Rate My Takeaway – Danny Malin Exit and What Happens Next

Rate My Takeaway launched in June 2020 with a simple idea: travel across the United Kingdom, visit local takeaways, and review the food on camera. It grew into one of the UK’s most recognisable food-review channels, reaching more than 785,000 subscribers and over 197 million views before its original host, Danny Malin, walked away in September 2025.

The channel’s success was inseparable from Danny’s personality. His high-energy presenting style and portable outdoor table-and-chair setup made every review feel like a road trip with a friend. He visited fried chicken shops, chippies, and local independents across the country, turning regional takes on fast food into must-watch content.

When Danny announced his departure, describing the backstage situation as “untenable”, it marked the end of an era and left a devoted fanbase asking the same set of questions: what happened, who takes over, and can Rate My Takeaway survive without its creator?

What Is Rate My Takeaway?

Rate My Takeaway is a UK-based YouTube review series in which the host drives to a takeaway or fast-food shop, orders food, sets up a fold-out table and chairs outside, and delivers an on-the-spot review. Fried chicken shops became the show’s signature subject, though the channel has also covered burgers, kebabs, fish and chips, and dessert stops.

A few key insights help explain the channel’s position in British food media:

• The success of Rate My Takeaway was driven largely by Danny Malin’s personal, energetic review style.
• The portable table-and-chair format became a visual signature that viewers recognised instantly.
• Reviews centre on takeaways across the UK, with a particular focus on Northern England and the Midlands.
• The channel surpassed 785,000 subscribers and more than 197 million views before Danny’s exit.
• The series doubled as a local food-discovery tool, feeding search patterns like “takeaway around me”.
• Regional press coverage, including from the Yorkshire Evening Post, treated the channel as a cultural phenomenon.

Who Is Danny Malin, the Original Host?

Danny Malin was the creator and long-time face of Rate My Takeaway. Coverage of the channel frequently described him as a “Yorkshire icon” and the warm, central draw of the series. His biography is firmly tied to the growth of the YouTube channel he started from scratch.

How Danny Malin Became Famous

Danny began Rate My Takeaway in June 2020, during a period when online food content was expanding rapidly. His style was different from the polished, studio-bound productions that dominated food media: he filmed outside, kept the reviews short and punchy, and spoke like a regular customer rather than a professional critic.

As his Wikipedia biography notes, the channel turned him into a widely recognised UK food reviewer. He became the identifiable face of a brand that fans trusted to tell them whether a takeaway was worth the trip.

His Background and Presenting Style

Hailing from Skipton, North Yorkshire, Danny brought a distinctly Northern warmth to his reviews. He was loud, genuine, and unpretentious, and he was willing to travel long distances for a recommended shop. The fold-out table and chair set he used at every location became a running visual joke and a comforting ritual for regular viewers.

Why the Audience Connection Mattered

Viewers did not just watch Rate My Takeaway for the food. They watched for Danny’s reactions, his banter with shop owners, and his ability to turn a mundane visit to a chicken shop into an entertaining event. That personal connection was the channel’s real engine. When he left, the brand lost its most valuable asset.

Why Did Danny Malin Leave Rate My Takeaway?

In early September 2025, Danny Malin announced he was quitting Rate My Takeaway. He called the situation behind the scenes “untenable” and confirmed that the last filmed episode would be his final one as host. The announcement came abruptly for most viewers.

What Was Reported

The reported reasons for his exit combined behind-the-scenes conflict, ownership and control disagreements, and health strain. In a personal note on his website, Danny said he was stepping back to re-establish himself as Danny, rather than being defined solely as the channel’s presenter.

Reporting from Dexerto described the split as involving an ownership dispute, while IBTimes focused on the health element, including references to stroke recovery and the toll of the role.

The “Untenable” Situation

Danny’s choice of words signalled that the strain was serious. His own account, published at dannymalin.co.uk, framed the decision as a necessary break from an arrangement he could no longer continue. The Tab’s breakdown of his exit video described behind-the-scenes tensions that went far beyond creative differences.

Health and the Toll of the Role

Multiple reports linked the departure to health concerns. Local coverage from Your Skipton noted the pressure Danny had been under, and the demanding nature of producing high-volume travel content week after week.

What Remains Unconfirmed

The full details of the business conflict were never released publicly. Danny spoke candidly about the broad reasons, but the finer points of the ownership and management dispute remain a matter of reporting rather than confirmed documentation.

Who Is the New Host of Rate My Takeaway?

Despite heavy speculation online, no new host has been officially confirmed for Rate My Takeaway in the available reporting. The question of who replaces Danny Malin remains open.

What the Reports Say

One report published after Danny’s exit said it was unclear whether the channel would continue without him. Another said fans expected the channel to move on with a new presenter, but that was not presented as a confirmed fact. The Tab’s reporting captured the uncertainty among the channel’s audience.

The “Hollis” Question

Search data for “who is Hollis rate my takeaway” has surfaced a name that some online conversations have linked to the programme. However, the available sources do not establish a reliable connection between anyone named Hollis and Rate My Takeaway. The claim appears unsupported by the public record and may stem from confusion with unrelated figures sharing that surname.

What This Means for the Channel

Until an official announcement is made, the future direction of Rate My Takeaway remains uncertain. The channel’s fate is one of the most closely watched questions in UK YouTube food media. NewsMatter’s coverage summarised the situation as a channel in transition, with no publicly confirmed successor.

Why Is Rate My Takeaway So Popular?

Rate My Takeaway hit a sweet spot. It combined the universal appeal of comfort food with a host who made each visit feel like a shared adventure. The formula translated into consistent growth across multiple social platforms.

The Power of Social Media

The channel’s growth was closely tied to video-first social platforms. Short clips of Danny reviewing chicken shops spread quickly, with his verdicts becoming shorthand for whether a takeaway was worth a visit. His content was designed for sharing, and viewers obliged. The channel also benefited from mainstream attention, although specific broadcast interviews could not be independently confirmed from available sources.

Local Discovery and the “Takeaway Around Me” Effect

Search data shows strong user interest in phrases such as “takeaway around me” and “rate my takeaway best chicken shop”. This suggests the channel functions as more than entertainment: it helps people decide where to eat in their own area. When Danny reviewed a shop in a specific town, that business often saw an immediate surge in attention.

The “Tom Rate My Takeaway” Query

One recurring search term, “Tom Rate My Takeaway”, appears to be a known ambiguity. It may stem from a misspelling, a fan edit, a specific video featuring someone named Tom, or a deleted secondary channel. No authoritative source has clarified the meaning.

What Happened to Rate My Takeaway?

The timeline below traces the channel’s journey from launch to the post-Danny era, based on available reporting and public statements.

1. June 2020: Rate My Takeaway begins, with Danny Malin as host and creator.
2. 2020–2025: The channel grows into a major UK food-review brand, reportedly surpassing 785,000 subscribers and 197 million views.
3. Early September 2025: Danny announces he is quitting the channel, describing the situation behind the scenes as “untenable”.
4. September 2025: Reports emerge detailing backstage conflict, management disagreements, and health pressure as contributing factors.
5. January 5, 2026: Danny Vs Food, Danny’s new solo channel, is reported to have launched.
6. 2026: Danny continues reviewing food independently, appearing in local press coverage under the Danny Vs Food brand.

In a later interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Danny reflected on leaving and described himself as happier after moving on. The article confirmed that he had embraced his new projects, including Danny Vs Food and the Mr and Mrs Yorkshire series.

What Is Confirmed and What Remains Unclear?

Separating established facts from speculation is essential in a story that generated as much rumour as this one.

What Impact Has Rate My Takeaway Had Beyond YouTube?

Rate My Takeaway’s influence extended well beyond the platform it was built on. In communities across the UK, a visit from Danny could boost a small takeaway’s profile overnight. Restaurants and shops that featured in his reviews often saw immediate increases in customers, a pattern also observed in other food-media formats.

The channel also stands as a case study in the economics of creator-led brands. Replacing a founder-host is one of the riskiest moves a media brand can make. The uncertainty around Rate My Takeaway mirrors similar transitions in the wider creator economy, where the personality and the business are often tightly intertwined. The Telegraph & Argus has covered how Danny’s independent reviews continued to encourage diners to visit high streets they might otherwise ignore. Another report from the same publication noted the business boost restaurants saw after a Danny Malin visit.

The channel’s broader significance, then, lies in its demonstration of what digital content can do for physical places. It transformed online popularity into real-world footfall, and it turned a niche genre into a regular talking point.

That pattern fits a broader shift in UK food culture. The country has long celebrated chef personalities, and the media world has adapted accordingly. Readers interested in those stories can find a detailed portrait in our Marco Pierre White – Biography, Net Worth, and Key Facts, which examines one of the most influential figures in British cooking.

What Do Official and Media Sources Say About the Channel?

Several key statements and reports define the public record on Rate My Takeaway’s rise and fall.

“The situation behind the scenes became untenable. I’m stepping back to re-establish myself as Danny, not just the channel’s presenter.”

— Danny Malin, from his departure statement, September 2025

“The split involved tension over control of the business and, in some accounts, a dispute over earnings and ownership structure.”

— Reported by Dexerto and The Tab

“Danny later reflected on leaving and described himself as happier after moving on from Rate My Takeaway, while promoting Danny Vs Food and other projects.”

— Yorkshire Evening Post, 2026

Danny’s post-Rate My Takeaway output has been covered extensively. Dexerto reported on his return with a new YouTube channel, Danny Vs Food. Reports also indicate he continued working on Mr and Mrs Yorkshire, and launched a travel-and-food project called Danny and Gary with fellow food creator Gary Eats.

In Summary

Rate My Takeaway rose from a simple YouTube idea to a UK food-review institution, powered by Danny Malin’s infectious energy and a format that felt fresh at every stop. His departure in September 2025 closed that chapter. The channel’s future is unresolved, while Danny has moved on to new creative projects, most notably Danny Vs Food. For those interested in how other UK food personalities built their public profiles, our profile of James Martin – Biography, Net Worth, and Key Facts offers a useful companion piece to Danny Malin’s story.

Frequently Asked Questions