Nalini Unagar, a food vlogger who ran the YouTube channel "Nalini's Kitchen Recipe," has announced her decision to quit the platform. Despite investing a staggering ₹8 lakh in her channel over the past three years, she struggled to gain traction and expressed frustration with YouTube’s algorithm, which she believes favours certain creators over others. The former YouTuber revealed her dissatisfaction in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) and has since deleted all her channel’s videos.

A costly endeavour with no returns

“Let me confess today-I have invested approximately ₹8 lakhs in my YouTube channel for building a kitchen, buying studio equipment, and promotions. The return? ₹0,” Nalini wrote on X, venting her rage. She revealed that her investment went into kitchen accessories, studio equipment, and other resources to enhance her cooking content, yet her channel managed to garner only 2,450 subscribers in three years. Feeling that her efforts had been in vain, Nalini declared, “I failed in my YouTube career, so I’m selling all my kitchen accessories and studio equipment. If anyone is interested in buying, please let me know.”

Frustration with YouTube’s algorithm

Nalini also criticized YouTube’s algorithm, blaming it for the lack of growth on her channel. She claimed that the platform supports only certain types of creators and videos, leaving others unrecognised despite their hard work.

“I’m honestly angry with YouTube. I spent my money, time, and even risked my career to build my channel, but in return, YouTube gave me nothing. It feels like the platform favours certain channels and specific types of videos, leaving others with no recognition despite the hard work,” she wrote.

Nalini's past controversy over vegetarianism

Nalini’s struggles with YouTube weren’t her only brush with the public eye. She previously faced criticism for a post celebrating her vegetarian lifestyle. Sharing a photo of rice and dal, she captioned it, “I’m proud to be a vegetarian. My plate is free from tears, cruelty, and guilt.” The remark sparked a debate, with actor Swara Bhaskar harshly criticising her statement.

Having decided to move on from YouTube, Nalini is now selling the studio setup she meticulously built for her cooking videos. She expressed disappointment over the lack of returns on her significant investment, saying, “I risked my career and spent money to build my channel, only to receive no support from the platform.”