Face Filter Glitch Reveals 'Young' Vlogger Is Decades Older A popular Chinese streamer who used a beauty filter to look younger is revealed to be a 58-year-old woman during a live session.
By Jake Leary
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This story originally appeared on PCMag
A prominent Chinese vlogger, known as Her Royal Highness Qiao Bilu, accidentally disabled a beauty filter during a livestream and revealed she is several decades older than she appeared, according to Insider.
Bilu had amassed more than 100,000 fans on Douyu -- China's Twitch equivalent -- and relied on filters to make her into what her fans called a "cute goddess." During a July 25 livestream, the vlogger covered her face with a cartoon superimposition; fans wanted to see the star and begged her to remove it.
"I need 100,000 yuan ($14,526) worth of gifts to show my real face," she said. "After all, I'm a good-looking host."
Through a glitch, the cartoon -- and the filter -- vanished, revealing a 58-year-old woman. Needless to say, her followers were shocked. Some cried "Grandma" in Bilu's comments section. And, somehow surprised that celebrity and sincerity aren't the same, her male fans left en masse: Many unsubscribed and others rescinded their gifts.
The Chinese government could also take issue with the incident. The state-run Global Times' assessment of the situation castigates wanghong -- the Chinese word for online celebrity -- for repeatedly taking advantage of "indoorsman" who just want to spend time with "dreamy women." And the Chinese government has previously detained streamers for perceived slights against the government.
But in another twist, Bilu's mistake has boosted her fame. According to Insider, her Douyu profile page has swelled to almost a million followers since the incident. She also announced on Tuesday that she will release an album.
