Adam Blampied is the creator and original Channel Director of No Rolls Barred and the driving force behind the channel, featuring in the overwhelming majority of its videos until August 2023.
- "If I can make a dog sad then I've done something with my day"
- ―Adam (Let's Play HERD MENTALITY)
A devoted boyfriend to Sullivan, Adam is the author of almost every first rule of Board Game Club, introducer of the hellos, and purveyor of the nameybobs nickname system. He often feuds with Holly as well as Monopoly, and is the target of many hobbible annoyances from Dom. Adam is a member of the Sexy Legends and Team Rocket, and is attracted to The Lion King's Nala. A fan of wrestling, Adam often uses the Too Sweet sign.
Despite Adam's love of board games being "inseparable" from his personality, particularly social deduction games, he loses an awful lot of them. This is compounded by the rest of the cast ganging up to prevent him winning. The colour of his hair is the subject of feverish internet conversation, and according to Pictionary, But IMPOSSIBLE MODE, he is known for his enormous penis size.
Adam is great at curating a game and a group of people to ensure that both entertaining content is generated and participants are emotionally safe and comfortable. He and the cast speak frequently of the emotional and social care they take of one another. The net result of this management is that the cast feel like a friendship group with all the accompanying jokes and tensions.
The NRB cast has largely been recruited through their direct or indirect connections with Adam. These have included old friends (Tom), friends and previous co-workers at Draughts (Blair, Isaac and Elliott), those he knew from WrestleTalk (Laurie, Luke, Pete and Oli), and his fellow sketch comedians (Sully and Jon).
Outside of No Rolls Barred, he was involved significantly with content and production for the WrestleTalk, WrestleTalk Podcast and partsFUNknown channels. Trident claimed Adam has generated around 1 billion views across multiple YouTube channels. He published a short story collection, Serious Stories From A Serious Boy in December 2020.
On 12 September 2023 Adam resigned from Trident Digital Media following an ongoing investigation into accusations of misconduct. Adam's statement on his resignation explained that he was stepping back from YouTube to protect his own mental health and those around him.
Biography
Adam grew up in Jersey with an older and a younger sister. He has a law degree from Durham University (often referenced during stupid parts of episodes, as in "I can't believe I'm doing this - I have a law degree") and later attended drama school in London. In 2012, his screenplay Eugene won a screenwriting competition and was professionally filmed. He was an extra in Kick-Ass. For some time, he performed in sketch comedy group The Beta Males with Jon Gracey.
Adam later became a well-known wrestling YouTuber, but eventually stepped away from YouTube for personal and mental health reasons. During this time, he managed one of the Draughts board game cafes in London. He has stated that he got into board games through Wil Wheaton's TableTop and The Dice Tower's top 10 lists. In February 2020, after a guest appearance on WrestleTalk which was well received by the audience, he was signed to the channel. The arrangement included the launch of a new channel about board games, although this was significantly delayed by COVID restrictions. In late 2020, Adam's personal channel was re-launched as Phenoma-Nerds, later becoming No Rolls Barred in early 2021.
Notable moments
Adam appeared in almost every episode of No Rolls Barred content until August 2023, so highlights are very difficult to narrow down. The following are some of his more notable moments.
Blair marking another loss for Adam on the board
- The sheer range of emotions that passed across Adam's face, during the Telestrations segment of the 10 Hour Board Game Club Marathon For 50K Subs!!!, when he saw the prompt 'tree vagina', is a special moment in early NRB history.
- In Let's Play WAVELENGTH II we learned that Adam believes Nala from the Lion King to be sexier than most Disney humans - in fact, what could be more sexy? We chose not to kink shame.
- When we're trying hard to fight the 'Adam is a heel' meta, things like him supposedly forgetting a key rule to his own advantage, in Let's Play NO THANKS really don't help.
- In Let's Play UNFATHOMABLE, Adam started as 'an entitled, upper-class, slightly snobby Brit who's fallen on hard times' - really putting that drama school training to the test. The real joy of this episode, though, came from his traitor turn in the later game. Even as a fairly smug winner, there's something very infectious about his triumph.
- In January 2022 in the video 10 Board Game Resolutions For 2022, Adam made a resolution that he would win 22 games on Board Game Club in 2022, stating "I will win twenty two games of Board Game Club, and if I do not, I will film myself playing —five times in a row— Monopoly. I have never been more motivated in my life." He proceeded to track this using a chalkboard over the following year.
- Let's Play FIASCO was a delight for all of the cast. Adam playing scenes with Tom, in particular, was glorious - the benefits of long and close friendship and two people who are just really good at this stuff.
- In Let's Play WEREWORDS, it wasn't Adam not talking that was interesting to watch, it was Adam not talking with his hands.
- Let's Play LIFEBOATS was a riot of back-stabbing, broken promises and betrayal - a large part of it perpetrated by Adam. At the beginning, though, we got an explicit check-in with the cast that was sweet and endearing.
- A highlight of a different kind: Let's Play MODERN ART built quickly to a raucous exchange between Sullivan and Carley, which escalated to hysteria until Adam reset the room, making sure everyone was ok and feeling comfortable.
- In Let's Play MOONRAKERS Adam chose the very first turn to lie and cheat his way through a deal. He was then surprised that nobody was cheering him on and beefs were created.
- Candy Land, BUT SOMEHOW WORSE included the increasingly inebriated Adam and Sully creating a Christmas story one word at a time, attempting to commune with the cards and making their way through a bottle of sherry.
- In Let's Play DECRYPTO II at the end of 2022, Adam finally won 22 games. He announced a charity event that would replace five games of Monopoly in NRB Charity Livestream ANNOUNCEMENT!!, in which he stated he would grant the wishes of the NRB cast for charity. The ten hour livestream fundraised for Shelter. He kept his chalkboard until the end of 2022, winning "with one to spare”.
- In the NRB Wish Charity Livestream!! itself, the rest of the cast chose games and activities for Adam to complete. He referred to this as "We are back here on the NRB Punishment Stream where all of my best friends have colluded to make my life a living hell". The stream did finish with a single game of Monopoly and Adam spoke directly to the audience about that: "How are you enjoying this so far? Do you want four more? You pricks!... You want four more? You don't know what you want! I know what you want!"
- In Ding Dom Merrily On High, Adam was the Snake Charmer. On Night 3, he charmed Dom, the Demon and started a chain of events that resulted in abject failure.
- In Let's Play GREEN TEAM WINS, Adam, who once said Board Game Etiquette Rule No. 10 is "no house rules, children", suggested a house rule.
Quotes
- "You never realise what a bunch of nerds your friends are until someone comes to visit, do you?"
- "Down. The. Fucking. Hatch. You had it, you had it in your hands, and you threw it away. You threw it away. G...G7. That's how you close, motherfucker. That's how you fucking close when you've got a ship in your sights. That's how you do it. Don't you ever come for house rules again! Do you hear me? This is my house. This is the house that I built. You drink it slow. No, fuck it, let me top you up Sullivan. Let me top you up so it's a nice full shot for you, my boy. There you go. There you go. Down the hatch. Don't you ever make me feel like that again on house rules!"
- "My way of negotiating with Sully is often referred to as the 'jingling keys method', where if I jingle the keys quickly enough, he will get overstimulated and agree to whatever it is I propose."
- "[mocking Sullivan] Do you want me to tell you what [the move] is? Do you want me to tell you what this is [gives him the finger] Sullivan? How fucking dare you? How dare he?"
- "Try and infer an emotion, I fucking dare you"
More quotes by Adam Blampied can be found here!
Appraisals
- "Annie Lennox wannabe... Bieber-looking bastard"
- "How do they get people to like them? Make a YouTube channel to get people to hang out with them. "
- "You smug son of a bitch... fuck you... even in victory you are the smuggest.."
- "You've really Rick Thundered yourself by doing this whole wins and losses thing. [to which Adam replied 'I have to make myself integral! Laurie's coming for my job!']"
- ―Tom (Let's Play 6 NIMMT)
- "He's one of the most socially intelligent people I've ever met"
More appraisals of Adam Blampied by the rest of the cast can be found here!
Appearances
Appearances by Adam are listed here!