Daniel O’Reilly is still boasting one of the largest, strongest, most loyal and fastest growing social media followings in the UK, his fans have grown up with him and his characters through the years. From losing it all, battling addiction and becoming a father he’s been on some rollercoaster and wants you to come for a ride with him.
Daniel is taking any opportunities he can to correct wrong doings, "I learnt a lot about sexual harassment, sexual violence and what women have to put up with. Having daughters has educated me on how dangerous some of my content could have been, if I could turn back in time, knowing what I learnt I would have done things differently. I didn't have children. I didn't have a family and I didn't have two daughters. When I look back on it now I cringe at it, and it is embarrassing and I can see why people found it offensive,” he adds
Nearly a decade later he is now a mental health advocate and has spoken openly about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. After going through a physical and mental recovery Daniel was diagnosed with severe ADHD and began his journey through mental health. Dan set up ‘Men And Their Emotions' (M.A.T.E) Facebook group in 2022, a safe-space online for men to talk in an anonymous, non-judgmental environment, allowing them to open up and share advice. “It’s a secure digital place where all men can ask questions, whether it is anonymously or not, share opinions, and support each other,” says Dan.
The group now boasts over 36K members and at the back of the global response from men Daniel recently launched Menace to Sobriety, a brand new podcast focusing on recovering from addiction, mental health issues and sobriety. Through the episodes, Daniel invites guests on to discuss their own experiences while sharing parts of his own journey, helping listeners to understand that they are not alone in their battles and that there is support around them, people are here to help and there is a way out. Having amassed over 5 million followers across his social media platforms Daniel says “I’m on a mission to help men like myself to tackle the struggle of mind demons”.
Launched only two months ago, Menace to Sobriety’s first episode clocked over 120K views in less than a week and reached #1 on the comedy podcast, with more than 1 million downloads since it aired. Guests have included; New York Times Bestseller author Clare Pooley, Kiss 100 DJ, producer, writer & MC Majestic! TV personality Kirk Norcross, UK's #1 Unconscious Mind Therapist Robert Hisee, DJ and radio presenter Brandon Block, author of ‘Alcohol Explained’ William Porter, Master Trainer, leading expert in the field of Hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and modern psychology Elliott Wald, with more exciting guests to come, including Pastor Mick Fleming, Scottish comedian and podcast star James English, with more names to be announced.
“I’ve been at rock bottom and haven’t been there for my wife and kids because of my addictions. I only understood I was addicted when I tried to stop and I couldn’t. I find that speaking openly about my demons helps me see clearly and do the right thing for myself and my family. I want to help other men out there to rebuild their lives after the devastating effects of their actions by showing them there is a way out from the vicious addiction circle, a way out of shame and a way to rehabilitate yourself”.
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 50. *In 2021 alone, there were 5,583 suicides registered in England and Wales, with around three-quarters being males (4,129 deaths; 74.0%) *.
