Everybody, stay calm, but I have some exciting news: Dan and Phil made a return to YouTube as a pair in their most recent upload on Phil’s channel, titled “Something we want to tell you!” posted on Jan. 4!
Maybe the stay calm advisory is a bit too late; they already received quite the reaction, having trended on Twitter the day the video was released. Nostalgic fans were quick to react with a slew of memes: “Dan and Phil: make one video together Me: i am no longer mentally ill,” wrote one person. Same. Another tweet read: “can you believe dan and phil are the only men ever?” I KNOW! It’s crazy, right?
So where have Dan and Phil been? Well, after multiple book releases and two world tours (“The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire” in 2015 and “Interactive Introverts” in 2018), they took a breather from a lot of joint content. The duo paused their gaming channel, DanAndPhilGAMES, and I gotta say, I miss Dil and the rest of the Sims squad.
Dan’s last upload on his personal channel was his incredible coming out story, “Basically I’m Gay,” back in June of 2019. In the heartfelt and deeply personal video, he shared his journey growing up as a queer person, his challenges with mental health and his struggle with self-acceptance.
Phil posted his own video later the same month, “Coming Out To You.” Since then, Phil has continued making new solo videos every few weeks. Besides the recent “Viewers Pick My Outfits 2,” where viewers can hear Assistant Dan in the background, fans haven’t seen much of him otherwise; he’s on a break from his Daniel Howell channel after coming out.
In their latest video, Dan addressed the hiatus. He said, “This was an emotional and spiritual and personal growth journey that I chose to be on because, you know, the gay video, everything else. I really felt like I hadn’t really had time to ask ‘Who am I? What do I want? What am I doing? Why?’”
As Dan continues his pause, he and Phil assured us that there’s no secret decision to abandon the gaming channel or change it dramatically. Perhaps they will return to their former content or decide to do some game streaming. They’re also considering other combined future content for subscribers who prefer more casual conversation-based videos instead of gaming. So far, the plan is still up in the air.
Along with the tea on the break, viewers got the life update everyone has been waiting for: Dan and Phil bought a house! And they actually bought it in 2017! The pair has been busy designing everything for their newly built home, and they’re in the process of packing up their London apartment. Congrats, lads! If their in-real-life interior design skills are anything like what was seen in the Sims, the house is going to look great.
It’ll be a few more months before they get to move in, but they told the audience not to hold their breath for a house tour video; they might not be too interested in sharing everything for privacy reasons, as well as wanting to avoid materialism, explained Dan. They also mentioned that eventually, a dog could enter the picture, but for right now, they’re not prepared to take on the responsibility and emotional investment.
And as if the house news wasn’t exciting enough, there’s more. Dan’s been working on a number of mysterious plans that have been delayed due to the coronavirus and craziness of 2020. He announced the coming of his book, “You Will Get Through This Night,” on Instagram back in September.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFH2_0HFwTk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“You Will Get Through This Night,” as per his caption, is about understanding your mental health. He described it as deep, dark and personal, and besides making readers laugh and cry, it actually has “profound professional advice that might completely change your life.” The book is available for pre-order and is expected to be released in May later this year.
Besides the stress of writing his book, Dan has also been keeping busy with a number of photoshoots. He was featured in Attitude, the UK’s bestselling gay magazine, and he’s also going to star as a treasured creator on a YouTube billboard in London.
That being said, he hinted that one of his top-secret projects is new YouTube content, which he hasn’t been able to make yet. Unfortunately, he can’t give out any more spoilers than that, as he isn’t allowed to talk about whatever it is.
“I’m working on three things right now I’d say. One of them got delayed by COVID. One of them is probably impossible until lots of people can all congregate together. We’ll see how that works, but I am writing a book. That is known,” he concluded.
So a lot is in the works for Dan and Phil this upcoming year! The pair has always had the tendency to “Give the people what they want,” and while they have mastered the art of understanding their audience, their fanbase was glad to see them pause for a while to focus on and take care of themselves.
It’s important, especially for influencers and creators, to step back from social media for some air. I’m sure there’s a great deal of pressure that comes with the position — pressure to please the audience and pressure to stay relevant.
And each creator has done wonderful work opening up to their viewers and making their respective platforms spaces for even more self-expression. As an audience, it’s inspiring to see your favorite creators grow and produce more meaningful content that they’re proud of.
Dan and Phil’s loyal fanbase is looking forward to an eventual return to collaborative YouTube content. Fans are excited to see their new projects unravel, but in the meantime, Dan and Phil, take however long of a pause you need.
