Dan Howell shares his life story, from his happy childhood in southwest England to his struggles in secondary school. He talks about his early interests in acting and music, and how he eventually found his passion in creating content on YouTube. After initially studying law, Dan took a break to focus on his YouTube channel and eventually dropped out of university to pursue a career in social media and radio. He shares his journey to becoming a successful YouTuber, including moving to London and starting a radio show with his friend Phil. Dan reflects on the importance of being true to oneself and not wasting time trying to please others. He concludes by expressing gratitude for his current life and inviting his audience to join him on his future endeavors.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. Dan Howell was born in southwest England in Berkshire.
2. His parents were young, and his mom graduated in philosophy, while his dad was a DJ and special effects guy for films.
3. Dan's parents had a dog when he was born, which would often run into him and tear up furniture.
4. Dan was a happy child who never stopped smiling or laughing.
5. He was brought up watching Winnie the Pooh, which influenced his posh but not articulate voice.
6. Dan's first encounter with negativity was in preschool when he met other children.
7. He started expressing an interest in acting at the age of five.
8. Dan joined a theater club when he was about eight years old.
9. His parents sent him to a musical theater school on Sundays.
10. Dan went to his first proper date with a girl to the cinema when he was young.
11. He had a girlfriend for over three years, but they broke up because it was time for university.
12. Dan got good grades, so he thought he'd go to university for a few years to study law.
13. He took a gap year, during which he got fired from a job, played a lot of Xbox, and started goofing around on YouTube.
14. Dan started making his own YouTube videos after being persuaded by friends.
15. He attended the University of Manchester, where he spent most of his first year not doing any work and drinking.
16. Dan moved into an apartment with his internet friend Phil in his second year.
17. He had an existential crisis while studying for an exam and decided to drop out of university.
18. Dan took a year out to ponder about the universe and attend YouTube events.
19. He was offered a weird video show on Christmas by BBC Radio 1, which he accepted with his friend Phil.
20. Dan and Phil moved to London, where they started putting effort into their YouTube channel, which started to pick up steam.
21. They were offered an official weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1, which they accepted.
22. Dan's YouTube channel hit 1 million subscribers, which he never thought would happen.
23. He is now happier than he's ever been, feeling in control of his life and having the confidence to be the person he wants to be.