The public face of one of the most enjoyable and successful projects launched during COVID-19 has unexpectedly left the building. Fans were shocked, confused and disappointed by this announcement. Many have been left wondering what the future holds for everyone involved.

Who am I referring to? Danny Malin, the now-former host of the popular YouTube series Rate My Takeaway.

Malin was born and raised in Barnsley, England. He moved to Leeds and worked at Malcolm Michaels’ Quality Butchers. He told The Tab in a May 2021 interview that his fellow co-workers were like family and he’ll “never leave, even if I became a Hollywood star!”

The road to fame found him completely by accident.

“A few of his videos on Facebook went viral after he filmed himself ranting over people panic buying toilet roll as Covid properly kicked off last March,” according to The Tab’s Harrison Brocklehurst. The humourous, fun-loving West Yorkshire native then shifted his newfound social media exposure down an entirely different path. Malin began to rate takeaway (or take-out) items across Northern England as well as countries like Ireland, Scotland and the U.S. Each video would start off with his signature greeting, “Now then guys, how ya doin’? Back on the road again!” He would drive to a particular destination, set up a fold-out table and chair on sidewalks and cobblestone roads, sample their delicious wares and give them a final score. His programs helped provide restaurants and restaurateurs with some well-needed exposure and support during the coronavirus pandemic.

It worked like a charm. Malin and his team produced over 150 videos for Rate My Takeaway, which earned more than 771,000 subscribers and over 75 million views on YouTube. Several reports suggested the show has received over 500 million views in total, which likely includes other social platforms including Facebook and TikTok.

I first discovered Rate My Takeaway in May 2021. This was just a few weeks after his most popular video, a visit to Grandma’s Kitchen in Farnworth, Bolton, was released. The “grandma in question,” as the Manchester Evening News nicely put it, was Marion Love. She was cooking proper English breakfasts out of her home. They looked phenomenal, from the sausages, bacon and baked beans all the way to her homemade cookies for dessert.

Malin was suitably impressed with her culinary skills and praised her meal to the Heavens above. The exposure that Love received on YouTube ultimately led to her decision to open a restaurant of her own. Things seem to be going well, according to her Facebook and Instagram accounts. Her growth, development and diverse menu options with Grandma’s Kitchen proved Malin knew a good place for food when he saw one.

“People have just sort of warmed to me to be honest and it’s been quite humbling to have people commenting about how I am as a person and how nice I am coming across on the Rate My Takeaway videos,” Malin told the Yorkshire Evening Post on May 22, 2021. “In such a short space of time I’ve gone from being just that fat, jolly fellow at the market to this, but I think the best thing about it is that the people I’ve spoken to say my videos have helped them through the tough times…If anything I do can bring happiness to somebody then it’s great and it makes me happy. I’m just an everyday fellow, a down to earth guy and I like to live life by having fun.”

Malin’s personal journey has certainly had its ups and downs.

He became a single father after his girlfriend of 13 years, Carrie, tragically died after suffering cardiac arrest in March 2021. In a strange twist of fate, Malin would soon meet Sophie Mei Lan, an author, ghostwriter and journalist who writes for the Yorkshire Post. They started out as friends, found romance and got married in June 2023. Meanwhile, Malin announced in a video with Sophie and their daughter in April that he had suffered two strokes in two weeks back in February 2024. That’s a double health scare few would ever want to experience, but he’s moved forward and continues to have a positive outlook on life.

The most recent hurdle involves Malin’s shocking departure from his show.

He released a YouTube video on Sept. 5 that was posted in Mr and Mrs Yorkshire, a YouTube channel he jointly runs with Sophie. (A follow-up video was posted on Sept. 8.) Without getting too much into the weeds, it appears that Malin had a bad break with his cameraman and editor which he said had become “untenable.” The financial component related to Rate My Takeaway as a business enterprise was apparently “split equally” between the three men, but his desire to be “equal within the business” is something from “day one that I’ve struggled to achieve, to be honest.” More details are starting to emerge from both sides involved in this unfortunate situation, so we’ll see where it all goes.

The good news? Malin’s story is far from over. His joint YouTube channel with Sophie is growing in popularity. He told his followers to keep an eye out for new projects, too. My guess is Malin will be back on the road before long. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll be sampling a takeaway or two like the good ol’ days.

Michael Taube, a long-time newspaper columnist and political commentator, was a speechwriter for former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper.