After more than a decade of speculation, beloved British YouTubers Dan Howell and Phil Lester have officially confirmed that they are in a romantic relationship, finally addressing the long-standing “Phan” conspiracy in a highly anticipated YouTube video released on October 13, 2025.
The upload followed a cryptic X (formerly Twitter) post from Lester that read,
if you've ever been into dan and phil you might want to be online in an hour or so
— Phil Lester (@AmazingPhil) October 13, 2025
That single post sent fans into an instant frenzy, reigniting years of curiosity and speculation.
why is this the scariest tweet of all times https://t.co/9k1iRGLhIF
— cupid (@vmpirednp) October 13, 2025
In the 46-minute video, titled “Are Dan and Phil in a Relationship?”, the longtime collaborators looked back on their journey since meeting in 2009. They admitted that their friendship naturally deepened over time, with Howell saying, “We fell into it hard and fast in 2009, and here we are, almost 16 years later.”
While the two have often avoided labels, they now openly describe themselves as partners, though not married. Both reflected on how keeping their relationship private helped them protect their mental health and careers. “If anything happened in our private life… we would destroy our own careers,” Howell admitted.
Lester described the reveal as “another kind of coming out,” acknowledging the emotional weight behind their decision to go public. The pair also emphasized that while they wanted to share the truth, not every aspect of their personal lives is for public interpretation.
Fans across social media erupted with emotion — some crying, some celebrating — as they processed the long-awaited confirmation.
I want to show these 2 screenshots to a phannie in 2015 pic.twitter.com/AOcWXUbVxJ
— dan and phil comfort (@dnpcomfort) October 13, 2025
#dan: “thank you for being patient for so many years”#phil: “that’s okay :)”
— ashu ×͜× 🪜🍁 #HIMMY (@WH0DANCY) October 13, 2025
OHHHHHMYGODDDD THE WAY PHIL SAYS ITTTTTEGHHRRRE WHAAT!!!! pic.twitter.com/ReP5LvNHxR
DAN AND PHIL CONFIRMED OM THE INTERNET THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DATINF FOR 16 YEARS pic.twitter.com/q9cSb7DxuO
— dauntless declan (@ganseyfromme) October 13, 2025
watching the new Dan and Phil upload pic.twitter.com/hb7pywuSQ9
— ZAYNA🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE (@HorrorHijabi) October 13, 2025
The video not only put one of YouTube’s biggest conspiracies to rest but also reminded audiences why Dan and Phil remain one of the platform’s most iconic duos — beloved for their humor, authenticity, and now, their honesty.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ