WHEN the pandemic hit, Amber O’Donnell suddenly found herself having to scrape by on benefits.
As a student with a part-time job in Starbucks, she wasn’t eligible for furlough and she and partner Chris, who works in construction, survived on £500-a-month Universal Credit payments and sachets of Pasta ‘n’ Sauce.
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Fed up of living hand to mouth, Amber, 24, decided to set up an OnlyFans account, inspired by a friend who was doing well out of it.
During her first few weeks she raked in £500 after sharing sexy cosplay pics – but rather than treating herself, Amber decided she wanted to give back to her local community.
She spent a chunk of her earnings on food parcels for low-income families, and distributed them to local food banks in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire.
Now earning around £10,000 a month on average, Amber rents a spacious home for £1,000-a-month and has bought her dream car, a pink Nissan Figaro which set her back £10,000.
She continues to make generous donations to local charities – and admits she was inspired by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.
The curvy model, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, tells The Sun: “For me, it’s important to remember where you come from.
“As I come from a low-income family, it’s important for me to be in a position to give to people.
“I took lots of inspiration from Marcus Rashford, he’s incredible.”
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In March 2020 Amber was due to begin studying biomedical sciences at the University of Sheffield when the Covid lockdown hit.
She explains: “I wasn’t eligible for furlough payments, so I was only getting £500 per month to live on.
“My partner Chris [24] had a part-time job at the checkouts at Morrisons too, but it was just a constant struggle every month.
“I would say 95 per cent of our income went on bills. That meant we had no money for any extras.
I remember living on those Pasta ‘n’ Sauce sachets and having them twice a day
Amber O’Donnell
“I remember living on those Pasta ‘n’ Sauce sachets and having them twice a day.
“We were in a lucky position with family members throwing us an extra £20 here and there if we needed, but it was still difficult.
“I knew someone who had started on OnlyFans making a load of money a month.
“My family and friends were really supportive. Chris said I should if it could help us, and my mum is my biggest supporter.”
Building a following
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Amber initially launched her account in July 2020 before really investing more time in it from September 2020.
She says: “When you go on the app you have to start promoting yourself elsewhere if you want to make money.
“I made a Twitter account and began building my followers. I was in a few ‘retweet groups’ which is where around 70 girls will retweet each other’s content to build their following.
“In a few months I had 50,000 followers on Twitter. In mid-2021 I downloaded TikTok and did a voiceover to a famous sound and went viral. I now have around 250,000 followers on there.”
Amber takes all her pictures herself using her phone and a ring light.
“I would say my style on OnlyFans is amateur-authentic, and I do a fair bit of cosplay,” she explains.
“My Velma and Daphne looks from Scooby Doo cartoons were popular.
“I only post content I’m comfortable with, and I make sure I’m staying within my boundaries.”
‘Inspired by Marcus Rashford’
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After her first Only Fans payment of £500, Amber – who decided not to go ahead with her university degree – reached out to people in her local community via Facebook, posting on local groups asking if there were any families who would benefit from a food parcel.
She recalls: “We went to Tesco and filled two or three trolleys of toiletries like toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash, as well as feminine hygiene products.
“We got tinned foods that would last the longest, the basics that would make the most meals.
“We couldn’t fit it all in the car, so my partner had to come in his van to help.”
Amber made up 20 food parcels for people who responded to her, and dropped them off at their homes, with any leftovers donated to local food banks.
Her OnlyFans career took off, and she says she now earns over five figures every month – around £10,000 on average.
When you go on OnlyFans you have to start promoting yourself elsewhere if you want to make money
Amber O’Donnell
It has allowed Amber to make dream purchases for herself and her family.
She says: “I’ve moved into a new home since I started. Me and my partner now live in a cottage in the middle of the woods, we’re so lucky.
“I also recently bought my dream car, I’ve wanted one since I was 18.
“At Christmas I bought my family a £150 shopping voucher each. My mum and nan never treat themselves, so it was really rewarding.
“Eventually I would love to pay off my mum and dad’s mortgage. I love helping others, it’s so rewarding.”
Recently she donated £100 of dog food to Bark, an animal sanctuary close to her hometown.
Amber says: “I make a lot of anonymous donations to various GoFundMe sites and charities.
“I’ve got around 10 direct debits that go out each month to children’s hospitals, charities and the air ambulance.
“It’s really important for me to spread my earnings as well as keep some aside for my family.”
Nasty trolls
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Amber, who says the day-to-day content creation on Only Fans “feels like it never stops”, has faced some negative comments on Twitter and TikTok, despite her charitable work.
“I get comments saying I’m selfish, but it’s just not true,” she insists.
“Some people say stuff like, ‘Nurses work XYZ hours and you’re selling pictures of your feet earning all this money’. I agree, I think nurses should be paid the world, but it’s out of my control.
“I know so many people who do OnlyFans and are so giving and generous.
“There’s such a stigma, people don’t treat you like a human being, and they talk to you like scum.
“People should be more open-minded about it.”
EastEnders storyline
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Amber says the current EastEnders storyline, which sees Stacey Slater (played by Lacey Turner) sign up to OnlyFans to make ends meet, is a good topic for the soap to address, and she hopes it will help tackle the stigma.
Though she’s quick to point out that it doesn’t work for everyone.
“So many people thought about it during the cost of living crisis. I can see why so many people are jumping into the industry,” she says.
“The cost of living crisis is affecting pretty much everyone and I can fully understand why Stacey would be seeking extra income.
“But it can be misleading as OnlyFans is not easy money. It’s a big sacrifice and decision to make when there is no guarantee.”
In the future, Amber hopes to go into buying property.
She says: “Eventually I want to earn more. I want to buy myself my first property, and then buy more properties to use as Airbnbs.
“I’ve always wanted to go into property renovation, so that is my end goal.
“That will be when it takes over as my full-time job.”
Amber also plans to keep donating to charities, and help people in need as much as she can.
She says: “I’m just a generous person. The more I earn the more I’m able to give.
“I’m always the first to be donating, and I pride myself on that.
“People can shame me for my job, but I know that I’m a kind, supporting person.”
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