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John Junior

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John Junior
Junior in 2024
Born (1988-10-04) October 4, 1988 (age 38)
Wythenshawe, Manchester, England
OccupationMental Health Campaigner
Years active2019-present
Known forAppearing in Hollyoaks: IRL and mental health campaigning
Websitewww.johnjuniormentalhealth.co.uk

John Junior (born 4 October 1988) is a British mental health campaigner.[1] They are known for appearing in the Channel 4 documentary series Hollyoaks IRL, where they discussed their experiences with mental health and how a suicide storyline in the soap Hollyoaks affected them during the COVID-19 lockdown.[2][3]

Junior began mental health campaigning in 2019, founding 'John and Charlie's Journey' to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention.[4] They later campaigned for improved access to dialectical behaviour therapy through the National Health Service.[5]

Early and personal life

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Junior was diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome during childhood. They have described experiencing difficulties with their gender identity from a young age and later identified as genderfluid.[5]

Junior began taking sertraline in 2017, after being diagnosed with depression and generalised anxiety disorder. During the COVID-19 lockdown, they stopped taking the medication after experiencing side effects.[6]

Following the death of their father in 2018, Junior experienced a deterioration in their mental health. In August 2019, they were diagnosed with Emotionally unstable personality disorder, also known as Borderline personality disorder.[7]

Activism

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In November 2019, Junior started ''John and Charlie's Journey'', a mental health awareness campaign to reduce stigma and encourage people to speak openly about their mental health. Junior has travelled across the UK and internationally with Charlie the toy duck as part of their mental health campaigning. Junior described Charlie as a ''conversation starter'' to encourage conversations about mental health.[8][9][10] As part of the campaign, Junior met people experiencing mental health difficulties, providing peer support and signposting them to mental health charities and other support services. Junior later stated that ''John and Charlie's Journey'' had spoken with 1,600 people face to face, while reaching millions of people through social media.[11]

In 2020, Junior was invited to speak about their mental health campaign during a Boyzlife concert and appearing on stage with Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden.[12][13]

In September 2020, Junior launched DBT for all, a campaign for wider access to dialectical behaviour therapy throughout the NHS. The campaign was supported by Esther McVey, MP for Tatton, who applied for the issue to be discussed in Parliament.[14][15]

Junior has worked with the mental health charity Mind as a volunteer. Their experience of the Hollyoaks mental health storyline has been featured in Mind's guidance on the portrayal of mental health on television.[16]

In 2023, Junior appeared on Sky News to discuss the response of emergency services to people experiencing mental health crisis. During the segment, they advocated for better mental health crisis training for emergency services in the United Kingdom.[17]

Royal Television Society, North West Awards 2022

Hollyoaks

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During the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Junior experienced suicidal thoughts and said the Hollyoaks storyline encouraged them to seek support.[18] Junior discussed the impact of the storyline with actor Ashley Taylor Dawson, who portrays Darren Osborne, on BBC Radio 5.[19]

In 2021, Junior's experience was featured in Hollyoaks IRL, a series of short documentaries commissioned by Channel 4 and produced by Lime Pictures exploring real-life experiences connected with storylines from Hollyoaks.[20] Junior appeared in the first episode, which focused on the impact the programme's mental health and suicide storyline had on them.[21] The series was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Short Form Programme in 2022 [22] and won Best Digital Creativity at the Royal Television Society, North West Awards.[23] Junior attended the 2022 British Academy Television Awards with Charlie the Duck, walking the red carpet alongside the Hollyoaks cast and crew.[24]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2021 Hollyoaks IRL - Hollyoaks saved my life Self Channel 4 [25]
2021 Race Around Britain Self YouTube [26]
2022 Gross Up - Episode 6 Self E4 [27]
2023 Time For A Check-In Self Channel 4 [28]

Radio

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Year Title Role Notes
2021 Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life' Self BBC Radio 5 [29]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Result
2021 National Diversity Awards Positive Role Model (Gender) Nominated [30]

References

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  1. ↑ Gecsoyler, Sammy (17 December 2022). "Disabled passengers on Avanti trains say they have had to sit in toilets to get seat". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Herman, Daisy (10 April 2022). "BAFTA nomination for mental health series inspired by Cheshire Hollyoaks fan". CheshireLive. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  3. ↑ "Channel 4 Commissions Hollyoaks: IRL A Short-Form Series Of Real-Life Documentaries | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  4. ↑ Maidment, Adam (5 June 2020). "How John and Charlie are turning mental health trauma into personal success". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  5. 1 2 Fitzpatrick, Katie (16 June 2021). "Hollyoaks fan stopped from suicide by soap has met actor who saved their life". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  6. ↑ "Antidepressants exit must happen in stages, says medical watchdog". BBC News. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Oldfield, Paige (14 September 2024). "I don't know what the f*** I am. I don't know what it feels like to be a man or a woman". Manchester Evening News.
  8. ↑ "How Hollyoaks saved the life of Manchester mental health activist". BBC News. 7 September 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "John and Charlie's journey to end mental health stigma". Knutsford Guardian. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Maidment, Adam (5 June 2020). "I have a second chance in life': How John Junior turned mental health trauma into personal success with the help of a cuddly duck". Manchester Evening News.
  11. ↑ www.devonlive.com https://www.devonlive.com/news/uk-world-news/i-30-minutes-death-hollyoaks-9838823. Retrieved 30 August 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ Ward, Jessican (4 March 2020). "CHESHIRE: Ending the silence with John & Charlie – 'It's okay not to be okay'". VIVA Magazine.
  13. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (1 February 2021). "'Lockdown drove me to the brink of suicide - but a Hollyoaks storyline saved my life'". Manchester Evening News.
  14. ↑ "MP supports mental health activist's bid for parliamentary debate". Knutsford Guardian. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (16 June 2021). "Meeting the guy who saved my life was overwhelming' - says Hollyoaks fan stopped from suicide by the soap". www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Media guidelines: Mental health on screen". www.mind.org.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "In full: Wednesday's UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee". Sky News. 2 November 2023. Segment at approximately 35 minutes.
  18. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (1 February 2021). "Lockdown drove me to the brink of suicide - but a Hollyoaks storyline saved my life". www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "5 Live News Specials - Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life' - BBC Sounds". BBC. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Channel 4 Commissions Hollyoaks: IRL A Short-Form Series Of Real-Life Documentaries | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (16 June 2021). "Meeting the guy who saved my life was overwhelming' - says Hollyoaks fan stopped from suicide by the soap". www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Short Form". Bafta. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "RTS North West Awards 2022 | Royal Television Society". rts.org.uk. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  24. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (9 May 2022). "Soap fan half an hour from suicide until Hollyoaks saved their life proud to walk BAFTA red carpet with their idols". www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Channel 4 Commissions Hollyoaks: IRL A Short-Form Series Of Real-Life Documentaries | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Chawawa, Munya (13 December 2021). "Munya and Harry Pinero Take On Epic Penalty Shootout | Race Around Britain". Youtube. Segment at approx 14:35
  27. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (5 February 2022). "Reality TV star on the 'disgusting' gaming habit that could have killed them". Manchester Evening News.
  28. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Katie (19 March 2023). "'I went on TV to get help for wetting the bed and had intrusive thoughts about bathing in Prime drink - but finding love has helped me'". www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  29. ↑ "5 Live News Specials - Hollyoaks suicide storyline 'saved my life' - BBC Sounds". BBC. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  30. ↑ "Wilmslow Suicide survivor nominated for National Diversity Award". Knutsford Guardian. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
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