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SAM Chapman smiles as she greets her 2.1 million adoring fans, before demonstrating how to master a smoky eye.

As one half of the hugely successful YouTube channel Pixiwoo, she is used to discussing palettes and powders - but behind the camera lens, the beauty influencer has struggled to overcome a childhood of physical and emotional abuse from her father, who called her and her sister fat and squirted ketchup in their faces.

 Sam Chapman - one half of YouTube beauty empire Pixiwoo - was throttled by her late dad John
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Sam Chapman - one half of YouTube beauty empire Pixiwoo - was throttled by her late dad JohnCredit: pixiwoo/Instagram

Along with her sister Nic - the other half of Pixiwoo - and their twin brothers, Jim and John, the four Chapman siblings have gone from a desperately tragic upbringing in Norfolk to being dubbed the "most influential family in Britain".

Along with their spouses, the family now has a combined social media following of 21 million.

Jim's wife is vlogger Tanya Burr, while Nic's husband Ian Haste runs cooking channel Haste's Kitchen.

Together they dominate the worlds of beauty, fashion, fitness and food through YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

 The Chapman family including John, Jim, Ian, Nic and Sam - are 'Britain's most influential family'
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The Chapman family including John, Jim, Ian, Nic and Sam - are 'Britain's most influential family'Credit: jimchapman/Instagram
 The family told The Times magazine how their abusive father made their childhood hell
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The family told The Times magazine how their abusive father made their childhood hellCredit: jimchapman/Instagram

'Abusive dad beat up our mum, throttled Sam and kidnapped Jim'

But the Chapmans' upbringing was a world away from the idyllic existence they now beam out in their videos - their late dad John beat up their mum, Judy and repeatedly abused the four children.

Sam revealed to The Times magazine she was so scared her father would kill her mum that she would spend every night outside her parents' room "listening to terrifying screams and bumps" and only falling asleep when she was sure her mum was still alive.

The 41-year-old remembered the constant cruel humiliation he would put her through, from squirting ketchup in her face at the dinner table as she cried, to making twins Jim and John fight each other - and chiding his daughter Nic - the other half of Pixiwoo - for her "fat legs".

One particularly haunting episode etched onto the siblings' collective memory is the time their dad punched their mum in the face, before smashing Sam's head against the staircase and trying to throttle her.

He was arrested by police but continued to stalk his family, and on one occasion coaxed seven-year-old Jim, now 31, out of a window before kidnapping him.

They eventually lost contact with their father, and none of them attended his funeral when he died, aged 65, in 2017.

 Sisters Nic Haste and Sam Chapman are beauty vloggers Pixiwoo
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Sisters Nic Haste and Sam Chapman are beauty vloggers PixiwooCredit: Pixiwoos/Instagram
 The former pro make-up artists have 2.1 million subscribers and a lucrative make-up range
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The former pro make-up artists have 2.1 million subscribers and a lucrative make-up rangeCredit: PA:Press Association
 Sam has since overcome a breakdown and shopping addiction, and has battled depression
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Sam has since overcome a breakdown and shopping addiction, and has battled depressionCredit: Pixiwoos/Instagram
 Her younger sibling Nic - who has revealed her miscarriages and MS diagnosis on social media - was called 'fat legs' by their father
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Her younger sibling Nic - who has revealed her miscarriages and MS diagnosis on social media - was called 'fat legs' by their fatherCredit: pixiwoo/Instagram
 She is married to Ian Haste, whose YouTube channel Haste's Kitchen has 80,000 subscribers
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She is married to Ian Haste, whose YouTube channel Haste's Kitchen has 80,000 subscribersCredit: pixiwoo/Instagram

Two miscarriages and an MS diagnosis

But the abuse at the hands of their violent father is not the only tragedy they have been forced to deal with.

Nic - who was a make-up artist with her sister before they began successfully vlogging about make-up - has insisted that while they may have a lucrative YouTube channel and make-up line Real Techniques - which has netted them an estimated £1.5 million each - she has experienced a rocky personal life.

The 38-year-old told her followers about both of her heartbreaking miscarriages, the joy of the births of her two children Harry, seven, and Edie, five, as well as her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The star admits she cried for a week in bed after being told she had the untreatable condition - which can cause problems with vision, arm and leg movement, sensation and balance, often leaving sufferers with serious disability.

 Their brother Jim Chapman is married to fellow YouTuber Tanya Burr
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Their brother Jim Chapman is married to fellow YouTuber Tanya BurrCredit: Getty - Contributor
 They recently moved into a £2 million London home together
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They recently moved into a £2 million London home togetherCredit: jimchapman/Instagram
 And regularly travel the world
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And regularly travel the worldCredit: jimchapman/Instagram
 He has 2.5 million  subscribers to his YouTube channel
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He has 2.5 million  subscribers to his YouTube channelCredit: jimchapman/Instagram
 And has modelled for Dolce Gabbana
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And has modelled for Dolce GabbanaCredit: Getty - Contributor
 His twin brother John Chapman is one half of the Lean Machines
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His twin brother John Chapman is one half of the Lean MachinesCredit: johnphillipchapman/Instagram
 With fellow personal trainer Leon Bustin, he has 400,000 subscribers
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With fellow personal trainer Leon Bustin, he has 400,000 subscribersCredit: theleanmachinesofficia/Instagram
 Leon is dating fitness Instagram star Carly Rowena
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Leon is dating fitness Instagram star Carly RowenaCredit: theleanmachinesofficia/Instagram

'I got a shopping addiction and impulse bought a Jaguar'

Sam, who has documented her battle with depression to her followers, says she struggled to cope with fame and wealth -  and tried to buy her happiness.

"A couple of years ago I was having a breakdown and I just kept buying stuff from Net-A-Porter," she told The Times. "I bought two cars - one was a Jaguar - just after I learnt to drive."

The mum-of-two now realises she was "completely incapable of love because I'd never known it" from her childhood, and has had therapy and antidepressants to recover from her early traumatic experiences.

Her brother Jim, who has 2.5 million subscribers on his fashion and lifestyle-led YouTube channel - which is thought to have helped his net worth grow to £3 million - and whose 29-year-old wife Tanya has 3.5 million subscribers and a make-up range - revealed his unhealthy obsession with his unlikely career path in the early days, where he would stay up all night monitoring followers.

The GQ writer, who has walked the catwalk for Dolce & Gabbana, decided to stop looking at his stats in order to help his mental health, and has also had extensive therapy.

He also exclusively told The Sun about the "utterly heartbreaking" death of his step-father Brian, who his mum started dating when he was 14, from cancer in 2017.

 Jim and Tanya are close friends with Joe Sugg
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Jim and Tanya are close friends with Joe SuggCredit: Getty - Contributor

Jim, who recently moved into a £2 million home in London with his wife Tanya, regularly hangs out with other social media royalty, including Zoella and her brother Joe Sugg.

The Strictly star turned to the couple for advice on whether to join the hit BBC One show, and they advised him to go for it.

Joe, 27, and his new dancer girlfriend Dianne Buswell, 29, recently came round to their house for dinner.

"It's lovely because Joe's been single forever," says Sam, while Nic adds, "he's not really confident - or hasn't been".

They are now all looking to diversify in the same way that Joe has managed to. Watch this space...

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