John Junior (born October 4, 1988), also known as The Duckman, is a British mental health activist, actor, and TikTok creator. They are known for their appearance in the documentary series '' Hollyoaks: IRL''. In November 2019, they founded the mental health movement "John and Charlie's Journey" to raise awareness about suicide and mental illness. They travel across the UK accompanied by a stuffed toy named Charlie, which they carry for comfort.

Background

Junior was born with

Klinefelter syndrome Klinefelter syndrome (KS), also known as 47,XXY, is a chromosome anomaly where a male has an extra X chromosome. These complications commonly include infertility and small, poorly functioning testicles (if present). These symptoms are often n ...

and began experiencing mental health issues at the age of 11, including low mood and uncertainty about their gender identity. They identify as genderfluid.

Personal life

In 2017, Junior was prescribed sertraline to treat depression and anxiety but stopped taking the medication during the coronavirus lockdown due to side effects.They now manage their mental health with exercise and meditation. In 2018, following the sudden death of their father from a heart attack, Junior experienced mental health difficulties, including

substance misuse Substance may refer to: * Matter, anything that has mass and takes up space Chemistry * Chemical substance, a material with a definite chemical composition * Drug A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dieta ...

and suicidal ideation.They began daily use of alcohol and

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

and were diagnosed with

borderline personality disorder Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, an acute fear of Abandonment (emotional), abandonment, and intense emotiona ...

in August 2019. Junior lives with

obsessive compulsive disorder Obsession may refer to: Psychology * Celebrity worship syndrome, obsessive addictive disorder to a celebrity's personal and professional life * Obsession (psychology), a persistent attachment to an object or idea * Fixation (psychology), persi ...

(OCD), and it causes distress related to food, including a need to eat food using metal tongs. Their OCD has also contributed to suicidal thoughts.

Activism

In 2019, Junior began vlogging on Instagram about their experiences with mental health. In May 2020, they tested the Samaritans' self-help app during Mental Health Awareness Week. Junior shared their mental health struggles to raise awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September 2020. In November 2019, Junior launched the mental health movement "John and Charlie's Journey". Accompanied by Charlie the Duck, a stuffed toy, they encouraged open conversations about mental health. In September 2020, Junior launched the ''DBT for'' ''All campaign'' to improve access to

dialectical behaviour therapy Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that began with efforts to treat personality disorders and interpersonal conflicts. Evidence suggests that DBT can be useful in treating mood disorders and suicidal ideati ...

(DBT) through the

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

. The initiative received support from MP

Esther McVey Esther Louise, Lady Davies (born 24 October 1967), styled as Esther McVey, is a British Conservative Party politician and television presenter who has been serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton since 2017, and served as the M ...

, who requested a parliamentary debate at Westminster Hall. Junior was invited on stage by

Keith Duffy Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish singer, actor, radio and television presenter and drummer who began his professional music career as part of Irish boy band Boyzone alongside Ronan Keating, Mik ...

Boyzone Boyzone were an Irish boy band created in 1993 by the talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's ''The Late Late Show (Ireland), The Late Late Show''. Its most successful line-up was co ...

and

Brian McFadden Brian Nicholas McFadden (born 12 April 1980) is an Irish pop singer and television presenter. He rose to fame in 1998 as a member of the Irish boy band Westlife. Following his departure from the group in 2004, McFadden released his debut solo ...

Westlife Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 and later reun ...

during a Boyzlife concert in Manchester to speak to about their mental health campaign.

Hollyoaks

During the first UK COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, Junior experienced suicidal thoughts. They later credited a ''Hollyoaks'' suicide storyline with changing their mindset and encouraging them to seek support. In a BBC podcast, Junior and actor

Ashley Taylor Dawson 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*. ...

discussed a Hollyoaks suicide storyline that Junior credited with saving there life. Dawson who portrays Darren Osborne, was part of the storyline. On stage at Royal television society awards NW - Nov 2022

On stage at Royal television society awards NW - Nov 2022

In 2021,

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

commissioned Lime Pictures to produce '' Hollyoaks: IRL'', a series of short films featuring real-life stories. Junior appeared in the first episode, titled Hollyoaks Saved My Life, released on 16 June 2021. The series was nominated for the BAFTA TV award in the Short Form Programme category in 2022. Junior was invited by

to attend the

British Academy Television Awards The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in ...

on 8 May 2022, held at the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London, England. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a G ...

in London. They were accompanied by Hollyoaks actors

Vera Chok Vera Chok is a Malaysian actress and writer based in the United Kingdom, who has featured in various stage, screen and radio roles. From 2021 to 2023, she played Honour Chen-Williams in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. Early and personal ...

and

Kieron Richardson Kieron Mark Richardson (born 12 January 1986) is an English actor and television presenter. He plays the role of Ste Hay in ''Hollyoaks'', having previously appeared in ''Heartbeat (British TV series), Heartbeat'' as Ricky Smith. He won the Bri ...

Gross Up

In February 2022, Junior appeared in episode six of Gross Up, a British factual entertainment series produced by

True North Productions True North Productions is an independent British television production company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The company creates factual programmes and series in a wide variety of genres, including observational documentary, true crime, cur ...

and commissioned by E4. The programme follows six participants whose personal belongings are sent to a laboratory for scientific testing to identify viruses and bacteria. In Junior’s episode,

microbiologists A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of paras ...

identified gut bacteria on some of their personal items.

Filmography

Television

Discography

Singles

Radio

Awards and nominations

References

External links

John Junior
is an Ambassador for SOS silence to suicide {{DEFAULTSORT:Junior, John Living people Mental health activists English media personalities 1988 births People with obsessive–compulsive disorder