Growing up in the 2000s and 2010s, many of us have spent countless hours watching YouTube videos from our favorite content creators in our free time. Whether it was skits, vlogs or video game walkthroughs, we could not get enough of these creators, many of whom have profoundly impacted Gen Z culture and comedy. However, despite their popularity, many of us have lost touch with these YouTubers. So today, we’re looking back to see where they’ve ended up since we last saw them.
Lucas Cruikshank is the American creator behind and actor for “FRED,” starting his channel in 2008. His videos featured the titular character Fred Figglehorn participating in a series of zany, absurdist vlogs and skits, where Fred’s anger issues and dysfunctional household prevented him from doing everyday tasks. Nickelodeon greenlit Cruikshank’s character for one season of a TV series and three movies. Despite the channel’s success, Cruikshank relinquished ownership, transforming it into a community channel where kids and adults could submit their original series and productions to Fred’s multimillion-subscriber audience. Cruikshank still posts on his personal YouTube channel, Lucas. Here, he regularly uploads a relatively tame variety of commentary and reaction videos that usually respond to current cultural trends online and his previous works.
“DanTDM” has been a popular British gaming and commentary YouTuber since 2012. Boasting over 27 million subscribers, Dan Middleton continues to post comedic skits and walkthroughs of popular video games like “Pokémon,” “Sonic The Hedgehog” and primarily “Minecraft.” Additionally, he has released a well-received graphic novel featuring the prominent character Dr. Trayaurus, produced and starred in a YouTube original show and appeared in multiple TV shows, movies and video games. He married his long-term girlfriend in 2013 and had two sons in 2020 and 2022. These recent life developments and the death of one of his beloved pugs Sept. 7 have caused Middleton to halt his uploads to focus more on his personal life. Middleton has remained uncontroversial and well-remembered, unlike some contemporaries in the Minecraft-YouTuber space.
Daniel Howell (formerly from “danisnotonfire”) and Phil of “AmazingPhil” are two British channels owned by life-long friends Daniel Howell and Philip Lester, respectively. Since 2009, both creators have uploaded similar lifestyle vlogs, skits and reaction content. They were best known for their collaborations, where they garnered a devoted fan base due to their clashing personalities. They also collaborated on a shared autobiography, a well-received interactive BBC radio show, a few phone apps and multiple touring theatrical stage and book shows that, at their largest, spanned across 18 countries. At the height of their popularity in 2019, with drama surrounding tours, rumors about the pair’s sexualities and struggles with mental health and depression, Howell took an extended break from YouTube while Lester continued to upload his usual content with occasional cameos from Howell. Shortly before, Howell and Lester publicly came out as gay. They also revealed that they had been in a romantic relationship during their time on YouTube but declined to discuss the current nature of their relationship due to privacy. Howell returned to YouTube in 2022 with videos discussing his reasons for leaving YouTube and announcing a solo tour, “We’re All Doomed!” running until March of 2023 and spanning the United States, Europe and Australia. With his return, he infrequently uploads lifestyle, comedy and video essay content. Both creators live together in London and still make content for their channels, often joking about their older videos and the audience’s tendency to ask inappropriate questions about their personal lives.
With 14 million subscribers, Lilly Singh is the Indian-Canadian creator behind her eponymous YouTube channel, formerly called “Superwoman.” Since 2010, she has posted satirical rants, comedic skits and parody music videos that often comment on ethnic and gender stereotypes and cultural norms. She was featured in many popular music videos online, performed in a globe-spanning comedic and music sketch show tour, and published multiple self-help and motivational books. Singh has stopped regularly posting on her YouTube channel and off-loaded her usual vlogs, sketches and motivational videos onto TikTok. She’s moved on to other forms of media, such as starring in the show “The Muppets Mayhem” on Disney+ and hosting two seasons of her late-night show on NBC. Additionally, she founded a production studio called Unicorn Island Productions, which had production planned for multiple shows in the summer of 2023.
YouTube has allowed creators to make a career out of their interests and hobbies. Many had to undergo this sudden transition from a regular person creating content for fun to a beloved influencer with millions of fans clamoring for their next video. The pressure to quickly produce new, creative content, to have their whole personal and public life blown up for everyone to see, and to be a role model for their audience are all stresses that a YouTuber has to deal with when becoming famous. For some, all that pressure can become too much and a prison of their creation. For others, it is worth the struggle to expand their platform and advance their ambitions further than most thought possible. The important thing to remember is that YouTubers are people, too. They make mistakes, have other responsibilities to attend to and should prioritize their well-being above all else. While it may be sad to see them change their content or step away from YouTube, it’s good to know they’re doing what’s best for themselves, their careers and their mental health.