Inside Elle Swift’s determined bid to rebrand herself after racism scandal
POSING in the exclusive £300-a-night Soho Farmhouse wearing a pair of £100 wellington boots, Elle Swift proudly showed off her latest brand – a collection of oversized tracksuits.
But what should have been a defining moment swiftly turned sour and sparked a huge backlash. It’s the latest scandal to engulf the 29-year-old star after she was accused of racism, her American dream collapsed, and both her and husband Connor’s dads’ prison stints came back to haunt them. Here, we take a look at the struggles Elle and Connor have faced along the way.
Three years ago, popular TikTok influencer Elle was close to losing it all when a series of highly offensive racist tweets she had written as a teenager re-emerged online – she was dropped by her management, lost over 100k followers and was forced to publicly apologise.
Elle and Connor – who she married that same year in 2022 – made the decision to relocate to America for a fresh start, but after just 12 months the pair returned to the UK, with their future very much up in the air.
Eight months on, Elle was finally ready to reveal her rebrand. And last weekend, after much teasing, she finally unveiled Our Good Sunday, her new clothing line and latest bid to secure fame and fortune.
She was once very down to earth and while people get she wants to be aspirational, it is in fact just unaffordable.
But almost immediately, a notably slimmed-down Elle was hit with criticism, with an insider telling us: “The launch of Our Good Sunday wasn’t as good as they had been hoping at all.”
Fans questioned the extortionate price point and a rival social media couple teased their own very similar product.
While she has waxed lyrical about the high quality materials used to make the clothes, the price tag is nothing short of eyewatering.
A plain hoodie will set you back £66, the sweatshirt is £60, a t-shirt £40 and a tote back £45.
The aesthetic Elle is aiming for is clear – the luxury location she shot the collection in and the expensive clothing she’s used to accessorise it are a clear sign.
But the move has left her fans feeling angry and alienated – with one person commenting: “I was hoping the prices would be a bit more affordable, as a parent myself I can’t afford this luxury.”
Another added: “Most women/Mums won’t be able to afford this. Such a shame. I really think you should review the prices.”
The insider explained: “People are very confused about the whole launch and are struggling to understand why she would be charging so much for simple clothes. She was once very down to earth and while people get she wants to be aspirational, it is in fact just unaffordable and pricing out her core audience.”
Further questions were raised when she initially told her followers there was limited stock – but days later said they had ordered lots of stock to ensure fans would be able to get their hands on it. Her fans speculated that she had been hoping to sell out, so backtracked over how much stock she had.
A representive from Elle’s legal team told us: “We are informed by Elle Swift that she is proud to launch Good Sunday. The first limited edition collection is made in small batches from certified organic fabrics in Portugal, reflecting Good Sunday’s commitment to ethical production and sustainable practices. Each piece is designed to be special, and once sold out, it won’t be restocked.”
RIVAL CLOTHING LAUNCH
Negative comments appeared to have been deleted and a week on – plenty of stock is still available despite Elle and Connor relentlessly plugging the brand and hinting there will be more than just tracksuits.
And in a twist that the couple weren’t expecting – social media’s most famous couple, Alfie Deyes and Zoe Sugg used this weekend to tease their new brand, which rather unfortunately is called Dear Sunday.
Our insider said: “Zoe knows Elle well and actually stood by her when a lot of people didn’t. There is no way she knew that Elle was doing something so similar but it’s all very bad timing. At the end of the day Zoe and Alfie still have the ultimate pulling power.”
Those who have followed Elle for a while will know it’s not the first time she’s launched a clothing brand.
The social media star, who went by the name Elle Darby before she tied the knot, was initially known for posting vlogs about her trips to the gym, plus the usual make up tutorials and get ready with me videos.
She launched Angelle clothing in 2019 – it featured a range of tracksuits and tote bags and was affectionately named after her followers, who she refers to as angels. It was a huge hit.
I didn’t speak to my dad for an entire year when he was in prison because he was too emotional to speak on the phone to his kids.
But in 2022, she announced that the brand was taking a break and she wasn’t sure what its future would hold.
Elle married Connor earlier that year after the birth of their son Romeo.
They went on to have son Saint in 2023 and in December 2024 they welcomed daughter Honey Jane.
RACISIM SCANDAL
The break from Angelle came shortly after her horrifying racist comments, which she wrote when she was 15, circulated online. She has since apologised.
In March of last year the couple decided to start afresh in America and set up home in Houston. It ended up being an incredibly expensive relocation and after having her third child, Elle and Connor decided to move back home.
Our insider said: “The whole America move ended up being a bit of a disaster really and Elle really didn’t want to admit defeat.
“It cost them a lot to move out there but also life there was very pricey and at the end of the day they were homesick. It’s also a lot harder to be a stand out social media creator in a country with many established names.”
Since coming back to the UK, Elle has been inundated with comments about how ‘glowing’ she is and how happy she looks.
Fans also questioned how trim Ellie has been looking just months after giving birth, with one person commenting: “Girl we need a weight loss journey.”
Another added: “I can not get over your hair and your body transformation, mum goals and motivation.”
AMERICAN DREAM AND PRISON DADS
The move to America was tinged with sadness – her mum Deborah had passed away in 2020 and her dad – Giles – is prohibited from visiting the States, so it meant she would be completely isolated from her family.
Elle’s love of America actually started when her dad – a multimillionaire banker – was convicted of fraud and extradited to the US, in the wake of one of the biggest scandals in business history.
The family spent nearly two years in and out of court in the US and Elle has admitted she loved that time, saying her dad made it a ‘positive’ experience.
Giles, along with Gary Mulgrew and David Bermingham, was one of the NatWest Three – a trio of British bankers convicted of fraud and sentenced to 37 months in separate American jails in 2002.
Elle – who is one of five girls – was 10 when her dad went to prison for two years but has insisted it didn’t affect her.
The brave influencer explained: “I think surrounding issues caused a lot more impact on my childhood than him actually being a prison.
“I missed him, I didn’t speak to my dad for an entire year because he was too emotional to speak on the phone to his kids.”
Interestingly, Connor’s dad was also in prison – and was absent from the first two years of his life, even missing his birth.
The insider said: “The fact that both Connor and Elle’s dads have been in prison was a bonding experience for them. It does however haunt them both and no matter how hard they try to portray a picture perfect image, it does hang over them.”
In 2020, Elle suffered more heartache when her mum Deborah passed away on Mother’s Day after battling a brain tumour for five years.
The moment changed her life forever and while she spoke about gratitude a fair bit before, it took on a whole different meaning to her.
As she remembered her mum this year, she told her followers: “Five years ago this week my entire life changed forever. I said goodbye to my mum and had a humbling life lesson that the things we ‘think’ matter.. just don’t. Here’s your reminder that if you’re lucky enough to have love, you have it all.”
Elle might have had a few hiccups along the way – and her latest launch might not have had the impact she hoped, but she’s determined to succeed. And despite everything, it looks like this time she might just.
The Sun has contacted Elle for comment.
