With an effervescent persona, Thai YouTuber Zom Marie is at her bubbliest when she is filming her popular Mystery Box series, her expressive face and voice showcasing surprise and delight as she unboxes various packages.
No wonder the Thai-French entertainer, whose real name is Marie Eugenie Le Lay, is also known as the “mother of the mystery box”.
After all, she first shot to fame in Thailand with this series, where she purchases sealed packages or boxes without knowing the specific contents within. The contents are generally related to the theme, such as beauty products, toys or pre-loved items, hence adding an element of anticipation when the package is unboxed.
She recalled her first visit to Pattavikorn Market, a flea market in Bangkok where clothes are priced as little as 5 baht (S$0.20) a piece. “When I first arrived, the market was pretty empty, not drawing many visitors, and the merchants were not doing too well. But right after my video, it went crazy! The video got shared thousands of times, with people tagging their friends and inviting each other to visit,” she said.
“Now, the market has been renovated, and every time I return, all the merchants come to say hi and express their gratitude.”
Offering a glimpse into her life behind the scenes, Zom Marie reveals she is a devoted pawrent to her two corgis, Petra and Potter. Not surprisingly, she is also a huge fan of Harry Potter and even has a room called The Room Of Requirement where she displays her memorabilia.
Behind the glitz and glamour of being a YouTube creator, she says her personality goes beyond her bubbly on-screen persona.
“The thing that many people might not know is that I am not all rainbows and sunshine like in the videos. It is not that I am not being myself – when I am in front of the camera, I want to showcase my lively and fun side to my viewers. I aim to be a ray of sunshine, a source of positive energy for them,” she said.
“However, what they might not know is that, like anyone else, I am just an ordinary person with a full range of emotions. I do have my downtime and I am not bubbly all the time.”
She also acknowledged the mental toll of being in the spotlight, emphasising the importance of sincere self-expression. “Being in front of the camera or in the spotlight is pretty hard to deal with in terms of mental health because anyone can just type anything to you. So you have to learn to deal with it in a healthy way.”
GAZING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL
Reflecting on her future, Zom Marie quipped that she might need a tarot card session to see where her path lies. But ultimately, she hopes to continue creating content for YouTube for as long as people are interested.
“I have so many memorable moments – all the things I have done, all the lives I have touched and all the real journeys I have embarked upon. I have had the opportunity to do so many interesting things, visit many fascinating places and meet many new people,” she reflected. “I really enjoy creating content and singing and I cannot picture myself doing anything else right now. I will keep doing this until no one wants to watch me.”
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