Welcome back to another very special Model Citizens post. This week, we’re thrilled to feature one of our favorite PH couples, Zilv Gudel and Rourke, and figure out what it is that makes them so special.
Zilv and Rourke shared their story on how they met, how gaining popularity affected their relationship, and the ground rules they set when they got started. So if you're as much of a sucker for a love story as we are, then keep on reading.
How did you get started in the industry? With Pornhub?
Zilv: One day, Rourke and I set up a phone on one end of the bedroom to record us during sex just to see what it looked like; it was purely out of curiosity and for personal use at first. We were kind of surprised by the footage and thought it looked sexy. We looked pretty good doing what we were doing. Of course, being as open-minded and adventurous as we are, we decided to upload it on Pornhub just to see if we would get any views and comments. We uploaded a few clips and got around 250k in just a few weeks.
Rourke panicked and decided to delete the channel and ask Pornhub to take them down so no family members or friends would see them. By then, though, we already had a few subscribers and fans on Instagram and they were disappointed to see the end of us. One fan suggested we join the Model Program and start profiting from our videos. So I looked into it and read about how Modelhub works and decided to give it a go.
Within the first few weeks, our earnings reached almost half of what I make in a month at work. By the second month, we made more than what I made in 3 months with a full-time job, so I decided to quit and invest more time and effort into this. It’s enabled us to accomplish our dreams a lot sooner than originally planned.
How has it affected your relationship? Did you set ground rules or guidelines?
Rourke: It’s had a positive impact on our relationship. We started out in the business together, which mean we’ve been experiencing this special adventure together. We’re also experimenting so much more in the bedroom, trying out new positions and requests from fans which we never thought of doing. We are growing, learning, and improving together. At the beginning, we set some rules and agreed we would explore fans’ requests but never do something if one of us is uncomfortable with it. We also agreed we wouldn’t involve others.
Courtesy by Zilv Gudel and Rourke
Tell us a bit about your upbringing and how you got to where you are in life?
Rourke: I was born on January 27, 2000 in a small country town in Leicestershire. I grew up in a big happy family with 3 sisters and 5 brothers. It was crazy loud, but amazing. It’s nice to have so many people who have your back when you need them. I looked after my 5 younger siblings quite often for my parents, but I enjoyed it. It’s made me a more caring and supportive person.
When I finished high school, I came out to my whole family. I remember being 16 and my mum actually asking me. My sisters used to say they wished they had a gay best friend or even better, a gay brother. But for some reason, this still didn’t give me the confidence to come out. I knew for sure I was gay when I was 14. My mum used to always joke about it, but said that if I ever was, there’s nothing to be ashamed of and I’d still be her son.
I remember having tea with my mum and sisters and the topic of sexuality came up. I felt uncomfortable, so I went upstairs. My mum came to see me alone and she just asked me if I was gay. She wanted me to be myself. She didn’t want me to hide. There was silence for a few seconds. I looked at her in the eyes and just nodded. She gave me the biggest hug and started to cry. She emphasized how proud she was of me and how much she loved me; how nothing changed and she always knew. I am so lucky to have the most supportive family. I am so loved and cherished.
How did you two meet?
Rourke: I studied college in my hometown and met Zilv in my last year. I travelled to Essex every single weekend to spend it with him. It broke my heart leaving him on Sunday to be back at school on Monday. I had already applied to university close to my hometown, but meeting Zilv made me apply near him because I couldn’t be apart from him for another three years. The day I got accepted and the day I finished college was the exact same day I moved in with Zilv.
It was hard to leave my friends and family back in Leicestershire, but I have never been happier. My new life is full of happiness and joy and love, and we often go back to visit everyone.
On November 22, 2018, Zilv took me to see my favourite band, Florence and the Machine, at the O2 arena in London and proposed to me. He had asked both my parents in advance, so they knew this whole time. My mum kept ringing me because she was so excited.
I was so happy, I didn’t stop hugging Zilv. I didn’t let go of him. I was on cloud nine and overwhelmed with joy and happiness.
Courtesy by Zilv Gudel and Rourke
Tell us about your camera and lighting setup? Any tech tips for our new models?
Zilv: We started off with my iPhone XS Max and then later started using a Canon G7 X Mark 2 since it has a flip-up screen so we can actually see what we’re doing and if we fit in the frame. We also use a professional tripod and LED studio lighting to brighten the footage since we do our filming in hotel rooms which are often rather dark. We also still use my iPhone XS Max with a cheap tripod for all our fan club videos.
What do you accredit your success to?
Rourke: I accredit all our success to Zilv. There’s no way we would’ve become so popular so quickly if Zilv wasn’t in the picture. Not only is he a star in my eyes and the most gorgeous, sexiest, and tastiest human being, but he is also clever and intelligent when it comes to marketing and creative ideas. He is really the brains and beauty of our business.
And of course, we wouldn’t be where we are if it wasn’t for the support, encouragement, and motivation from our fans all around the world. The lovely compliments, the unique requests, and the helpful advice is what pushes us to be the best for our fans. We’ve already reached 25 million views and 40,000 subscribers on Pornhub. It makes me feel so proud and good!
Courtesy by Zilv Gudel and Rourke
How do you use social media for marketing?
Rourke: I use social media to reply to fans and keep them updated. Many of our fans love our day-to-day life, so we occasionally post pictures that are non-related to porn. The only social media platform I use for porn-related posts is Twitter.
Zilv: We haven’t really done any marketing other than uploading short clips on Twitter of our free full videos and include the link to our Pornhub channel. They then get shared by other Twitter users, porn accounts with a lot of followers, and of course, our fan pages. The word spreads and that really is our only method of publicizing our content. We’ve also recently started a fan club on where we upload exclusive videos and images for the members. We also share previews of these on Twitter in order to notify people about this exclusive content.
How do you feel about joining the industry now compared to when you first started?
Rourke: I didn’t really put much thought into it since I had nothing to do with it. I never expected to join the industry, but it always looked fun to me — having sex and making money from it. It’s the dream! I had doubts at first, since I do like to have some privacy and showing my most intimate moments with Zilv is like taking away our privacy. However, the more we got into it and our supportive fan base rapidly grew, Zilv was able to quit his job which means I see so much more of him. So I’ve come to enjoy it. It actually raised my confidence.
It’s only been five months, but we’ve been doing so well and achieving so much. Fans from all around the world leave the kindest and loveliest compliments about Zilv and me. Between that and our growing fan base, it’s honestly boosted the way I see myself.
Courtesy by Zilv Gudel and Rourke
What fetishes have you experimented with?
Zilv: Anal has always been something that I’ve always wanted to try giving. I’m not sure if it is a fetish since it’s so common now, but it’s something I’ve always been mostly attracted to in porn videos since I was young. Rourke is the first and only boy I have ever had any sexual experience with. Before him, I only ever slept with women, but never tried anal. Rourke, of course, changed that and I never looked back. His submissiveness, devotion, dirty mind, and sluttiness blew my mind.
What’s on your “porn bucket list?” Things you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?
Zilv: We both have always been extremely intrigued by threesomes, gang bangs, and so on. I am a dominant guy, and always wanted to experience it by being one of the men in the process. Rourke, being very submissive, has always had a fantasy of being used by more than one guy at the same time; pleasing men has always been his fantasy. It’s something we both fantasized about when we were single, and it’s something we’ve been asked to be a part of. Of course it’s a very sexy thought, and it’s something we do enjoy watching and imagining, but at the same time, we’re so deeply in love that we feel it’d be simply wrong to do. We want a simple life of just us two and we think nobody else should experience our love. But we don’t know what the future holds, so never say never.
If you could go back in time to when you first started on Pornhub, what’s one piece of advice you would give yourself?
Zilv: I’d probably think of a better name that didn’t clash so much with my full name. I’d also invest in a tripod right away and probably hide or deactivate my social media accounts where we had people stalking us and messaging our family members with threats and lies about us. So for anyone who’s considering doing this, make sure your privacy settings are in order.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Zilv: Doing this has been the best thing we’ve ever done. It has helped us so much and has improved our relationship. Our dreams are becoming a reality at a rapid speed, and we couldn’t be more thankful to Pornhub, Modelhub, and of course our supporters and fans that are always there for us, encouraging us, promoting us, and helping us out with gifts and tips.
Follow Zilv Gudel and Rourke on Instagram for photos, vidoes, and updates on her next project.
Instagram @zilvgudel
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