(1988-10-04) October 4, 1988 (age 35) Manchester, England
Occupation(s)
Mental health activist
Years active
2019-present
Musical artist
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]
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.
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".[12]OCD gives them anxiety when they try to eat and that makes them suicidal too.[13]
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.[14] 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.[15][16]
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.[22]BBC Radio 5 filmed Junior thanking the people who worked on storyline and the show.[23][24][25]
