“The closet was transparent”: Netizens react as YouTubers Dan and Phil reveal they’ve been in a relationship for almost 16 years

Dan and Phil have confirmed that they have been in a relationship since 2009. The YouTubers, who individually came out as gay in 2019, made the announcement on Monday, October 13.

Dan Howell and Phil Lester posted a video on their joint channel, Dan and Phil, on Monday. They addressed rumors that they have been in a relationship for years. In the video, the couple sat down in front of a camera. Howell said:

"Alright, let's get this over with. Are Dan and Phil in a relationship?"

Lester replied:

"Yes"

Howell then jokingly pretended to leave the frame and said:

"Alright, bye."

He then sat back down and said:

"Oh, sorry, you wanted more, did you?"

They confirmed that they have been in a relationship since they first met in 2009, saying:

"We fell into it hard and fast in 2009 and here we are almost 16 years later."

Lester joked:

"Stop telling me how long it was. So yeah, relationship, boyfriends."

Fans online have reacted to this announcement, as one X (formerly Twitter) user joked,

"The closet was transparent"

edward

@onbrandviews

@PopCrave The closet was transparent 😭

Another user wrote,

˚✧ stephanie 🧚🏻‍♀️

@glittersnot

@PopCrave fork found in kitchen

Another commented,

Clara 🎶

@claramelonss

@PopCrave 16 yrs together?? i can't even last 16 seconds near someone i actually WANT without forgetting what personal space means 😭😭

Fans continued to react to Dan and Phil's announcement, as one user tweeted,

Mallary 🪩✨💜

@MallaryT

@PopCrave Ok consider me out of the loop but did they not confirm this a few years ago? Did I imagine that or what?

Another wrote,

Brijesh Kumar Yadav

@Brijeshyadav38

@PopCrave 16 years of keeping the best secret on the internet! True legends. This isn't just a ship, it's a battleship. 🚢❤️

Another commented,

🍋ྀིྀི k¡w¡¡ ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

@KiwiiMadeIt1982

Can’t believe 2 people could keep their relationship a secret for 16 years. Wow. So surprised. Shocked. 😐

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Dan and Phil open up about labeling their relationship and their ups and downs

In their video, the couple also said that they didn't label their relationship in the early phases. Howell explained that they just started living together and have been with each other since, saying:

"It was so fast that we never labeled it. We just ended up living together and here we are."

They also spoke about the ups and downs in their relationship and how they have dealt with things like any other normal human relationship. Lester said:

"No, it's not always perfect. Don't get it into your head that we are the ideal of human partnerships."

"We have had ups and downs like anybody. We have lived a thousand lifetimes of a normal person's partnership and I have no idea why we've survived," Howell added.

The couple also asserted that their content will not change following the announcement. However, they did announce the launch of the Dan and Phil Podcast. Lester joked:

"15 years of suppressing all of these stories and opinions and they're finally gonna come out."

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When Dan and Phil spoke about reuniting on their YouTube channel and tour

Dan and Phil had gone their separate ways in terms of career after their 2018 tour, Interactive Introverts. Howell released a book titled You Will Get Through This Night and did a solo comedy tour in 2023 called We're All Doomed. Hester, meanwhile, continued with YouTube on his individual channel, AmazingPhil.

They then returned to their joint gaming channel in October 2023, which happened naturally, as Howell explained in an interview with PEOPLE, published on October 6, 2024. Hester, meanwhile, admitted that he instigated them coming back together, saying:

"I have kind of been the evil angel or devil, based on what you think… I've been on Dan's shoulder, whispering in his ear, saying, 'What if we came back? What if we did a tour?' "

The couple did their third joint tour, Terrible Influence, in North America last year, which was a big success.