John Junior

John Junior, known as The Duckman is a British mental health activist. He is known for featuring in the multi-award winning and BAFTA nominated[1] documentary series, Hollyoaks IRL.[2][3][4] In November 2019, he created the mental health movement "John and Charlie's Journey", to raise awareness for suicide and mental illness.[5][6]

John Junior
Junior in 2020
Junior in 2020
Background information
Birth nameJohn Junior
Also known asThe Duckman
Born (1988-10-04) October 4, 1988
Manchester, England
Occupation(s)
  • Mental health activist


Years active2019-present

Background

Junior was born with short leg syndrome, has a clubfoot and lives with arthritis.[7] They were homeless at the age of 16.[8] Junior lost their dad in 2018.[9]

When Junior was 8 years old he didn't feel right in the body he was assigned at birth and when he was 11 years old he wanted a gender reassignment.[10] He was then diagnosed with Klinefelter's syndrome and put on hormone therapy.[11][12] At 14 years old he began questioning his gender identity and sexuality.[10] Junior has since began to identify as non-binary.

Junior lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder. He has 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] He has struggled with intrusive thoughts and thoughts of suicide.

Activism

In 2019, Junior started vlogging about their experiences of mental health issues on Instagram in order to reach others with mental health difficulties.[5] In May 2020, Junior tested the Samaritans' self-help app for UNILAD during mental health awareness week.[14] Junior subsequently talked to UNILAD about their mental health struggles to help raise awareness for world suicide prevention day on 10 September 2020.[6]

In November 2019, Junior created a mental health movement called "John and Charlie's Journey".[6] 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.[15][16]

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.[17][18]

In February 2020, Junior and Tanya Bardsley former The Real Housewives of Cheshire created the wellness hub.[15]

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.[19][20]

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.[21]

Cost of Living Crisis

Junior receives calls from people telling him they are feeling suicidal over the raise in energy prices. He speaks to parents, older people, people on low incomes. He is working with multiple mental health charities; Samaritans, Mind charity and Papyrus to raise awareness, educate and prevent suicides The rise in energy costs is impacting people's mental health and Junior has started a video campaign and to work with members of parliament to getting people more support with their 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

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] Junior went viral for their participation in the series Hollyoaks IRL.[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]

Hollyoaks IRL series was inspired by Junior, and Junior was thus 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]

Junior is making a feature film called 'The Mood is Temporary', inspired by the Hollyoaks storyline that saved his life.[35]

On November 26, 2022, Junior and Charlie The Duck attended the Royal Television Society Awards (North West) and received the Best Digital Creativity award for the Hollyoaks IRL series, which was presented by hosts Adam Thomas and Jenny Powell.[36]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2021 Hollyoaks IRL - Hollyoaks saved my life Himself Channel 4
2022 Munya Chawawa - Race around Britain Journalist Released on Youtube TV
2022 The Real Death in Paradise Alex Discovery Channel
2023 Time For A Check-In[37] Himself Channel 4

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Result
2021 National Diversity Awards Positive Role Model (Gender)[38] Nominated
2022 NDA awards Positive role model Nominated
2023 NDA awards Positive role model Nominated

References
  1. Fitzpatrick, Katie; Updated (9 May 2022). "Soap fan saved from suicide by Hollyoaks walks BAFTA red carpet with their idols". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  2. Herman, Daisy (10 April 2022). "BAFTA nomination for mental health series inspired by Cheshire Hollyoaks fan". CheshireLive. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  3. "Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life'". BBC News. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  4. "Channel 4 Commissions Hollyoaks: IRL A Short-Form Series Of Real-Life Documentaries | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  5. Maidment, Adam (5 June 2020). "How John and Charlie are turning mental health trauma into personal success". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. "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.
  7. "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.
  8. Nowell, Andrew. "How an actor, film-maker and mental health activist is helping homeless people in Manchester this Christmas".
  9. "Mental health activist speaks out on taking care of yourself over festive period". Northwich Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  10. Kelleher, Patrick (16 September 2023). "Trans people share age they knew their gender identity after Liz Truss remarks". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  11. Williams, Olivia (2 February 2021). "Cheshire soap fan saved from lockdown suicidal thoughts by Hollyoaks". CheshireLive. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  12. 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.
  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. "Samaritans Self-Help App Prevented This Person From Self-Harming". www.unilad.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  15. Fitzpatrick, Katie (22 February 2020). "Real Housewives star is launching a wellness hub after battling anxiety". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  16. "'Its Okay Not To Be Okay' | VIVA UK Lifestyle Magazine". UK Lifestyle Magazine | VIVA Manchester. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  17. "MP supports mental health activist's bid for parliamentary debate". Knutsford Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  18. "MP to apply for parliamentary debate to support Wilmslow mental health campaigner - wilmslow.co.uk". www.wilmslow.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  19. Fitzpatrick, Katie (22 February 2020). "Real Housewives star is launching a wellness hub after battling anxiety". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  20. "'Its Okay Not To Be Okay' | VIVA UK Lifestyle Magazine". UK Lifestyle Magazine | VIVA Manchester. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  21. 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.
  22. News, Manchester Evening; Porter, Gary (4 September 2022). "Mental health activist says people feel 'suicidal' over soaring energy costs". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 24 October 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  23. "Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life'". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  24. Fitzpatrick, Katie (1 February 2021). "Lockdown drove me to the brink - but a Hollyoaks storyline saved my life". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  25. "Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life'". BBC Radio 5 - In the short.
  26. West, Amy (20 January 2021). "Hollyoaks saved life of radio contributor with Kyle Kelly's tragic storyline". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  27. "Channel 4 Commissions Hollyoaks: IRL A Short-Form Series Of Real-Life Documentaries | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  28. McIntyre, Alex (21 June 2021). "'I was planning suicide, until Hollyoaks episode saved my life'". CheshireLive. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  29. "Bafta TV Awards 2022: The nominations". BBC News. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  30. TV, Guardian (30 March 2022). "Bafta TV awards 2022: full list of nominations". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  31. Herman, Daisy (10 April 2022). "BAFTA nomination for mental health series inspired by Cheshire Hollyoaks fan". CheshireLive. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  32. The British Academy Television Awards - 2022: 1. Awards Ceremony - Extended, retrieved 18 July 2022
  33. "'My story helped so many' - Mental health activist looks back on 'incredible' two years". Knutsford Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  34. 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.
  35. Fitzpatrick, Katie (25 March 2021). "Mental health activist has made Hollyoaks-inspired film". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  36. 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.
  37. Fitzpatrick, Katie (15 March 2023). "'I wet the bed and had intrusive thoughts about bathing in Prime'". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  38. "Wilmslow Suicide survivor nominated for National Diversity Award". Knutsford Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  • John Junior is an Ambassador for SOS silence to suicide
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