Overview

• In a 46–47 minute video titled “Are Dan and Phil in a Relationship?” posted Monday to their joint YouTube channel, Phil Lester answered “Yes” as Dan Howell posed the question.
• They said they “fell into it” in 2009 and later lived together, with both having publicly come out as gay in 2019.
• Howell cited being “deep in the closet,” fears of homophobia, and a wish to be known for their work rather than their status as reasons for keeping the relationship private.
• Addressing years of fan shipping and invasive speculation, they called the announcement a “clean slate,” set boundaries against digging, and stressed they will not pivot to couple‑vlogging.
• They announced The Dan and Phil Podcast as their next joint project, as the reveal video drew more than 1.5 million views in under 24 hours according to outlets tracking YouTube metrics.