Who Are Dan Howell & Phil Lester? About the YouTubers’ Relationship – Hollywood Life

British YouTube stars Dan Howell and Phil Lester finally confirmed that they’ve been dating for about 16 years. Fans of their “Dan and Phil” channel had long speculated about the nature of their relationship, and now the pair have verified the rumors themselves.

“We fell hard and fast in 2009, and here we are, almost 16 years later,” Dan said in an October 2025 YouTube video titled, “Are Dan and Phil in a Relationship?” Phil went on to add, “We’re partners in everything.”

For those unfamiliar with the internet duo, Hollywood Life has compiled everything you need to know about Dan and Phil here!

Who Are Dan & Phil?

Dan is a YouTuber, comedian, author and presenter from Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Apart from his success through the “Dan and Phil” YouTube account, he is also known for his own channel.

Phil, for his part, is a YouTuber and radio host from Rawtenstall, Lancashire, England. He is also known for his channel “AmazingPhil.”

The dynamic duo’s YouTube collaboration went on hiatus from 2018 to 2023.

How Old Are Dan & Phil?

The fellow internet personalities have a four-year age gap. Dan is 34, and Phil is 38 as of October 2025.

When Did Dan & Phil Start Dating?

Dan and Phil confirmed they started dating in 2009, and Dan even pointed out that Phil was his first exclusive relationship.

“Without getting too long or dark or deep, I had an extremely homophobic childhood,” Dan explained in their joint October 2025 video. “In my mid-20s, I felt we had to hide the relationship because I was still hiding who I was to my friends, family, myself. … Phil was my safe space. You were my first boyfriend.”

Dan went on to say that Phil was “a literal ray of light in [his] life back then” and he explained why they chose to keep their relationship a secret.

“And what we had was the most important thing to me, and I wanted to protect it,” Dan elaborated. “So, when other people tried to grab it and drag it into the light, I felt completely violated. Having all of these people trying to out us and being so hostile to me when I tried to hide it was so triggering. Honestly, it could have killed me.”

However, Dan later realized that he “spent so long not being authentic and being trapped in this situation” and realized the “cycle of never-ending closets” made him feel “trapped inside.”

Are Dan & Phil Still Together in 2025?

Yes, based on their October 2025 YouTube announcement, Dan and Phil are still together to this day. It’s unclear if they ever briefly broke up during their 16-year relationship.