Hype House, the reality show following the content house of the same name, focuses on its young members as they navigate fame, relationships and sharing their daily shenanigans on- and offline. And with hundreds of millions of followers, combined with the watchful eye of a camera crew, these influencers have a lot of, well, influence. But how did they get so famous in the first place? Here’s your guide to the already-uber-popular teens and twentysomethings of Hype House. 

Thomas Petrou Petrou is one of the co-founders of the house and developed the idea alongside Chase Hudson. He began his social media career while in high school, vlogging his college admissions process. (He was accepted to NYU before dropping out to pursue content creation full time.) Before founding the Hype House, he briefly lived in another content house, Team 10, in 2019; after three months, he claimed he’d been fired from the group “for no reason.” But the 23-year-old told Entertainment Tonight that his time in that group influenced his designs for the Hype House. “I took a lot of inspiration from Team 10 and from Jake [Paul],” Petrou said in March 2020. “I just saw where I could change it and tweak it and turn it into something different and a little bit better in some ways.”

Petrou is dating fellow Hype House member Mia Hayward, and the two act like the quasi-parents of the house. Petrou handles the group’s business ventures and feels a strong responsibility to mentor the next generation of creators, but during Season 1, he struggles with maintaining both the brand and his friendships.  

LILHUDDY aka Chase Hudson Stockton, California, native Hudson co-founded the Hype House alongside Petrou so he could collaborate with other social media stars. Known for his lip-synching, dance and thirst-trap videos, Hudson recently moved out of the Hype House to focus on his pop-punk career. And the 19-year-old is already collaborating with big names in the industry — in January 2021, Hudson starred in Downfalls High, the accompanying film to Machine Gun Kelly’s album Tickets to My Downfall, alongside Euphoria and White Lotus actress Sydney Sweeney; later that year, after filming for Hype House wrapped, he released his debut album, Teenage Heartbreak, with the help of famed Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

In Season 1, Hudson finds that his relationships are suffering because of the move, and now has to decide what to prioritize: music or friendships. 

Nikita Dragun Originally from Virginia, Dragun, 25, began her online career in 2013, when she started uploading makeup tutorials on YouTube. Since then, she’s expanded into business, founding her own makeup company, Dragun Beauty. In 2015, she came out as a trans woman and began publicly advocating for transgender rights.

As the oldest member of Hype House, Dragun is often seen mediating disputes between various younger members, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get into a fair share of hot water herself. 

Alex Warren Warren, 21, is best-known for his prank videos and vlogs, but a mere two years ago, he was homeless and sleeping in friends’ cars. After his father passed away, when he was 9, his mother raised him but dealt with alcoholism and behavioral issues; she threw him out of the house when he was 17. But Warren kept making videos, and his following grew from 1 million to 14 million in just a year. Now he’s chasing his dreams with girlfriend, Kouvr Annon, at his side.

Kouvr Annon Annon, 21, is known for her lip-sync dance videos and rose to fame alongside her boyfriend, Warren. After growing up in Hawaii, she took a leap of faith and moved to California for her and Warren’s relationship, and she’s determined to make it work.

Larri Merritt aka Larray Originally from Los Angeles, Merritt got his start on Vine. After the app shut down, he moved to YouTube and began making high-energy videos playing Roblox. His stage name, Larray, actually comes from being a fan of Miley Cyrus. Since her full name is Miley Ray Cyrus, he calls himself Larray Cyrus on his stan account.

Larray, 22, has faced criticism for joining the Hype House. In the show, he aims to show his fans that he’s still who they remember. 

Mia Hayward Hayward, Petrou’s girlfriend, is known for lifestyle and modeling content. As the queen of the Hype House, Hayward, 21, tries to make day-to-day tasks like cleaning run smoothly, but it’s not without some mess.  

Vinnie Hacker At just 19, Hacker is the newest member of the Hype House. But he has clout to make up for it — on TikTok alone, he’s amassed over 12 million followers with his self-proclaimed “thirst traps.” But his true passion is streaming on Twitch, having previously lived at the Sway Gaming House. Can he navigate the social dynamics of this new group while doing what he loves?