Daniel Howell

Daniel James Howell, born June 11, 1991, in Wokingham, Berkshire, and raised in Winnersh, is a British comedian and entertainer with a substantial online presence. His career began accidentally in 2009 when he took a gap year and started uploading videos to YouTube. He attended Forest School and briefly worked for Focus DIY and Asda before pursuing this creative path. Daniel Howell is a self-made YouTube sensation, having built a large following comparable to some of the world’s biggest fandoms.

As of May 2026, Daniel Howell's main YouTube channel, previously called danisnotonfire, has reached a subscriber count exceeding 6.04 million. The channel danisnotinteresting, a secondary channel managed by him, had surpassed 1.6 million subscribers and accumulated over 57 million views by November 2025. A significant portion of his work involves collaboration with Phil Lester, forming the entertainment duo Dan and Phil. Together, they launched the DanAndPhilGAMES channel in September 2014, reaching 2.8 million subscribers by December 2023, and created the DanAndPhilCRAFTS channel as an April Fool's joke in 2015. Their partnership extended to radio, presenting BBC Radio 1’s 'Dan and Phil' from January 2013 to August 2014, and 'Internet Takeover' from September 2014 to April 2016. Together, they wrote two books: 'The Amazing Book is Not on Fire' and 'Dan and Phil Go Outside,' both of which became New York Times bestsellers. Daniel Howell’s humor is frequently described as existential and self-deprecating, often employing sarcasm.

Daniel Howell has achieved considerable success beyond YouTube. He won the ‘SuperNote’ YouTube competition in 2012. His career encompasses comedy videos that have garnered over 1 billion views, sold-out world tours of two stage shows, and a #1 bestselling book, 'You Will Get Through This Night', a mental health guide released in 2021. He and Phil Lester currently host the weekly podcast 'Hard Launch,' which earned the Listeners' Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards in October 2026. Daniel Howell openly discusses his struggles with depression and sexuality, advocating for mental health and LGBT+ issues as an activist and ambassador for Young Minds. He maintains a presence on social media platforms including Instagram (@danielhowell), Facebook (danisnotonfire), and Twitter (@danielhowell).