John Junior

Last updated

John Junior
John Junior - 2020.png
Junior in 2020
Background information
Birth nameJohn Junior
Also known asThe Duckman
Born (1988-10-04) October 4, 1988 (age 36)
Manchester, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Mental health activist
  • Actor
  • Television personality
Years active2019–present

John Junior, also known as The Duckman, is a British mental health activist, actor and television personality. They are known for featuring in documentary series, Hollyoaks: IRL . [1] [2] [3] In November 2019, they created the mental health movement "John and Charlie's Journey" to raise awareness about suicide and mental illness. [4] [5]

Contents

Background

Junior was born with short leg syndrome, has a clubfoot and lives with arthritis. [6] They were homeless at the age of 16. [7] Junior lost their dad in 2018. [8]

When Junior was 8 years old they stated that they didn't feel right with their gender, which was assigned at birth (male). When they were 11 years old they wanted a gender reassignment. [9] They were then diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome and put on hormone therapy. [10] [11] At 14 years old they began questioning their gender identity and sexuality. [9] Junior has since began to identify as non-binary.

In 2017, Junior was prescribed sertraline, an anti-depressant, to help with depression and anxiety. During the coronavirus pandemic he came off the anti-depressants due to the 'unbearable' side effects he was experiencing. He replaced the anti-depressants with going to the gym. [12] Junior lives with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). They stated that they have to eat food with a pair of metal tongs, saying, "I can't touch food otherwise I'll die and others around me will die". [13] They stated that OCD gives them anxiety when they try to eat, and that makes them suicidal too. [14]

Activism

In 2019, Junior started vlogging about their experiences of mental health issues on Instagram. [4] In May 2020, Junior tested the Samaritans' self-help app for UNILAD during mental health awareness week. [15] Junior subsequently talked to UNILAD about their mental health struggles to raise awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September 2020. [5]

In November 2019, Junior created a mental health movement called "John and Charlie's Journey". [5] Junior and Charlie The Duck, a stuffed toy teddy, encouraged people to talk about mental health. [16] [17] In September 2020, the "DBT for all campaign" was created by Junior to try to make dialectical behaviour therapy more widely available on the NHS throughout the United Kingdom. (This therapy is used to treat children, teenagers and adults who are suicidal, self-harm and have self-destructive behaviours.) The campaign was supported by Esther McVey, Conservative MP for Tatton, who applied for parliamentary debate at Westminster Hall. [18] [19]

In February 2020, Junior and Tanya Bardsley, former members of The Real Housewives of Cheshire , created the wellness hub. [16]

Junior was invited to join Keith Duffy, Boyzone and Brian McFadden, Westlife onstage at their Boyzlife concert in Manchester, to share Junior's mental health campaign. [20] [21]

Junior is campaigning for all police officers in the United Kingdom to be trained in mental health first aid and to have specialist units for mental health. [22]

Hollyoaks

At the start of the first UK lockdown in March 2020, Junior had suicide plans, and a Hollyoaks storyline that involved suicide helped them stop. [23] [24]

Junior and Ashley Taylor Dawson filmed a podcast on BBC Radio 5 to discuss a suicide storyline on Hollyoaks that saved Juniors life. Dawson who portrays Darren in the British soap Hollyoaks was part of the suicide storyline that saved Junior from taking their own life. [25] [26]

Royal Television Society North West Awards (November 2022). Jenny Powell, Richard Blackwood, John Junior, Charlie The Duck, Alan Toner, Adam Thomas and Ross Adams (left to right) On stage at Royal television society awards NW - Nov 2022.jpg
Royal Television Society North West Awards (November 2022). Jenny Powell, Richard Blackwood, John Junior, Charlie The Duck, Alan Toner, Adam Thomas and Ross Adams (left to right)

Channel 4 commissioned Limepictures to produce Hollyoaks: IRL , a series of short films of real-life stories. Junior's episode "Hollyoaks saved my life" was the first episode to be released on 16 June 2021. [27] Hollyoaks Saved My Life (Hollyoaks: IRL) was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award in the Short Form Programme 2022. [28] [29] [30] [31]

Junior was invited by Channel 4 to attend the British Academy Television Awards on 8 May 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall in London. [32] They were accompanied by Charlie the Duck (stuffed toy) Vera Chok (who plays Honour Chen-Williams) and Kieron Richardson (who plays Ste Hay). [33] On 26 November 2022, Junior attended the Royal Television Society Awards (North West) and received the Best Digital Creativity award for the Hollyoaks: IRL series. [34]

Gross Up

In February 2022, the British factual entertainment series Gross Up, produced by True North Productions for E4, featured Junior in Episode 6. The series follows six cast members having their belongings sent away to a laboratory to be scientifically tested for viruses and bacteria. Gut bacteria was found on Junior's equipment by the microbiologists. [35] [36] [37]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2021 Hollyoaks IRL - Hollyoaks saved my lifeHimselfChannel 4
2022 Munya Chawawa - Race around BritainJournalistReleased on YouTube TV
2022The Real Death in ParadiseAlexDiscovery Channel
2022Gross Up Ep 6 [38] HimselfE4
2023Time For A Check-In [39] HimselfChannel 4

Discography

Singles

TitleYear
Inside a BPD mind [40] 2020

Radio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2021Hollyoaks suicide storyline saved my life [41] Himself BBC sounds podcast

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResult
2021National Diversity AwardsPositive Role Model (Gender) [42] Nominated
2022NDA awardsPositive role modelNominated
2023NDA awardsPositive role modelNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knutsford</span> Town in Cheshire, England

Knutsford is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire East district, in Cheshire, England; it is located 14 miles (23 km) south-west of Manchester, 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Macclesfield and 12+1⁄2 miles (20 km) south-east of Warrington. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,191.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macclesfield (borough)</span>

Macclesfield was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It included the towns of Bollington, Knutsford, Macclesfield and Wilmslow and within its wider area the villages and hamlets of Adlington, Disley, Gawsworth, Kerridge, Pott Shrigley, Poynton, Prestbury, Rainow, Styal, Sutton and Tytherington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmslow</span> Market town and civil parish in Cheshire, England

Wilmslow is a market town and civil parish in Cheshire, England. It is 11 mi (18 km) south of Manchester and within the unitary authority of Cheshire East. The population was 24,497 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheadle (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards

Cheadle is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2024 by Tom Morrison of the Liberal Democrats. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post voting system.

Hollyoaks is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera Brookside. From 2005 to 2023, episodes have aired on sister channel E4 a day prior to their broadcast on Channel 4. In 2023, Hollyoaks was removed from Channel 4's early evening schedule, but remains on E4 and Channel 4's on demand service with episodes now uploaded to YouTube. At its inception, the soap was targeted towards an adolescent and young adult audience but it has since broadened its appeal to all age groups. Hollyoaks has covered various taboo subjects rarely seen on British television, for which it has received numerous awards. It has won the award for Best British Soap twice, in 2014 and 2019; its first win broke the 15-year tie between rival soap operas EastEnders and Coronation Street. Beginning with a cast of 15 characters, it now has 37 regular cast members. The longest-serving actor is Nick Pickard, who has portrayed Tony Hutchinson since the first episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatton (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

Tatton is a constituency in Cheshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Esther McVey, a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lime Pictures</span> British television production company

Lime Pictures, formerly known as Mersey Television, is a British television production company, founded by producer and writer Phil Redmond in the early 1980s. It produces drama and entertainment shows for the international market, including Hollyoaks, The Only Way is Essex, Geordie Shore and Free Rein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denise Welch</span> English actress and television personality (born 1958)

Jacqueline Denise Welch is an English actress, television personality, writer and broadcaster. Her roles include Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street (1997–2000), Steph Haydock in Waterloo Road, and Trish Minniver in Hollyoaks (2021–2022). Welch also appears as a regular panellist on the ITV chat show Loose Women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Triangle (Cheshire)</span> Area of affluent small towns and villages in Cheshire, England

The Golden Triangle is an area of affluent small towns and villages in Cheshire, England. The exact three points of the triangle are the subject of local debate but are generally considered to be Alderley Edge, Prestbury, and Wilmslow. The area, about 5 miles across, is noted for expensive houses in a pleasant countryside setting that is popular with wealthy Premier League footballers, entertainment industry figures, and businesspeople. Five of the ten most expensive roads in North West England have been identified as being in this area. Withinlee Road in Prestbury is also said to be the most expensive street in northern England, with prices averaging around £1.2 million as of 2009.

Tanya Louise Bardsley is an English model and reality television personality. She is best known for starring in the ITVBe reality television series The Real Housewives of Cheshire since 2015, of which she is the longest serving cast member. She is married to Macclesfield Town F.C. assistant manager Phil Bardsley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Taylor Dawson</span> English actor (b. 1982)

Philip Ashley Taylor Dawson, known as Ashley Taylor Dawson, is an English actor and singer. He is known for portraying the role of Darren Osborne in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, as well as being a member of the pop group allSTARS*.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Warford</span> Village in Cheshire East, England

Great Warford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handforth</span> Human settlement in England

Handforth is a town and civil parish in Cheshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2021 census was 9,784. In the 1960s and 1970s, two overspill housing estates, Spath Lane in Handforth, and Colshaw Farm nearby in Wilmslow, were built to re-house people from inner city Manchester. It lies between Wilmslow, Heald Green, Stanley Green and Styal and forms part of the Greater Manchester Built-up Area.

Ben-Ryan Davies is an English actor who played Ronan Burley in Waterloo Road, Ryan in From There to Here and Nick Savage in Hollyoaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheshire East</span> Borough in England

Cheshire East is a unitary authority area with borough status in Cheshire, England. The local authority is Cheshire East Council, which is based in the town of Sandbach. Other towns within the area include Crewe, Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilmslow, Nantwich, Poynton, Knutsford, Alsager, Bollington and Handforth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Davis (actress)</span> English actress (born 1993)

Stephanie Ann Davis is an English actress. She began her career with small roles in British television series, and in 2010, she competed in the BBC talent-search Over the Rainbow. She was then cast in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, portraying the role of Sinead O'Connor between 2010 and 2015, and again from 2018 to 2019. In 2016, she was the runner-up in the seventeenth series of Celebrity Big Brother. In May 2023, Davis joined the cast of ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Courtney Vance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhiannon Clements</span> English actress

Rhiannon Grace Clements is an English actress. While studying at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Clements began starring in various theatre productions, and went on to be awarded Best Stage Actor at the Spotlight Prize in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Herman, Daisy (10 April 2022). "BAFTA nomination for mental health series inspired by Cheshire Hollyoaks fan". CheshireLive. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life'". BBC News. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Channel 4 Commissions Hollyoaks: IRL A Short-Form Series Of Real-Life Documentaries | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 Maidment, Adam (5 June 2020). "How John and Charlie are turning mental health trauma into personal success". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "Male Suicide In England And Wales Is At Its Worst In 20 Years, We Need To Talk About It". www.unilad.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. ↑ "Disabled passengers on Avanti trains say they have had to sit in toilets to get seat". The Guardian. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  7. ↑ Nowell, Andrew. "How an actor, film-maker and mental health activist is helping homeless people in Manchester this Christmas".
  8. ↑ "Mental health activist speaks out on taking care of yourself over festive period". Northwich Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  9. 1 2 Kelleher, Patrick (16 September 2023). "Trans people share age they knew their gender identity after Liz Truss remarks". PinkNews. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Williams, Olivia (2 February 2021). "Cheshire soap fan saved from lockdown suicidal thoughts by Hollyoaks". CheshireLive. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Gladwell, Hattie (14 January 2021). "Small testicles and a low sex drive: What it's like to be born with XXY syndrome". Metro. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Antidepressants exit must happen in stages, says medical watchdog". BBC News. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Oldfield, Paige (16 September 2023). "'OCD habit means I get stared at and laughed whenever I eat out - it's horrible'". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Oldfield, Paige; Shaw, Neil (16 September 2023). "'People stare and laugh wherever I go because of how I have to eat'". Wales Online. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  15. ↑ "Samaritans Self-Help App Prevented This Person From Self-Harming". www.unilad.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  16. 1 2 Fitzpatrick, Katie (22 February 2020). "Real Housewives star is launching a wellness hub after battling anxiety". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "'Its Okay Not To Be Okay' | VIVA UK Lifestyle Magazine". UK Lifestyle Magazine | VIVA Manchester. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  18. ↑ "MP supports mental health activist's bid for parliamentary debate". Knutsford Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  19. ↑ "MP to apply for parliamentary debate to support Wilmslow mental health campaigner - wilmslow.co.uk". www.wilmslow.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  20. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (22 February 2020). "Real Housewives star is launching a wellness hub after battling anxiety". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "'Its Okay Not To Be Okay' | VIVA UK Lifestyle Magazine". UK Lifestyle Magazine | VIVA Manchester. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  22. ↑ Banim, Julia (8 September 2023). "'Hollyoaks saved my life and I've saved 1,300 others - with no thanks to police'". The Mirror. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  23. ↑ "'Hollyoaks saved my life' – mental health activist features in documentary series". Knutsford Guardian. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  24. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (16 June 2021). "Hollyoaks fan stopped from suicide by soap has met actor who saved their life". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  25. ↑ "5 Live News Specials - Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life' - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  26. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (1 February 2021). "Lockdown drove me to the brink - but a Hollyoaks storyline saved my life". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  27. ↑ "Channel 4 Commissions Hollyoaks: IRL A Short-Form Series Of Real-Life Documentaries | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  28. ↑ "Bafta TV Awards 2022: The nominations". BBC News. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  29. ↑ TV, Guardian (30 March 2022). "Bafta TV awards 2022: full list of nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  30. ↑ Herman, Daisy (10 April 2022). "BAFTA nomination for mental health series inspired by Cheshire Hollyoaks fan". CheshireLive. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  31. ↑ The British Academy Television Awards - 2022: 1. Awards Ceremony - Extended , retrieved 18 July 2022
  32. ↑ "'My story helped so many' - Mental health activist looks back on 'incredible' two years". Knutsford Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  33. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (9 May 2022). "Soap fan saved from suicide by Hollyoaks walks BAFTA red carpet with their idols". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  34. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (27 November 2022). "Corrie star Sally Carman's one word reaction after winning big at TV awards". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  35. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie; Clay, Milo (6 February 2022). "Cheshire reality TV star's 'disgusting' gaming habit could have been deadly". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  36. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (5 February 2022). "Reality TV star on the 'disgusting' gaming habit that could have killed them". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  37. ↑ "Gross Up - True North". www.truenorth.tv. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  38. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (5 February 2022). "Reality TV star on the 'disgusting' gaming habit that could have killed them". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  39. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (15 March 2023). "'I wet the bed and had intrusive thoughts about bathing in Prime'". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  40. ↑ Inside a BPD Mind - Single by John Junior on Apple Music, 2 July 2020, retrieved 4 November 2024
  41. ↑ "5 Live News Specials - Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life' - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  42. ↑ "Wilmslow Suicide survivor nominated for National Diversity Award". Knutsford Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.