Phan shippers, rise! After 16 years of collaborations, dominating YouTube, and riding the original wave of the "Brit Crew" on the platform, popular creators Dan and Phil, aka Daniel Howell and Philip Lester, finally confirmed that they've been dating for the entirety of that time. The couple first started making collaboration videos back in 2009, eventually becoming roommates and buying a house together as their profile grew, becoming associated more so for their work together rather than as individual creators.
Dan, 34, and Phil, 38, posted a video on their joint channel simply titled "Are Dan and Phil in a Relationship?" which has received over 1.7 million views less than 24 hours after going live (as of writing). The pair discuss the parasocial relationships fans had formed with them over the years and the anxiety they felt over followers trying to "out" them and their relationship before they had the chance to explain it themselves.
"This is why all of the digging from people online hit a nerve, because Phil was my safe space. You were my first boyfriend…," Dan tenderly shared. "You were a literal ray of light in my life back then," adding: "Having all of these people trying to out us, and being so hostile to me when I tried to hide it, was so triggering. Honestly, it could have killed me."
For the uninitiated, here's the skinny on Dan and Phil, their YouTube careers, and what they've said about their relationship…
Who are Dan and Phil?
Phil, born in Lancashire, England in January 1987, first began posting videos on his channel AmazingPhil. Several of his earlier content included daily vlogs, comedic sketches and funny bits that amassed a sizable online audience as one of the first dedicated "creators" on the platform. His personal channel now has over 3.8 million subscribers.
Dan, born in Berkshire, England in June 1991, began uploading his own content on the channel danisnotonfire (now boasting over six million subs) in 2009. He was inspired by creators like Phil to begin posting, having become friends with him online in 2009 (and later in person). They then posted their first ever collab, titled "phil is not on fire" on Phil's channel that year, which now has nearly nine million views.
The video sparked a major interest in the pair as a duo, and inspired regular collaborations, including vlogging content, Q&As, challenges, and gaming, and a yearly "phil is not on fire" video until 2018. Their style at the time, in particular, became a trademark of theirs, especially the emo and goth-inspired sideswept dark bangs. As their online profiles took off, they branded their collaborations more fervently, starting their joint channel Dan and Phil in 2014 (now with nearly three million subs), hosting a BBC Radio 1 show in 2013-14 and doing global comedy tours.
Dan and Phil's personal lives
Beyond their friendships with other popular YouTubers, and their status as roommates for the majority of their time together (first moving in together in 2011), the pair have kept their personal lives off the internet. In 2019, after admitting to feeling "pressure" from the internet to do so, Dan shared a coming out video revealing he was queer.
Phil followed up with one of his own sharing the same later that month. He confirmed in his own coming out video that he and Dan were indeed in a romantic relationship when they first met, although declined to comment on their current status. "I bet so many people wanna know so much more about that, which, honestly, I take as a compliment, but here's the thing… I'm somebody who wants to keep the details of my personal life private. So is Phil."
After finally confirming they have indeed been together the entirety of the last 16 years, Dan added in their new video: "Look, sure, this is a scary time in the world. Let's be real, it feels like things are sliding backwards because the fighting for what was important was going a bit too well. But I think that's why it's more important than ever that we're like, 'You know what? Hey, here we are, gay. And what?'"