Phil Lester

An effervescent figure on both YouTube and BBC Radio, Phil Lester - also known as "The Amazing Phil" - was a popular host and video blogger whose animated discussion of all manner of subjects was seen by millions of viewers worldwide. Born Philip Michael Lester in the English town of Rawtenstall, Lancashire, he was pursuing a degree in English Language and Linguistics from the University of York when he began posting videos on his own YouTube channel, AmazingPhil. His "vlogs" (video blogs), which found Lester delighting over an eclectic variety of pop culture and personal ephemera, found a sizable audience of viewers and subscribers. In 2009, he teamed with fellow YouTube personality Dan Howell for a series of joint efforts, which blossomed into its own entity, "The Super Amazing Project." Presented through the independent multichannel network My Damn Channel, Lester and Howell commented on light-hearted news stories as well as paranormal events; by 2012, the duo had joined BBC's Radio 1 to host an offbeat entertainment and request show that involved physical challenges, songs and music videos. Lester and Howell remained with the show until 2014, when they moved to a new program, "The Internet Takeover," which teamed them with other video bloggers. During this period, they also launched a gaming YouTube channel, DanandPhilGAMES., which had earned 1 million subscribers within a year's time. Lester and Howell capped 2015 with the publication of a book, The Amazing Book is Not on Fire, which topped the hardcover and young adult hardcover list on both the Sunday Times and New York Times, respectively. A promotional tour took the pair around the world, which they documented for a YouTube Originals film on YouTube Red. By this point, the 200 videos on Lester's YouTube channel had earned more that three million subscribers and 281 million views worldwide.