MANILA — Restaurateur and vlogger Erwan Heussaff announced on Tuesday a revamp of his online channels as FEATR, instead of being name eponymously, to turn the spotlight on other hosts and personalities.

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“Erwan Heussaff” has been the flagship brand of The Fat Kid Inside Studios, offering content about food and travel through Facebook and YouTube.

In his video announcement titled “I’m Leaving YouTube,” Heussaff noted that he had pivoted towards featuring other culinary experts and enthusiasts in 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic halted that planned rebranding.

Turning emotional, Heussaff recalled that 2020 had been a difficult year for his studio, which employs 14 people. At the time, he was based in Melbourne, Australia, where his wife, actress Anne Curtis, gave birth to their first daughter.

His channels had been negatively impacted by the pandemic, and in order to keep supporting his employees, Heussaff had to keep producing videos in Melbourne, while juggling his duties as a first-time father.

Heussaff also opened up about his self-admitted “non-viral” personality, saying that while popular online challenges would have courted more views — which would translate to income for the studio — it would simply come off as “inauthentic” from the group’s culinary and travel branding.

Heussaff then introduced the new flagship brand of The Fat Kid Inside: FEATR, which stands for “Food, Encounter And Travel.”

The channel formerly called “Erwan Heussaff” will include a lineup of culinary shows, travel documentaries, and stories of people around the world, according to Heussaff.

Heussaff said he will open a separate channel under his name, where he plans to share behind-the-scenes footage, as well as more personal videos.

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Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv