After more than a decade of intense fan speculation, British YouTube stars Dan Howell and Phil Lester—collectively known as Dan and Phil—have officially confirmed they are in a romantic relationship, revealing they have been dating since they first met in 2009.
The long-rumoured news was announced in a candid 46-minute video posted to their joint YouTube channel on Monday, October 13, 2025, titled, “Are Dan and Phil in a Relationship?” The pair opened the video by directly addressing the question that has fuelled a massive online subculture, affectionately known as “Phan”.
“Alright, let’s get this over with. Are Dan and Phil in a relationship?” Howell, 34, asked the camera. Lester, 38, simply replied, “Yes.”
The confirmation ends what has been one of the most long-standing and talked-about conspiracies in internet history.
A Love Story That Began in 2009
The couple shared that their romance began almost immediately after they first connected online and met in person in 2009. “We fell into it hard and fast in 2009 and here we are almost 16 years later,” Howell admitted in the video.
They explained that their relationship evolved so quickly and naturally that they never felt the need to formally label it in the early days, leading to their unique situation of living and working together without public confirmation.
They have resided together since 2011, first in Manchester, then in London, and now in a home they designed and purchased together in 2021.
Protecting Their Private Lives
The duo acknowledged that the intense fan focus on their private lives, which began to dominate their online presence, was a primary reason for their decades of silence.
Both creators came out as gay in emotional, separate videos in June 2019, with Howell referencing their past romantic involvement but declining to specify its current status at the time.
Howell explained in the recent video that keeping their relationship private was a means of protection. “If anything happened in our private life… we would destroy our own careers,” he said, citing the immense pressure and the fear of the public reaction that could tear their joint career apart.
Lester also reflected that the years of public prying “should have been the happiest times of our life,” but the need for secrecy was isolating.
A New Chapter and a Podcast
Despite the secrecy, the pair emphasized the strength of their nearly 16-year partnership. “We are weird,” Howell laughed, “We are a bizarre example of a relationship. Like, we’ve been attached at the hip 24/7 for 15 years.”
Looking forward, the pair assured fans that their content would not suddenly shift to “couple vloggers in bed” or become overly romantic on camera. Instead, they announced their next joint venture: The Dan and Phil Podcast, where they plan to finally share some of the stories and opinions they have been suppressing for years.
The news has been met with an outpouring of support from fans and fellow creators, celebrating the couple’s decision to finally share their truth.
The Dan and Phil Podcast is set to launch soon, marking a new era of honesty and joint content for the beloved YouTubers.
