If you aren’t already one of the 1.1m people currently following James Smith on Instagram, let us get you up to speed. You’ve probably seen his expletive-laden takedowns of unhelpful fitness fads across various social media platforms.
James Smith
He’s usually the guy on your homepage busting myths about everything from fat loss and supplementation to toning up and building muscle, delivering chopping blows to the unfortunate culprit who posted them in the process.
The Dark Knight of the influencer realm, James has been likened to celebrity chef and meme god Gordan Ramsay for his straight-talking and often abrasive charm. But while he’s perhaps best known for his rants, James actually has a number of strings to his bow and is currently making huge waves in the fitness industry.
An author of three books, two of which have seen him named the Sunday Times Best Selling Author, James is this week set to embark on a live tour which will see him travel the globe. A champion of mental health and realistic goals, he’s definitely an influencer you can trust and relate to in equal measure – one of the ‘good guys’ of the community if you like.
So, let’s take a further look at the man behind the camera.
History and Background
Born on May 23, 1989, the 33-year-old definitely made his way through the ‘school of hard knocks’. Having been asked to leave school at the age of 16, he was marched to the job centre by his mum and told not to come back until he’d managed to land himself employment.
Previously speaking to Gloucestershire Live, a local news outlet in the county he grew up in, he said: “I started a BTEC which enabled me to get onto a course at Hartpury College. I then decided not to go to any of the lectures.”
By 21 he described being broke with no real direction, knocking on doors for a living. But three years later, at 24, he discovered his calling when he became a personal trainer.
Describing his route into the fitness industry to MensHealth, he said: “You know everyone always has their kind of little teen fitness phase, where they’re like, ‘Oh my God if I count my calories I can be less fat. Oh my God, I’m starting to build muscle’. And I really enjoyed that, but I realised on my little journey, that so much of what I was reading and so much of what I was learning about wasn’t really true. And I was like, hold on a second, these were all promising quite a lot, like a tub of branched-chain amino acids promising that I’d get amazing gains.
“I started to see some discrepancies between what people were saying and as I discovered – in the two years before becoming a PT – it kind of pissed me off a bit. I developed a bit of a chip on my shoulder, I’d say, because I really could have done with the information in a no-nonsense fashion when I was a bit younger.”
Taking a gamble and moving to Australia, James quickly scaled his online PT business and started delivering talks. And the rest, as they say, is history.
So, where does James Smith live now?
The brawny, blonde-haired 6ft bloke is still living in Australia and is currently based near the famous Bondi Beach in Sydney. Although, like most influencers, he’s often jet-setting across the globe.
What’s Is James Smith’s net worth?
Reports on his net worth vary. It’s thought the figure sits somewhere between $450,000 and $1.5m.
What’s he up to now?
He’s built quite some empire since his days as a humble PT. James Smith Academy, his online coaching service and app, has 78,500 followers on its own Instagram page alone. More than 64,000 are subscribed to his YouTube, although the generous celeb recently announced he would be using any profits raised to buy his fans gifts. Not just a handsome face, he also runs the James Smith podcast, which is available on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Oh, and did I mention he’s an author, too?
James Smith’s New Book and the C-Word Tour
Aptly named the ‘C-Word’, the double entendre actually refers to his new book, ‘How To Be Confident’, rather than his love of colourful language. His latest release is the third instalment in a string of no-nonsense guides to gaining the tools to empower your decision-making. In the book, the no holds barred author of Not a Life Coach and Not a Diet Book sets out his candid, practical measures for improving self-esteem and confidence and living a genuinely happy and fulfilling life.
An accompanying description of the motivating manual reads: “Now, more than ever, we are so often lost within a cycle of negativity – from comparing ourselves to others and doom scrolling on social media, to a paralysis of choice and chasing external gratification that does nothing to nurture authentic happiness.
“We need confidence to master our true ambitions, realise our genuine strengths, and achieve the life we need, but might not know we want. Luckily, with his candid, no-nonsense advice, experience, and passion, James is here to lead the way.”
The influencer will kick off the three-and-a-half-month tour on August 26 at the International Fitness Summit in Lisbon before venturing to Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, Dubai and eventually Australia.
James’ 304-page book, published by HarperCollins, is due to be released on September 1 and is retailing in all major bookstores and online.
Here is the full list of the C-Word tour dates:
- Lisbon, International Fitness Summit, August 26-28
- Cardiff, St Davids Hall, September 1
- Edinburgh, Festival Hall, September 2
- Manchester, O2 Apollo, September 9
- Newcastle, O2 City Hall, September 16
- Belfast, Waterfront, September 17
- London, Eventim Apollo, September 24
- Dublin, Helix Dublin, October 8
- Exeter, The Grand Hall, October 15
- Dubai, Dubai World Trade Centre, October 28
- Sydney, Sydney Opera House, November 17
- Auckland, Skycity Theatre, November 25
- Christchurch, James Hay Theatre, November 26
- Western Australia, Astor Theatre, Mount Lawley, December 2
To book tickets, visit the tour website.
