Last June, the founder of Tattle Life, a website dedicated to discussing and dissecting influencers, was finally exposed as Sebastian Bond – but sadly, outing the person behind the cruel chat forum did not mean the website was taken down. Some seven months after Bond's reveal, one influencer, Sophie-May Dickson, tragically lost her daughter, Princess-Bliss Dickson, to suicide at the age of 16, making Sophie-May one of the most recognisable figures in the debate around online harassment.
In a new BBC Three documentary fronted by GK Barry, Toxic Gossip, the Essex mum recalls how years of anonymous abuse directed at both herself and her daughters on the gossip forum Tattle Life contributed to Princess's declining mental health. Princess died on 7 February 2026.
The tragedy has sparked calls from MPs, campaigners and online safety experts for greater regulation of anonymous forums and stronger protections for children featured on social media.
Here's what to know about Sophie-May Dickson, her family and why they're at the centre of the conversation.
Who is Sophie-May Dickson?
Sophie-May Dickson is a 33-year-old mother from Essex who first came to public attention in 2014 after appearing on the Channel 5 documentary Blinging Up Baby.
The programme followed parents who spent large sums of money on luxury experiences and beauty treatments for their children. Dickson appeared alongside her daughters, Princess-Bliss and Precious-Belle, who were both very young at the time.
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In the years that followed, she built a following on Instagram and TikTok by documenting family life, holidays, birthdays, home life and her children's milestones. Her content often showcased a glamorous lifestyle, designer purchases, luxury celebrations and her love of dogs, while also sharing everyday parenting moments.
Despite often being described as an influencer, Dickson has rejected the label.
Speaking in the BBC Three documentary Toxic Gossip, she said: "I'm not an influencer, it's not my job. I'm a mother who made an Instagram... and posted lovely pictures of my children who I'm proud of."
Today, her Instagram account has around 34,000 followers.
Who was Princess Dickson?
Princess Dickson was Sophie-May Dickson's eldest daughter (Precious is her younger child). The sisters first appeared on television as children in Blinging Up Baby, where viewers saw their birthdays, outfits and beauty treatments as part of the programme's focus on extravagant parenting.
As they grew older, they featured in their mother's social media posts. Princess later established her own presence on TikTok, where she posted videos typical of many teenagers, including dance clips, lip-sync videos, fashion content and updates from her daily life. Friends and followers also knew her for her love of dancing, gymnastics, travel and beauty, with reports saying she had hoped to study make-up.
What happened to Princess Dickson?
Princess Dickson died of suicide on 7 February 2026, aged just 16. Her death followed what her family and campaigners describe as years of relentless online abuse, much of it centred on discussions hosted on Tattle Life.
According to psychologist Dr Jessica Taylor and a letter sent by MPs to Ofcom, Princess had been subjected to sustained harassment by adult users of the forum from around the age of 14. The posts allegedly included repeated comments about her appearance, body, family, mental health and personal life.
Campaigners also allege that anonymous users created fake social media accounts to monitor Princess's TikTok videos, screen-record her livestreams and repost them onto Tattle Life so other users could mock them.
Princess was aware the discussions existed and, according to her mother, regularly read them.
What has Sophie-May Dickson said about Tattle Life?
In BBC Three's Toxic Gossip, Dickson described repeatedly asking Tattle Life to remove discussions involving her children. She said she never received a response.
Dickson also recalled finding a note from Princess explaining she was trying to eat more after reading comments suggesting she looked too thin or had an eating disorder.
"When they knew she was online and looking at it, wow... pack of wolves on that little girl," she said in the documentary, and following Princess's death, Dickson said the abuse did not stop.
In a statement shared publicly, she said: "I am currently living every parent's worst nightmare."
She also revealed the final conversation she had with her daughter:"The very last thing she said to me was, 'Look, make sure you look after yourself and my siblings.' She said to me, 'You better not let me down, you better not let yourself go, do not let them see you weak.'"
Dickson believes the sustained online harassment played a significant role in Princess's deteriorating mental health.
Where is Sophie-May Dickson now?
Following Princess' tragic death, Sophie-May has remained active on social media and shared emotional posts from her daughter's funeral, explaining she was trying to keep strong for Precious.
"My heart is so broken," she wrote, one month after Princess died. "Each day it gets harder. Each day it gets more painful. Each day I understand it less. I honesty do not know how we will ever get through this. I try to focus on creating a good, nice future but [how] can you even want to live in a world where your first born baby doesn’t exist anymore? We love and miss you so so much Princess. You are thought of and spoken of every day."
Following Princess' death, Sophie-May and Precious have also taken part in a balloon release and running event in her memory.
GK Barry: Toxic Gossip is available now on the BBC’s YouTube channels and BBC iPlayer on Wednesday 1 July
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can contact Samaritans free of charge on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department.
