Overview
- In a 46–47 minute YouTube video posted Oct. 13 titled “Are Dan and Phil in a Relationship?”, Dan Howell and Phil Lester answered “yes” and said they have been together since 2009.
- The pair said they will keep firm boundaries around their personal life and will not pivot to couple vlogging, while launching The Dan and Phil Podcast as their next project.
- Howell cited being “deep in the closet,” a homophobic upbringing, and fear of reactions as key reasons for secrecy, and both noted they wanted to be known as a comedy duo rather than a “cute gay couple” gimmick.
- They addressed years of intense fan shipping and parasocial scrutiny, describing the pressure as overwhelming and saying this disclosure is a fresh start with clear limits on what they will share.
- By midweek the reveal had drawn millions of views, trended widely, and was followed by an Instagram post thanking fans for supportive messages and memes.