Stuart Clive Ashen (born 16 December 1976), better known online as Ashens ( ), is a British comedian, filmmaker, critic and YouTuber best known for reviewing counterfeit consumer goods. Since 2006, his YouTube videos have centred on examinations and reviews of various, often low-quality, products, including toys, video games and food. His main YouTube channel has more than 1.6 million subscribers.

Early life and education Stuart Clive Ashen was born on 16 December 1976 and grew up on the Heartsease Estate, Norwich, and attended Heartsease High School. He previously worked for PC World and Norwich Union. His mother, Pauline, died of cancer when he was eight years old.

YouTube

Ashen has been reviewing food and various products in a distinctive style on YouTube since 2006. The items he reviews are often low quality and procured from various variety stores (notably Poundland), or are poor knockoffs of well-received or well-known products, which he refers to as "". Featured products are typically personally sourced by Ashen in the UK or during holidays abroad or submitted by viewers. Almost all of Ashen's videos are filmed in his home, showing only his living room couch and his hands that are holding and pointing to the products he is reviewing, while his face is rarely seen by the viewer.

He frequently collaborated with his friend and fellow YouTube vlogger Barry Lewis, and in the mid-2010s had a podcast and YouTube channel with him, both called Barshens.

, Ashen has produced 969 videos on his primary YouTube channel, which has 1.67 million subscribers and more than 576 million video views. His secondary channel, used mainly for DVD extra style clips, along with an annual look with Daniel Hardcastle at a series of Advent calendars throughout December, has more than 317,000 subscribers and more than 66 million video views. In addition to his own channels, he has also produced videos for other YouTube channels, including "The Multiverse", a geek-themed channel controlled by ChannelFlip.

In 2013, Ashen, along with Emma Blackery, Daniel Howell (danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (AmazingPhil), starred as a contestant in a remake of the 1980s television programme Knightmare during the YouTube Geek Week event.

Television Ashen made his first television appearance on a 2008 episode of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe, where he played a cameo role as Mr. Noseybonk, a character from the 1980s BBC children's show Jigsaw.

Ashen guest-starred on The Armstrong & Miller Show for their "The Node" segment in October 2009. In early 2009, Ashen also released a very limited edition DVD anthology dubbed Ashenthology, containing a selection of his early videos as well as some unseen videos and animations; some of these videos were later released on his second YouTube account, extraashens.

In 2010, Ashen created the series Ashen's Tech Dump for BBC Online Comedy. In 2011, he co-starred alongside Karen Hayley in another BBC Online Comedy series, Back Space. The next year, he starred as himself in The Proxy, a sci-fi web series produced by ChannelFlip in partnership with Dell Alienware. The series took eight days to film, consists of 10 episodes and won a Marketing Week "Engage Award" in the "Gaming and Entertainment" section.

Film Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild

Ashen wrote and starred in Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild, a feature film released in August 2013, for YouTube's "Geek Week". The film also stars Warwick Davis and Robert Llewellyn, and was produced by the multi-channel network ChannelFlip in association with The Multiverse. The film was partially paid for through crowdfunding website Indiegogo with contributions totalling at the end of the month, which comprised 41% of the budget. it has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube. A remastered and slightly extended edition of the movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 14 July 2014. On 2 July 2018, the full film was released on his YouTube channel.

Ashens and the Polybius Heist In 2016, Ashen confirmed a sequel to Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild at a fan screening. In July 2018, he created another Indiegogo campaign for the sequel titled Ashens and the Polybius Heist. By the time funding was closed, the project earned more than from more than 4,000 backers. On 9 May 2019 he announced the principal photography was wrapped. On 5 May 2020 it was announced on the official Twitter account for the film that The Gaming Muso, a fellow YouTuber and a musician, would be performing the opening theme tune for the film. On 9 October 2020 Ashen announced on Twitter that the film is available for preorder, and was released on 19 November 2020 on iTunes, YouTube Movies, Amazon and Vimeo. The reveal trailer/teaser was uploaded on his YouTube channel on 14 October 2020.

Turn Back In October 2023, Ashen announced that a currently ongoing Kickstarter campaign had been launched for a new horror film about the demonic hound Black Shuck, who features in English folklore.

Published works In November 2015, Ashen released the book Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Of, a collection of textual reviews of poor retro games, released through the Unbound crowdfunding platform. The book reached its funding target in 12 hours.

On 24 February 2017, Ashen announced a sequel to Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Of, titled Attack of the Flickering Skeletons: More Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Of, again through Unbound, and it was released on 2 November 2017.

Ashen released the book Fifty-Thousand Shades of Grey on 23 September 2012; it parodies the popular erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. The title is literal, as the book simply consists of the phrase "Shades of Grey" used 50,000 times.

Personal life , Ashen lives in his home town of Norwich. He has a doctorate in psychology, but he has never worked in the field. Ashen is the cousin to Ian Harvey, who appeared on the television series Robot Wars, a relation mentioned in Ashen's own YouTube content.

Bibliography YearTitleNotes2012Fifty-Thousand Shades of GreyParody of Fifty Shades of Grey2015Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Of2017Attack of the Flickering Skeletons: More Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Ofsequel to Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Of2019Fuck Yeah, Video Games: The Life & Extra Lives of a Professional Nerd by Daniel HardcastleContributor2020Things I Learned from Mario's Butt by Laura Kate DaleContributor2021Fact Hunt: Fascinating, Funny and Downright Bizarre Facts About Video Games by Larry Bundy Jr.Contributor

Filmography

Web series Year Title Role Notes 2010 Ashen's Tech Dump Himself, lead role Five episodes over two series 2011 Back Space Himself Six episodes 2012 The Proxy Himself, lead role Ten episodes 2013–2014 Ideas Men Himself Nine episodes over two series plus Series One and Two Bloopers 2013 Knightmare Himself, dungeoneer Special online one-off episode2013Geek Week Special Himself Single episode, panelist 2018 Digitiser: The Show Himself, Insincere Dave

Television Year Title Role Notes 2008 Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe Mr Noseybonk Cameo appearance, one episode 2009 The Armstrong & Miller Show Himself Guest star, one episode 2015 Newsnight Himself Interviewee, one episode2024The Golden CobraDr. Goode, Alan Yentob, Newsreader, NarratorVoice actor, six episodes

Film Year Title Role Notes 2013 Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild Himself, lead role Co-writer 2016 The Darkest Dawn Bob 2020 Ashens and the Polybius Heist Himself, lead role Co-writer, sequel to Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild 2015SarielFather Adrian Servo Turn Back Co-writer

References

External links