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 35)
Manchester, England
Occupation(s)
  • Mental health activist


Years active2019-present

John Junior, also known as The Duckman, is a British mental health activist. They are known for featuring in the documentary series, Hollyoaks: IRL . [1] [2] [3] In November 2019, they created the mental health movement "John and Charlie's Journey", to raise awareness for 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 didn't feel right in their body and the gender they were assigned at birth (male). When they were 11 years old they wanted a gender reassignment. [9] They were then diagnosed with Klinefelter's 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 of the anti-depressants due to the unbearable side effects he was experiencing. He replaced the anti-depressants with going to the gym to help with his mood. [12]

Junior lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder. 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] 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 in order to reach others with mental health difficulties. [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 help 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, (stuffed toy teddy), to encourage people to talk about mental health and to end the judgement & stigma surrounding mental health. [16] [17]

In September 2020, the "DBT for all campaign" was created by Junior to make dialectical behaviour therapy more widely available. (This therapy is used to treat children, teenagers and adults who are suicidal, self-harm, and have self-destructive behaviours.) The purpose of the campaign is to make DBT therapy more widely available on the NHS throughout the United Kingdom. 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 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 with their fans about Junior's mental health campaigning and to raise awareness. [20] [21]

Junior is campaigning for all Police officers in the United Kingdom to be trained in mental health first aid and to have a 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 him stop. [23] BBC Radio 5 filmed Junior thanking the people who worked on storyline and the show. [24] [25] [26]

Royal Television Society North West Awards (November 2022). Jenny Powell, Richard Blackwood, John Junior, Charlie the duck , Alan Toner, Adam Thomas, Ross Adams 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, Ross Adams

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] An interview with Junior went viral. [28] Hollyoaks Saved My Life (Hollyoaks IRL) was nominated for the a BAFTA TV Award, in the Short Form Programme 2022. [29] [30] [31] [32]

Junior was invited by Channel 4 to attended the British Academy Television Awards, on 8 May 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall in London. [33] They were accompanied by Charlie the Duck, Vera Chok (who plays Honour Chen-Williams) and Kieron Richardson (who plays Ste Hay). [34]

On November 26, 2022, Junior attended the Royal Television Society Awards (North West) and received the Best Digital Creativity award for the Hollyoaks IRL series. [35]

Gross Up

In February 2022, the British factual entertainment series Gross up, which was produced by True North Productions for E4 digital. Which featured John Junior in episode 6. The series follows 6 cast members having their belongings sent away to a laboratory to be scientific tested for viruses and bacteria. Gut bacteria was found on Juniors equipment by the microbiologists. [36] [37] [38]

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 [39] HimselfE4
2023Time For A Check-In [40] HimselfChannel 4

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResult
2021National Diversity AwardsPositive Role Model (Gender) [41] Nominated
2022NDA awardsPositive role modelNominated
2023NDA awardsPositive role modelNominated

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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.
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  25. ↑ "Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life'". BBC Radio 5 - In the short.
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  32. ↑ The British Academy Television Awards - 2022: 1. Awards Ceremony - Extended , retrieved 18 July 2022
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  41. ↑ "Wilmslow Suicide survivor nominated for National Diversity Award". Knutsford Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
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