When asking for ‘editing tips’ you don’t think, or even imagine, that it’ll lead to an amazing 16 year relationship. Luckily, this was exactly the case for long time YouTubers Daniel Howell and Phil Lester.
The pair met in October of 2009 after Dan reached out to Phil for editing advice. The day they met, they filmed a video titled “Phil is not on fire”- a playful combination of both their channels names- and released it on October 25th, 2009. The video’s quirky humor and offbeat charm became an instant hit, marking it at the beginning of their creative partnership.
Since then, they have kept producing content, both solo and together, that ignited the ‘phans’ (Phil and Phil fans) in what was the birth of the tumbler era in the early 2010’s. Their unique dynamic fueled one of the most passionate fanbases of the early Internet, filled with GIFs, edits, and inside jokes. The fans dissected every glance and joke, and were convinced that there was more than just a friendship between the two creators.
For years, speculations swirled about Dan and Phil potentially being romantically involved. The rumors were so intense that fans, even tabloids and interviewers, began prying into their personal lives. The phandom developed dedicated shippers who incessantly pushed the two together while Dan and Phil always denied the allegations.
This was largely because Dan wasn’t really to come out publicly due to an extremely homophobic experience while growing up. And the public pressure of being a young YouTuber with a massive audience, made it that much more daunting. People were convinced and nothing that the pair said could quench their fans’ thirst for a supposed relationship.
That changed on June 13th, 2019, when Dan released a deeply personal video 45 minute video “Basically I’m Gay” in which he came out as queer. The video wasn’t just a coming out announcement, it was a reflection on identity, shame, and the power of self- acceptance. Phil was secure with his sexuality and was out in his private life since he was in college but chose to wait until Dan was ready to do so first. Seventeen days after Dan posted his video, Phil uploaded his own coming out video, this one being only 7 minutes long.
Even after coming out, Dan and Phil wanted to keep their relationship private and off social media. Not out of secrecy or shame, but because, as Dan expressed, “it’s a part of us that feels sacred”. They had spent over a decade under public scrutiny, and protecting their relationship from the chaos of fandom culture became a form of self preservation. Their fans, although loving and supportive, could be overbearing- some going as far to reaching out to extended family to get “the truth.”
Then, on October 13th, 2025, the moment that the internet was waiting for: the two officially came out as a couple. A full 16 years after the fateful message, they confirmed what many had long suspected and hoped was true.
In the video they discuss the many reasons why they kept their relationship off the internet- they didn’t want to be known for a ‘gay boyfriend’ gimmick- they wanted to be known for their own collective creative individualism no matter how much people saw them as the ultimate duo.
Dan commented on the public’s incessant digging into wether or not they were in a relationship “You knew, did you- how? Did you have some sort of hard evidence cause you consumed or sought out incredibly personally invasive with no regard for how that makes people feel?”
Beyond the memes and nostalgia, Dan and Phil’s story represents something rare in the digital age- a love that survived viral fame, speculation, and the pressure of living life online. From awkward editing tips to global tours and shared homes, their relationship has been a quiet constant behind the chaos of YouTube’s evolution and has taught as a great deal about parasocial boundaries with our favorite creators.
Sixteen years later, it’s safe to say: the internet grew up with Dan and Phil. And somehow, love — and maybe a little bit of good editing — kept us together all along.
Katya Ozerkov
Katya Ozerkov is an outgoing content strategist at The Georgia Sun. Despite not being a native Georgian, she has immersed herself in Georgia's vibrant arts scene for several years. As an artist first and foremost, she is passionate about interacting with and fostering connections with artists in the Greater Atlanta metro area and building a supportive creative community.
