DanTDM

Daniel Robert Middleton^[6] was born on 8 November 1991 in Aldershot, England, as the elder of two siblings.^{[‡ 1]} His parents divorced when he was a child.^{[‡ 1]} He attended the University of Northampton where he studied music production.^[7][8] Before his career as a YouTuber and author, he worked at Tesco, 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."^[9]

Middleton married his girlfriend, Jemma, in March 2013.^[10] They have two sons.^{[‡ 2][‡ 3][‡ 4]} He has openly discussed his struggles with mental health after experiencing severe depression, caused by the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdowns.^[2]

In 2012, Middleton first created TheDiamondMinecart, a gaming channel.^[11] In August 2014, Middleton signed with the multi-channel network Maker Studios under its Polaris label.^[12] He decided to change his channel's name to TheDiamondMinecart // DanTDM later on, and on 12 December 2016, to DanTDM.^{[‡ 5]} He currently produces videos out of his home studio in Wellingborough.^[11] Middleton's content is largely targeted at children, though many teens and adults watch it as well.^[13]

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.^[2] He released a graphic novel titled Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal on 6 October 2016,^[14][15][16] which remained at the number one spot on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover graphic books for eleven weeks.^[17] He was a featured guest at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and went on a book tour that included parts of the UK and a visit to New York City.^[14][18][19] He then embarked on a tour through the United States and Australia in 2017.^[20][21] His live show at the Sydney Opera House was the second fastest to sell out in the venue's history.^[9] While acknowledging that he might not be a household name "yet", he was noted by the Tampa Bay Times as being "one of YouTube's brightest stars and biggest successes."^[22]

In 2017, he starred in a web series called DanTDM Creates a Big Scene starring himself and featuring other social media entertainers and actors.^[23][24] The series premiered on 7 April 2017 exclusively for YouTube Red, YouTube's subscription service (now called YouTube Premium).^[25] The show "follows DanTDM and his group of animated friends as they battle to keep their live show on the road".^[26] That year, TODAY praised 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."^[27]

In 2019, Middleton was ranked 41st in the UK's Top 100 Influencer List by The Sunday Times,^[28] which also estimated Middleton's net worth to be £25 million.^[1]

In January 2025, Middleton joined Classic FM as a regular presenter. Currently, he hosts the video game music-focused series Next Level, Music featured includes the soundtracks to Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and The Elder Scrolls.^[29]

• Guinness World Record for "Most goals scored in a game of Rocket League for a team of 2" (shared with Tom "Syndicate" Cassell)^[38] and "Most goals scored in a game of Rocket League (team of three)".^[39]
• Guinness World Record for "Most views for a dedicated Minecraft video channel".^[40]
• Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in the category UK Favourite Tipster: 2015^[41] and 2016.^[42]
• Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in the category UK Favourite Gamer: 2020.^{[citation needed]}

• DanTDM (6 October 2016). Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-1409168393.
• DanTDM (17 November 2016). Official DanTDM 2017 Diary and Activity Book: Lots of Things to Make and Do. Trapeze. ISBN 978-1409171188.