'I was bullied for my love of gaming - now I earn £7k a month from my bedroom'

A woman who was bullied for her love of gaming has turned her passion into a career – now earning up to £7,000 a month.

Natalie Barnes spent years trying to build a name for herself in the world of gaming from the comfort of her own bedroom.

The 20-year-old, from Wigan, even deferred an offer to study law at the University of Liverpool in a bid to concentrate on her hobby.

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Starting off with just a handful of viewers, Natalie built up her gaming profile by staying up all night streaming after school and is now known by users all over the globe.

Incredibly, she’s the most watched female player on Apex Legends in Europe and ninth overall in the world.

Spending hours on her gaming console, Natalie live-streams games which others watch and participate in by paying a subscription fee.

Her popularity has meant she’s been invited to participate in tournaments and conventions all over the USA.

She’s now set her sights on securing a visa to live and work as a content creator in Austin, Texas, a popular location for those in the gaming industry.

“I’m incredibly proud,” Natalie told the Manchester Evening News. “Turning something you love into a job is amazing.

“There are millions of people trying to make a career and I made it.

“I have a community of people that watch me and admire me daily, I don’t think anything beats that.

“I didn’t know when I started gaming at 11 years old that this would be how my life turned out, but I'm so glad it did.”

But Natalie’s journey to success hasn’t been easy, having experienced sexism while trying to make a name for herself in the male-dominated world of gaming.

The bullying