A STRICTLY Come Dancing star has been stalked by an American man for four years, a court heard.
US-born Robert Beckman, 31, bombarded the popular vlogger and YouTuber with emails, social media comments and letters in a stalking blitz which began in 2022.
During the four-year campaign, Beckman sent numerous messages to YouTuber Joe Sugg from multiple different locations – even Gatwick Airport.
The crusade left Sugg, 35, suffering “serious alarm and distress” and affected his daily life, a court heard.
The stalker even came to the UK from his home in and continued besiege the celebrity, who appeared on Strictly in 2018.
Today Beckman, 31, pleaded guilty to pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to stalking.
He was told he would be facing jail when he is sentenced in court next month.
YouTuber was not in court to hear the guilty pleas.
Brighton Crown Court heard the campaign began in August 2022 and only ended last month.
The court heard the messages were so serious they adversely affected Sugg’s ability to be able live a normal life.
The charge said the stalking happened at various locations, including Gatwick Airport.
It read: “[Beckman] pursued a course of conduct, namely sending multiple email, letters and social media comments, which amounted to stalking causing Joseph Sugg serious alarm or distress, which had a substantial adverse effect on his usual day-to-day activities when you knew or ought to have known that your course of conduct would cause alarm or distress.”
It said the alleged offence was Contrary to section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
He also pleaded guilty to failing to hand over to investigators a key or passcode for his 13.
Beckman appeared in the dock of Court 1 at Brighton wearing dark trousers and a baggy grey sweatshirt and was supported in court by his US-based father.
He confirmed his name and pleaded guilty to both counts in a clear voice when they were put to him.
At the end of the 15 minute hearing Beckman was remanded in custody.
Sugg, 35, rose to fame in the 2010s as part of the British squad, and lives with his partner, professional dancer , 37, in a large house near Brighton, East Sussex.
In March this year they welcomed their first child together – a baby son, Bowden.
Joe and Dianne struck up a romance when they were paired together during the sixteenth series of BBC1’s in 2018.
Earlier this year Dianne gave birth a baby boy named Bowden, with her son’s middle names a nod to both her father Mark and Joe’s late grandfather Richard, who died in 2021.
Sharing the happy news they had welcomed Bowden, Dianne’s post included a picture of son in her arms, along with the moment she and Joe brought their baby boy home from the hospital.
She captioned the post: “Never felt a love like it. Baby Bowden Mark Richard Sugg. 16/03/26.”
Dianne was the first professional in Strictly’s history to compete while pregnant, before her partner Stefan Dennis was forced to pull out due to injury in 2025.
For their pregnancy reveal video, poignantly set to ‘s Tiny Dancer, Dianne and Joe set up an easel and pretended to paint a picture together, with playful dramatics.
They then picked up the canvas to display it to the camera, revealing a drawing of two stickmen – one with Dianne’s signature flaming red hair – holding hands with a baby.
Joe’s sister, Zoe Sugg, aka , and her partner Alfie Deyes are also YouTube sensations though they have vanished almost entirely from social media.
Fans maintain hope, pointing to Alfie’s sporadic posts as proof that the couple, who soared to fame as vloggers in 2012, would return to their regularly scheduled programming.
However their YouTube channels have remained silent with Deyes’ last post 10 months ago.
Beckman will be sentenced next month.
