BayleyTSE on the Small YouTuber Podcast
006: The New Conspiracy Theory That Will Blow Your Mind #MelissaMandela - BayleyTSE
In the sixth episode of the Small YouTuber Podcast, I talk to Bayley Horne, a small YouTuber from Australia who runs the comedy channel BayleyTSE. Bayley makes similar content to me, but his videos are actually good and worth watching!
In this episode, I ask Bayley:
- What was your first YouTube video and is it still up on your channel today? Is it embarrassing and how have you evolved as a creator since then?
- There are millions of channels on YouTube these days. What makes you stand out from the crowd and what is the unique selling point that you bring to your content?
- What’s next for your channel?
We also dive deep into the rabbit hole talking about conspiracy theories. I am quite the conspiracy theorist, whereas Bayley is quite the opposite. So I try to convert him to the conspiracy theorist lifestyle by introducing him to a mind blowing theory that I recently discovered about Avril Lavigne and Nelson Mandela.
Links to the stuff we talked about in this episode:
Why Slytherin Is Awesome Video
Pixar Theory: Jack Jack Is The Villain Of The Incredibles 2 Video
Why Small YouTubers Need Podcast Conversations Like This
Growing a channel from a handful of views is a lonely process, and one of the main reasons the Small YouTuber Podcast exists is to break that isolation. When two creators with similar audiences sit down and compare notes, they quickly discover that the same problems keep appearing: slow subscriber growth, the pressure to upload on a schedule, and the nagging doubt about whether anyone is actually watching. Hearing Bayley describe his own path makes those struggles feel normal rather than personal failures.
There is also a practical benefit. Small creators rarely have access to an agency, a manager, or an analytics team, so the best advice usually comes from peers who are a few steps ahead or sideways. A conversation between two comedy channels can reveal how each one handles thumbnails, titles, and pacing, and those details are often more useful than generic tips from a big channel with a very different audience.
Comedy Content and Finding Your Own Voice
Bayley and the host both make comedy videos, which makes the comparison between their styles especially interesting. Comedy on YouTube is a crowded category, because commentary, reaction clips, and sketch-style rants are cheap to produce and easy to imitate. The episode leans on the idea that humour only stands out when it comes from a recognisable personality, which is why the question about a unique selling point is so central to the interview.
Bayley's videos cover topics such as the Mandela Effect, Harry Potter house rivalries like Slytherin, Eurovision, and big internet personalities like Jake Paul and MrBeast. These are all subjects with built-in audiences searching for them, but his angle and delivery are what turn a familiar topic into something worth clicking. For a small channel, choosing a trending subject is only half the job; the other half is bringing a perspective viewers cannot get elsewhere.
Looking Back at Your First Video
The question about a creator's first upload is a favourite for good reason. Almost every YouTuber has an early video with poor audio, awkward framing, and jokes that did not land, and many are tempted to delete it. The episode treats that old footage as a useful benchmark instead, a visible record of how much editing, timing, and confidence have improved over the years.
Keeping early videos online can also be a motivating tool for new creators who watch the channel. Seeing that a polished comedian once started with a rough first attempt shows that skill is built through repetition. The lesson for anyone starting out is simple: publish the imperfect video, learn from the response, and let the improvement happen in public.
Conspiracy Theories as Entertainment
The second half of the conversation turns playful as the host tries to convert a sceptic. The hosts' contrasting attitudes, with one leaning into conspiracies and the other firmly doubtful, create natural friction, and friction is what makes a podcast fun to listen to. The Avril Lavigne and Melissa Mandela theory is presented as a mind-blowing curiosity, and the humour comes from how seriously one side defends it and how calmly the other dismantles it.
This kind of banter shows why a podcast format suits small creators well. It needs little equipment, it rewards genuine chemistry over production budget, and it gives guests a chance to show personality outside their usual edited videos. Listeners who enjoy the episode can then follow the links in the show notes to watch Bayley's channel and decide for themselves whether he is as sensible as he claims.