Danny Malin: From Leeds Kirkgate Market sausages to a social media sensation

Danny Malin was your average dad-of-six, working at a butchers in Leeds Kirkgate Market at the start of last year.

Now, merely 14 months later, he is a social media sensation.

Malin has gone from ranting about the coronavirus toilet roll shortage on his personal Facebook page to scooping millions of views on the Rate My Takeaway YouTube channel.

His rants have changed his life, his regular videos on the Malcolm Michael’s Quality Butchers social media accounts have gone viral and he has racked up an astonishing 180,000 subscribers for hilariously rating takeaways, notably in Leeds.

--> READ MORE: Puds and Grub expecting huge surge in orders after going viral on Danny Malin's 'Rate My Takeaway' channel

Malin, who grew up in Barnsley, told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “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.

“I’m staying grounded at the moment, I don’t want to rush into things and I am who I am but it is nice to be walking about and people now wanting selfies and pictures with me.

“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.

“That, for me, is all I really want out of it - I want to help people and bring a bit of joy to their lives.”

Earlier this year, Danny’s girlfriend Carrie suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest in his arms at their Morley home and tragically died the following day in hospital.

The pair had planned to marry this year after having been together for 13 years and having two children together.

Carrie, 40, had been a big part of Danny’s rise to fame after being known to start his video rants off by saying ‘what’s up Dan?’ in the background.

Malin said that it is his ‘family’ at Malcolm Michael’s butchers who got him through this tough time, and that no matter how famous he becomes, he will never leave his Kirkgate Market lifeblood.

The 41-year-old said: “If I end up being a Hollywood star, I’m still one of those who would be true to my roots.

“I’d still be working in Kirkgate Market because it’s a big part of my life and the people who work there are a big part of my life as well.

“After what happened with Carrie, I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of people than those at the butchers to be around for me and my kids.

“We’re like a big family and they’ve always been there for me and always will be.”

Last year, Danny had a tattoo drawn on his arm which reads ‘strength through loyalty’ in Latin as a tribute to his Leeds butchers clan.

He added: “I had it done because we’re just like a big family at the butchers, we’re loyal to each other down there and we love each other.

“They’re behind me 100 per cent and whatever happens with my videos, happens, but they know for a fact I’m always gonna be there, I’ll always be around and that I would never leave Leeds”

--> READ MORE: Danny Malin is a Big Phillies fan as Leeds 'Rate My Takeaway' YouTube video goes viral

Malin added that he has developed a strong connection with Leeds as a city since moving here.

He said: “I don’t know how big this is going to get for me with Rate My Takeaway, but I will always have a connection with Leeds.

“I moved here with Carrie and I absolutely love it here. I love the city, I love the people and when you go out everyone is so friendly and it’s the same when I’m working at the market.

“There are people here from all walks of life, different cultures and working at the market has given me the opportunity to meet all these people.”

A doting dad, a rising star and a celebrity butcher, it might seem as though Danny has got enough on his plate to fill his time.

But, where everything he ever does will always be for his kids, Danny is also a chairman at Morley Knights Rugby Club.

He said: “I want to involve my kids as much as I can with everything I do and a couple of them play rugby so I like to be involved and coach at the club every Tuesday.

“I also have endless meetings to discuss stuff that’s happening or what we can do at the club.

“I just want to keep it going for my kids and it’s good for the local community as well so it’s really important to me.”

And, if that brings his or other people’s kids some happiness, Danny is more than willing to carry on, despite being highly in-demand.

He added: “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.”

From sausages to stardom: What’s next for Leeds’ funny man?

Malin started with sausages, prompted laughs on Facebook and found fame on YouTube, so now he says it’s time to expand and conquer Instagram, TikTok and Twitter as well.

And, as Covid restrictions have limited where the rated takeaways are located, Danny also has plans to go further afield - all with the help of some special assistants.

Malin said: “People have been asking us to go to different places across the country to do Rate My Takeaway and as they open up and restrictions are being lifted we are looking at doing that over the coming weeks and hopefully then we can start to create more content and also get the kids involved.

“We’re also looking at the format of my own videos as Carrie used to start them off with a bit of banter so my daughter might be able to step into that role, we’re just making sure that we’re ready for that.

“My son is leaving school so he’s also thinking about what he wants to do with his life afterwards and hopefully we are going to involve him in some ways too.

“For a fat fellow eating kebabs this is all really quite humbling.”