in plain sight.

This piece breaks down the money, the media narrative, the tax reality, and where the trend’s heading next. We’ll name names (Megan Barton‑Hanson, John Whaite, Lottie Moss), map the pressures, and share a pragmatic playbook for creators and marketers. Less pearl‑clutching, more practical advice — because the game has already changed, hun.

📊 Where the money and headlines meet (and why it matters)

Let’s start with the obvious: cash is flowing. OnlyFans’ top‑level numbers are eye‑popping — leadership has said more than $25 billion has been paid to creators since 2016, a marker of how mainstream premium fan communities have become (ZeroHedge, 2025-10-21). That scale pulls in established UK names and young up‑and‑comers alike.

On the ground here, British celebs have been using the platform to “top up” income. Reality star Megan Barton‑Hanson has been publicly linked with hefty monthly earnings; her success story is often cited alongside mentions of dream‑home goals. Meanwhile, we’ve seen ex‑Strictly and Bake Off contestant John Whaite and model Lottie Moss try the platform as supplemental revenue. These aren’t fringe creators — they’re familiar faces, moving audience loyalty into paid fan hubs.

Regulators aren’t asleep. Reports of HMRC scrutinising OnlyFans earnings, VAT, and self‑declared revenue have circulated, and at least one household name reportedly coughed up a sizeable five‑figure bill. Translation: the “creator economy” is the economy. If you’re earning, you’re declaring. (That’s not scary — it’s normal business hygiene.)

And culturally? The UK’s got its own version of the LA hype houses. Coverage of “OnlyFans towers” — high‑rise pads where creators live, shoot, and generally rattle the neighbours — has become tabloid catnip (The Irish Sun, 2025-11-15). Add in global sports names entering the fray, like Brazilian Olympian Leticia Bufoni’s switch‑up three years after world‑record glory, and the line between mainstream fame and paywalled intimacy gets thinner by the week (Total Pro Sports, 2025-11-14).

Even the business sharks have sniffed around. Recent reports say Scooter Braun explored buying OnlyFans, then walked — a headline that says more about the platform’s scale and influence than it does about any one exec (TMZ, 2025-11-14; Vulture, 2025-11-14). Whether you stan or shrug, the signal’s clear: OnlyFans is a serious media business layer, not a fad.

📈 UK snapshot: money signals, culture beats, and compliance

đŸ§‘â€đŸŽ€ Topic/Name💰 Money signal📆 TimingđŸ§Ÿ Compliance/Context🔗 Source
Megan Barton‑HansonReported high monthly earnings (dream‑house level)OngoingPublic income chatter raises profile with tax authoritiesUK tabloid coverage
John Whaite (Strictly/Bake Off)Supplemental income via OnlyFans2024–2025Creator-as-business mindset; brand perception considerationsThe Mirror
Lottie MossTop‑up revenue routeRecent yearsAudience segmentation: fans vs general publicUK media mentions
OnlyFans CEO metric$25.000.000.000 paid to creators since 20162025Macro growth proves platform staying powerZeroHedge
“OnlyFans towers”High‑earning creator hubs in UK cities2025Neighbourhood PR, safety, and brand‑safe ops challengesThe Irish Sun
Leticia Bufoni (Olympian)New celeb entrant expands mainstream crossover2025Signals athlete adoption and new sponsor calculusTotal Pro Sports
Scooter BraunExplored purchase, passed2025Validates platform value; ownership status quoTMZ
HMRC attentionFive‑figure tax bills reported for some celebsOngoingSelf‑assessment and VAT where applicableUK tax coverage

What jumps out? First, the money’s not hypothetical — $25bn to creators is next‑level validation. Second, the UK scene blends TV fame, modelling, and sport, with creators pooling in high‑visibility hubs. Third, compliance is no longer a “later” problem. If you monetise audience attention, you’re a business. The upside: predictability, longevity, and better brand deals — if you run it like a business.

For creators, that means treating OnlyFans as a product line (pricing, content cadence, community management) and a ledger (bookkeeping, tax, cost of production). For marketers, it’s audience depth you can’t fake on traditional socials — but you’ll need brand‑safety guardrails and a more nuanced brief.

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The UK reality: fame, fire, and filing your taxes

Let’s be real — the UK has a love‑hate thing with celebs on OnlyFans. On one hand, there’s the “get that bag” energy, especially when someone like Megan Barton‑Hanson turns a reality TV platform into a literal property ladder win. On the other, there’s the comment‑section grumble about intent, timing, and “family‑friendly” image. The truth sits in the middle: audiences want intimacy, control, and some say in the content — and celebs want sustainability outside the TV cycle.

The HMRC angle matters because the numbers are now public narrative. Celebs and influencers have historically revealed (or teased) earnings to pump FOMO — and you can’t do that and then pretend it’s invisible to tax authorities. Normal tax rules apply, income is self‑declared, and if you’re scaling (agency cut, pay‑per‑view, bundle offers), VAT questions can pop up. UK creators who run a tidy ship — monthly P&L, separate business banking, clean invoices — are sleeping fine. The ones winging it? Not so much.

Meanwhile, culture is moving. Coverage of UK “OnlyFans towers” shows the creator industry maturing — co‑located teams, content calendars, collabs, and a bit of chaos that makes headlines. That mix makes it more like a start‑up hub than a bedroom hustle (The Irish Sun, 2025-11-15). And sport‑world entrances like Leticia Bufoni’s remind us that subscription intimacy doesn’t equal nudity by default; athletes and celebs can package behind‑the‑scenes, training diaries, or lifestyle content that brands actually like (Total Pro Sports, 2025-11-14).

What about the platform’s future? Reports around Scooter Braun flirting with an acquisition, then declining, signal one thing clearly: OnlyFans is now a boardroom conversation, not a basement secret (TMZ, 2025-11-14). Ownership hasn’t changed — but the calibre of people kicking the tyres shows how culturally central the platform’s become.

Predictions for 2026:

  • More TV/streaming crossovers: expect celebs to tease premium series on OnlyFans first, then sell formats to broadcasters.
  • Payment and compliance tooling: integrated invoicing, VAT prompts, and accountant‑friendly exports will become a differentiator for creator stacks.
  • Safer brand playbooks: agencies will build “green zone” briefs for OnlyFans‑native talent (fitness, comedy, cooking, glam BTS) to unlock mainstream advertisers.
  • UK creator clusters outside London: Manchester and Birmingham are already buzzing — with lower rents and high‑speed fibre, expect more “towers” outside Zone 1.

If you’re a creator, here’s the cheat sheet:

  • Price like a pro: test entry tiers (low friction), then upsell bundles or PPV drops. Keep churn low with weekly anchors (e.g., Sunday BTS, Wed AMA).
  • Treat tax as growth fuel: if you want bigger brand deals, clean books and compliance are your credibility badge.
  • Think “community”, not “content”: DMs, polls, limited runs — intimacy wins over one‑way posting.
  • Diversify distribution: use link‑in‑bio trees plus discovery hubs like Top10Fans to pull new audiences across borders.

And if you’re a marketer:

  • Value depth over reach: OnlyFans creators convert because their audience is invested. Look at retention and paid renewal rates, not just follower counts.
  • Be clear on brand comfort zones: set content boundaries in writing; creators appreciate clarity and it saves everyone last‑minute headaches.
  • Think bundles: pair a creator’s OF subscribers with Instagram/TikTok reach and a live stream — it’s a 360Âș funnel, not a one‑shot post.

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is HMRC really going after OnlyFans creators in the UK?

💬 Short answer: yes, tax rules apply like any self‑employment. High‑earning celebs have drawn attention, with reports of five‑figure bills. Keep proper records, declare all revenue, and speak to an accountant if you’re scaling.

đŸ› ïž Did Scooter Braun actually buy OnlyFans?

💬 Nope. He reportedly explored a deal and then passed. Multiple outlets say talks happened but didn’t land — so no ownership change on that front.

🧠 Do mainstream athletes and TV faces still join OnlyFans in 2025?

💬 Yep. From reality TV to Olympians, the pipeline’s alive. It’s less taboo and more ‘direct‑to‑fan business model’ now — but brand fit and audience expectations still matter.

đŸ§© Final Thoughts…

OnlyFans is now woven into UK celebrity life — part revenue engine, part community machine, part headline magnet. The money is real, the audience intimacy is unmatched, and the compliance expectations are normal business, not a gotcha. If you treat it professionally, you’ll last longer, earn more, and land better partners. If you wing it, well
 enjoy your sleepless nights. The smart money? Build a proper creator business — receipts, roadmap, and recurring fans.

📚 Further Reading

Here are 3 recent articles that give more context to this topic — all selected from verified sources. Feel free to explore 👇

🔾 Scooter Braun Could Have Been the ‘Face’ of OnlyFans
đŸ—žïž Source: Vulture – 📅 2025-11-14
🔗 Read Article

🔾 Svjetska rekorderka otvorila OnlyFans, pa poručila: Uzbuđena sam ĆĄto…
đŸ—žïž Source: Oslobodjenje – 📅 2025-11-14
🔗 Read Article

🔾 Instagram - So verdienen Sie Geld mit Ihrem Insta-Channel
đŸ—žïž Source: BILD – 📅 2025-11-14
🔗 Read Article

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📌 Disclaimer

This post blends publicly available information with a touch of AI assistance. It’s meant for sharing and discussion purposes only — not all details are officially verified. Please take it with a grain of salt and double-check when needed. If anything weird pops up, blame the AI, not me—just ping me and I’ll fix it 😅.