Dan and Phil's life together has been an absolute whirlwind of joy and laughter, the most exhilarating adventure they've ever embarked on. For years, fans have been abuzz with speculation about whether Dan Howell and Phil Lester—who first teamed up to create YouTube content back in 2009—were more than just collaborators. Finally, in an October 13th video titled "Is Phan Real? Dan and Phil Reveal the Truth," the dynamic duo officially confirmed their relationship status to their 2.9 million YouTube subscribers, revealing that they've been romantically involved all along.
"Alright, let's get this over with," Dan, 34, kicked off the conversation. "Are Dan and Phil in a relationship?" Phil, 38, responded with a simple, "Yes." Dan, with a twinkle in his eye, quipped, "Alright, bye. Oh, sorry, you wanted more, didn't you? You crave the details? The gossip? The blood, sweat, and tears?"
Phil chuckled, acknowledging that their obsession with their relationship status might be "partly our fault." "We started filming YouTube videos together on the very day we met," he said, laughing as he added, "I wouldn't recommend that." Dan chimed in, "We signed up to be professional entertainers, to create content for you to enjoy." Yet, as fate would have it, they "fell hard and fast" in 2009. "And here we are, almost 16 years later," Dan mused.
Despite being together for all these years, the YouTubers—who each came out separately in June 2019—never really labeled their relationship. Dan noted, "We just ended up living together, and here we are." Phil even joked that they weren't "technically" together because they never explicitly said the words, though he shared that they were "partners in everything."
"It's not always perfect," Phil continued. "Don't get it into your head that we're the epitome of human partnerships." Dan added, "We've had our ups and downs. Like anyone, if you're a mess, we're a mess." "We're weird," he laughed. "We're a bizarre example of a relationship. Like, we've been attached at the hip 24/7 for 15 years."
Still, they pondered whether they should publicly address questions about their sexuality or whom they "may or may not be dating." Phil wondered if the nature of their relationship was "something that our audience has the right to know?" As Dan put it, "A big thing with sharing the details of your personal life is how it affects what you do. Because Dan and Phil, the comedy duo, and Dan and Phil, the gay boyfriends, it's a different vibe."
And even though they've now officially confirmed they're together, Dan and Phil aren't planning on transforming their content into "couple vloggers in bed" or focusing solely on romance. Their main goal remains to make their audience laugh. "We've been held back from doing this for so many years," Dan confessed, "because of all the past trauma and terror of what could happen in the future."
As Phil said to their audience, "But if you'll have us, we'd love to just finally be ourselves and do what we love, which is really how this should have been all along." Dan also shared that they hope their viewers "meet us with the same energy."
