Wikipedia

DanTDM

Daniel Robert Middleton(born 8 November 1991), better known asDanTDM(formerlyTheDiamondMinecart), is a BritishYouTuber,gamer, and author. He is primarily known for hisLet's Playvideos, particularly those featuringMinecraft,Roblox,PokémonandFive Nights at Freddy's.[2]Middleton's YouTube channel, which he started in 2012, has amassed over 29 million subscribers and 19 billion views as of 2024, making him one of the most popular content creators on the platform.[3][4][5][6]

DanTDM
Middleton in 2016
Personal information
Born
Daniel Robert Middleton

(1991-11-08)8 November 1991(age 33)
Aldershot,Hampshire,England
Other namesTheDiamondMinecart
EducationUniversity of Northampton
Occupations
Spouse
Jemma Middleton
​
(m.2013)​
Children2
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2010–present
GenreGaming
Subscribers
  • 29.1 million (main channel)
  • 35 million (combined)[a]
[1]
Total views
  • 20 billion (main channel)
  • 20.7 billion (combined)[b]
[1]
Websitedantdmshop
100,000 subscribers2013[‡ 1]
1,000,000 subscribers2013[‡ 2]
10,000,000 subscribers2016[‡ 3][‡ 4]
Last updated:6 October 2024

Middleton began his YouTube career with Minecraft content, later expanding to other games and vlog-style videos. He has published a graphic novel, voiced a character in the UK version of the filmRalph Breaks the Internet,and embarked on several world tours featuring live shows. In 2016, he was listed in theGuinness World Records Gamer's Editionfor "Most views for a dedicated Minecraft video channel."

Beyond his online presence, Middleton has been involved in various charitable initiatives and has won several awards, including multipleNickelodeon Kids' Choice Awardsin the UK Favourite Gamer category. In 2017, Middleton topped theForbeslist of Highest-Paid YouTube Stars, earning£12.2 million(about $16.5 million) in one year.

Personal life

Daniel Robert Middleton[7]was born on 8 November 1991 inAldershot,England, as the elder of two siblings.[‡ 5]His parents divorced when he was a child.[‡ 5]He attended theUniversity of Northamptonwhere he studied music production.[8][9]Prior to his career as a YouTuber and author, he worked atTesco,telling the BBC in 2017 "When I earned enough money off YouTube to match it [my wage at Tesco] my wife persuaded me to do it."[10]

Middleton married his girlfriend, Jemma (b. 9 April 1992[‡ 6]), in March 2013.[11]Their first son, Asher, was born on 5 January 2020,[‡ 7][‡ 8]and their second son, Miles, was born on 22 November 2022.[‡ 9]He opened up with viewers about his struggles withmental healthafter experiencing severedepressiondue to the isolation of theCOVID-19 lockdowns.[3]

On 6 September 2023, Middleton posted on his Twitter and Instagram about the unexpected death of his dog, Ellie. On 7 September 2023, he posted on YouTube a video titled "goodbye ellie."[12]

Career

Middleton atWeb Summitin 2014

In 2012, Middleton first createdTheDiamondMinecart,a gaming channel.[13]In August 2014, Middleton signed with themulti-channel networkMaker Studiosunder its Polaris label.[14]He decided to change his channel's name toTheDiamondMinecart // DanTDMlater on, and on 12 December 2016, toDanTDM.[‡ 10]He currently produces videos out of his home studio inWellingborough.[13]Middleton's content is largely targeted at children, though many teens and adults watch it as well.[15]

As his original fanbase that propelled his career has grown up, Middleton has scaled back his video production schedule and focused more on creating graphic novels, hosting live shows, and DanTDM merchandise.[3]He released a graphic novel titled "Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal"on 6 October 2016,[16][17][18]which remained at the number one spot onThe New York TimesBest Seller listforhardcovergraphic books for eleven weeks.[19]He was a featured guest at theCheltenham Literature Festivaland went on a book tour that included parts of the UK and a visit to New York City.[16][20][21]He then embarked on a tour through the United States and Australia in 2017.[22][23]His live show at the Sydney Opera House was the second fastest to sell out in the venue's history.[10]While acknowledging that he might not be a household name "yet", he was noted by theTampa Bay Timesas being "one of YouTube's brightest stars and biggest successes."[24]

In 2017, he starred in a web series calledDanTDM Creates a Big Scenestarring himself and featuring other social media entertainers and actors.[25][26]The series premiered on 7 April 2017 exclusively for YouTube Red, YouTube's subscription service (now calledYouTube Premium).[27]The show "follows DanTDM and his group of animated friends as they battle to keep their live show on the road".[28]That year,TODAYpraised his "infectious laugh and an unmistakable British accent" and his personal growth from a "shy, low-profile YouTuber to the master of a creative empire."[29]

In 2019, Middleton was ranked 41 in UK's Top 100 Influencer List byThe Sunday Times,[30]which also estimated Middleton's net worth to be £25 million.[2]

Middleton in astraitjacketat theTommyInnit& Friendslive show at theBrighton Domein 2022

Middleton appeared atTommyInnit'sTommyInnit & Friendslive show at theBrighton Domeon 1 July 2022, with other onlinecontent creators,includingjacksepticeye,JackManifoldTV, and Nihachu.[‡ 11]

In 2024, Middleton spoke out against the launch ofLunchly,a snack-brand kit founded as a joint venture between YouTubersKSI,Logan Paul,andMrBeast.Middleton tweeted in part, "...How does this benefit their fans? This is selling crap to kids who don't know better than to trust the people who are selling it to them. Do better. "[31]Middleton's tweet garnered over 600,000 likes, and inspired YouTubers such asRosanna Pansinoto also speak out. This caused responses from all three founders.[32]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Refs
2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet eBoy Voice role; UK theatrical version [33]
2019 DanTDM Presents: The Contest Himself Interactive cinema event [34]
2021 Free Guy Cameo [35]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Refs
2016–2017 Skylanders Academy Cy Voice role; 2 episodes [36]
2017 DanTDM Creates a Big Scene Himself YouTube Original mini-series;6 episodes [37]
2017 YouTube Rewind Only in 2017

Video games

Year Title Role Notes Refs
2016 Minecraft: Story Mode Himself Episode 6: "A Portal to Mystery" [38]

Awards and nominations

Publications

  • DanTDM (6 October 2016).Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal.HarperCollins.ISBN978-1409168393.
  • DanTDM (17 November 2016).Official DanTDM 2017 Diary and Activity Book: Lots of Things to Make and Do.Trapeze.ISBN978-1409171188.

Notes

  1. ^Subscribers, broken down by channel:
    • 29.1 million (DanTDM)
    • 1.8 million (DanTDM Live)
    • 902,000 (DanTDM Shorts)
    • 3.17 million (MoreTDM)
    • 119,000 (PokemanDanLv45)
  2. ^Views, broken down by channel:
    • 19.9 billion (DanTDM)
    • 277 million (DanTDM Live)
    • 95 million (DanTDM Shorts)
    • 585 million (MoreTDM)
    • 3.795 million (PokemanDanLv45)

References

  1. ^ab"About DanTDM".YouTube.
  2. ^abAgnew, Megan."Dan Middleton interview: playing Minecraft on YouTube earned him £25m".The Sunday Times.Archivedfrom the original on 24 June 2020.Retrieved22 June2020.
  3. ^abcRazzall, Katie; Saunders, Emma (23 September 2023)."DanTDM: How YouTube star went from shy schoolboy to internet sensation".BBC News.Retrieved24 August2024.
  4. ^"Top 100 YouTubers in United Kingdom Filtered by Subscribers".socialblade.Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2016.Retrieved28 March2016.
  5. ^Dredge, Stuart (1 September 2015)."The Diamond Minecart becomes most popular YouTube channel".The Guardian.Retrieved11 February2016.
  6. ^"DanTDM".YouTube.Retrieved21 September2024.
  7. ^"YouTube star comes face-to-face with his waxwork at Blackpool's Madame Tussauds".ITV News.30 June 2021.Retrieved5 October2022.
  8. ^"Former University of Northampton student named most wealthy YouTuber in the world, Forbes magazine reveals".Northampton Chronicle & Echo.8 December 2017.
  9. ^Slater, Chris (6 December 2020)."Meet the YouTube star from Northants who's a multi-millionaire in his 20s".Northants Live.
  10. ^abKelsey, Rick (24 November 2017)."YouTube star Dan TDM 'not prepared for being a role model for a young audience'".BBC News.Retrieved24 August2024.
  11. ^Lobb, Adrian (22 May 2014)."Diamond Minecraft interview:" I have more YouTube subscribers than the BBC "".The Big Issue.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved3 March2016.
  12. ^Tisdale, Jennifer (8 September 2023)."YouTube Star DanTDM and His Family Were Hit Hard With Some Devastating News".Distractify.Retrieved14 September2023.
  13. ^ab"Dan Middleton's Minecraft videos a global hit".BBC News.11 April 2014.Retrieved3 March2016.
  14. ^"Maker Studios Now Partnered With Top Three YouTube Gaming Channels [EXCLUSIVE]".Tubefilter.26 August 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 31 August 2014.
  15. ^Anderson, Dan (2019)."DanTDM".Common Sense Media.Retrieved13 January2021.
  16. ^abMerrell, Andrew (5 October 2016)."Bet you've not heard of the biggest star at literature festival?".Gloucestershire Live.Archived fromthe originalon 12 October 2016.Retrieved12 October2016.
  17. ^Cowdrey, Katherine."YouTube's Dan the Diamond Minecart inks book deal – The Bookseller".The Bookseller.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2016.Retrieved13 August2016.
  18. ^Staff (3 August 2016)."The On-Sale Calendar October 2016 Children's Books".Publishers Weekly.Retrieved13 August2016.
  19. ^Listings onThe New York TimesBest Seller list per week:Week 1,Week 2,Week 3,Week 4,Week 5,Week 6,Week 7,Week 8,Week 9,Week 10,Week 11,Week 12, when it fell to the second spot.
  20. ^Merrell, Andrew (11 October 2016)."Hundreds rush Cheltenham Literature Festival tent to reach DanTDM".Gloucestershire Live.Archived fromthe originalon 12 October 2016.Retrieved12 October2016.
  21. ^Knox, Kelly (25 November 2016)."Take 'Minecraft' to the Next (Reading) Level With DanTDM's New Graphic Novel – GeekDad".geekdad.Retrieved21 September2017.
  22. ^Grixti, Shannon (19 July 2017)"YouTuber DanTDM Is Touring Australia Again"Press Start AU.
  23. ^IQ (15 February 2017)."Live Nation takes YouTuber DanTDM on US tour – IQ Magazine: Live Music Business News".iq-mag.net.Archivedfrom the original on 18 August 2017.Retrieved1 April2017.
  24. ^Spata, Christopher (29 June 2017)."YouTube's Minecraft sensation Dan TDM brings live show to Clearwater".Tampa Bay Times.Retrieved24 August2024.
  25. ^Milligan, Mercedes (16 February 2017)."YouTube Red Slates First Original Kids Shows".Animation Magazine.Retrieved15 June2017.
  26. ^"YouTube Is Secretly Run By Insane CGI Kids Videos".Where To Stream Movies & Shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, HBO Go.7 June 2017.Retrieved15 June2017.
  27. ^"DanTDM's 'Big Scene' Can Tide Diehard Fans Over – GeekDad".GeekDad.7 April 2017.Retrieved15 June2017.
  28. ^"11 YouTubers Who Smashed It In 2017 – TenEighty — YouTube News, Features, and Interviews".teneightymagazine.Retrieved10 January2018.
  29. ^Coffey, Laura T. (12 October 2017)."Millions of kids adore this YouTube star; here's why parents do too".TODAY.Retrieved24 August2024.
  30. ^"The Sunday Times Influencer List 2019: meet the UK's top 100".The Times.8 September 2019.Retrieved25 June2020.
  31. ^@dantdm (16 September 2024)."What happened to YouTubers man"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  32. ^Placido, Dani Di."MrBeast, KSI And Logan Paul Vs. DanTDM—The Lunchly Drama, Explained".Forbes.Retrieved30 September2024.
  33. ^"Rich list: Which young YouTubers are in the money?".BBC Newsround.20 December 2020.Retrieved11 December2020.
  34. ^Brew, Simon (2 October 2019)."DanDTM is heading into UK cinemas this weekend".Film Stories.Retrieved13 January2021.
  35. ^"Every Celebrity Cameo In Free Guy".ScreenRant.15 August 2021.Retrieved10 October2021.
  36. ^Kamen, Matt (14 October 2016)."Watch the trailer for Netflix's exclusive Skylanders Academy animated series".Wired.Retrieved11 December2020.
  37. ^Knox, Kelly (5 April 2017)."'DanTDM Creates a Big Scene' In This Exclusive Sneak Peek ".Geek Dad.Retrieved11 December2020.
  38. ^Cork, Jeff (31 May 2016)."Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 6: A Portal To Mystery".Game Informer.Archived fromthe originalon 2 June 2016.Retrieved11 December2020.
  39. ^Doultrey, Stephen (9 September 2015)."Minecraft and Rocket League records smashed at Legends of Gaming event in London".Guinness World Records.Archivedfrom the original on 16 October 2015.Retrieved17 October2015.
  40. ^Swatman, Rachel (14 December 2015)."YouTube stars including Dan TDM smash Rocket League record at Insomnia gaming festival".Guinness World Records.Archivedfrom the original on 12 October 2016.Retrieved4 October2016.
  41. ^Swatman, Rachel (27 October 2016)."Youtuber Dan TDM enters Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition for Minecraft channel".Guinness World Records.Archivedfrom the original on 30 October 2016.Retrieved1 November2016.
  42. ^"2015 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards".Archived fromthe originalon 2 May 2015.Retrieved11 February2016.
  43. ^"2016 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards – UK Favourite Tipster".2016 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.Archived fromthe originalon 27 March 2013.Retrieved19 March2016.

Primary sources

In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. ^TDM Vlogs – 100,000 Subscribers, IRL & Events!.25 June 2013.Retrieved21 August2016.
  2. ^The Diamond Minecart // DanTDM (17 September 2014).YouTube's Golden Award! – TheDiamondMinecart.Retrieved11 February2016– via YouTube.
  3. ^TheDiamondMinecart: DanTDM (28 March 2016)."10 Million Subscribers!!!!".Retrieved8 June2016– via YouTube.
  4. ^TheDiamondMinecart: DanTDM (30 July 2016)."Our Diamond Play Button!!!!".Retrieved30 July2016– via YouTube.
  5. ^abMiddleton, Daniel (10 December 2013).Draw My Life – TheDiamondMinecart | 1,000,000 Subscriber Special.DanTDM.Retrieved7 February2015– viaYouTube.
  6. ^Middleton, Jemma [@xjemmamxo] (9 April 2021)."Thank you for all the birthday wishes today 🥳❤️ here's to the last year of my 20s 🥲"(Tweet).Retrieved19 July2023– viaTwitter.
  7. ^@dantdm (9 January 2020)."Asher Middleton was born on the 5th January 2020. We couldn't be happier. We have made the decision not to show his face anywhere online so please respect our wishes. Thank you, I'll be back soon:) 💙 xx"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  8. ^Middleton, Jemma [@xjemmamxo] (9 January 2020)."Our son, Asher Middleton, arrived safely into the world at 10.33am on Sunday 5th January 2020 ❤️ We are on cloud 9 soaking up every minute of parenthood and couldn't be happier 🥰 we will be keeping Asher private and won't be sharing his face online so please respect our wishes"(Tweet).Retrieved19 July2023– viaTwitter.
  9. ^@dantdm (24 November 2022)."We are so happy to introduce you to our new baby Son, Miles. He was born at our home on the 22nd November. Overjoyed to add a new member to our little family. As with Asher, we are going to keep his face private. Thank you for understanding. Taking a break 💙"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
  10. ^DanTDM (12 December 2016)."I'm Changing My Name..."Retrieved1 April2017– via YouTube.
  11. ^Simons, Thomas (31 August 2022).MY LIVE SHOW. (TommyInnit & Friends).TommyOutit. Event occurs at 31:06.Retrieved1 May2023– viaYouTube.
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