Dan Shrigley, a 28-year-old content creator, is facing the pain of something that most people experience at least once in their lifetime: a breakup.
But his decision to lean into the heartache and share a moment of friendship and vulnerability online is what has earned him widespread praise among viewers.
Shrigley had posted a clip of himself going about his day—making his bed, going for a walk, and working out in a park—to TikTok, as he adjusted to life after his relationship ended. Over the video plays a voice note from his best friend, Cam, offering calm and sincere support.
The message struck a chord among viewers on the platform. The post, shared to Shrigley’s account @danshrigley_, has been liked more than 29,000 times and flooded with supportive comments.
“I’m really sorry that you’re feeling this way … My heart goes out to you, and I know it’s easier said than done than what I’m saying to you, but, Dan, I promise you, you are dealing with this amazingly, and you are sitting in the pain. You are dealing with it; you are going through it head-first,” Cam said in the short audio clip featured in the video. “That’s how I know you are going to become so much stronger after this.”
Shrigley, who is based in London, England, told Newsweek that the snippet came from a much-longer message.
“I’m currently navigating a breakup and, on one particular morning, I was feeling pretty down about it all, so I sent some messages to my good mate Cam expressing this,” he said. “After reading what I sent, he replied with a 14-minute voice note.”
Shrigley said: “He replied with empathy and compassion, making me feel calm and reassured that I was approaching the relationship ending in the right way.”
In the video caption, Shrigley added: “Share this with someone that might need it. Lucky to have this guy as my mate. The world needs more Cams.”
Shrigley, who also works as a speaker and co-founder of a community initiative, said the response to the video has reminded him of the power of emotional honesty—particularly between male friends.
“He’s the friend that I can always lean on when I need to, and vice versa,” Shrigley said. “We actually said the other day that our friendship is like having a brother.
“I believe that leaning on a mate for support and opening up a bit, can turn a friend into a brother, which is really special,” he added. “However, it takes two to tango. You need one person to open up, and another person to know how to respond.
“These are skills I’m trying to share in my work as a speaker and community co-founder.”
Shrigley began posting online after his dad was hospitalized with severe depression. Although he has since recovered, the difficult experience encouraged him to help others with their mental health. To support his mission, he started to share authentic and honest content about life, to help others feel less alone with their thoughts, especially men.
“Often, people think they’re the only one struggling with something, when in reality they’re one of many,” Shrigley said. “However, it requires somebody to be vulnerable and share to help them feel like they’re not alone, and that’s where I come in.”