YouTube star Luke Nichols - one of the hugely popular Outdoor Boys - has made a shock return from retirement, but for a seriously heartwarming reason.
Nichols, who decided to leave the platform months ago, returned to help out a friend who is going through a really tough time.
From one Outdoor Boy to another
Luke Nichols, the content creator behind the Outdoor Boys YouTube channel, returned to his channel months after leaving it, but only for a very specific good cause - he wanted to help another creator out.
Last weekend, a video appeared in which Nichols could be seen camping by himself in Alaska.
The clip was a collaboration with the MyLifeOutdoors channel, which is run by a man called Steven Smith.
The clip, entitled ‘Camping in Snowstorm With No Tent, No Sleeping Bag’ - which is not out of character for the Outdoor Boys channel - saw Nichols explain why he was back on camera, and back on another platform.
Fans were surprised when a video appeared showing Outdoor Boys creator Luke Nichols. Credit: YouTube/MyLifeOutdoors
Nichols explained: “You're not imagining things.
“This is not my YouTube channel.
“Some of you guys may have heard that Steven's wife was recently diagnosed with cancer.
“So, right now, Steven's got a lot on his plate taking care of his wife and his four kids.
“I thought I might step in and do a little YouTube video for him so he can worry about one thing at a time.”
An admirable cause, that’s for sure.
In the video, he did exactly what he said he’d do - camped outdoors in Alaska with no tent and no sleeping bag, building shelter from a tree and cooking moose stew over an open fire.
The segment concluded with a call to action asking for help for Steven’s family at this clearly tough time.
He asked fans to watch and support the videos, adding that it would ‘mean a lot’ to the family.
Fans were over the moon.
“The GOAT came out of retirement to help a friend. What a legend,” read one comment.
“What a freakin legend. Came out of retirement to support a friend in need. I’m not crying, you’re crying,” said another.
Steven from MyLifeOutdoors shared his sad news on the channel recently. Credit: YouTube/MyLifeOutdoors
Luke Nichols wound up the Outdoor Boys channel just a few months ago
Nichols’ channel was known for the tough outdoors adventures that he and his family members would undertake, often building icehouses and igloos from scratch and highlighting his survival skills.
It was hugely popular too, boasting 15 million followers by the time he decided to call it a day.
That decision shocked many, but he explained his reasoning pretty clearly.
Basically, the sudden rise in the popularity of the channel - which gained 12 million followers in 18 months - took a toll on his personal life.
“It’s been a wild ride,” he said.
“The amount of time and energy that I've dedicated to making YouTube videos is hard to communicate,
“So many late nights editing and packing and unpacking camping with pneumonia building log cabins while injured, but it's been a tremendous adventure and it's allowed me to provide for my family while making wonderful memories with my wife and kids.”
However, he went on to explain that his fame has been ‘overwhelming’ and that he and his wife have ‘real concern’ about what effect it could have.
He concluded: “I think I'm starting to reach that point [where] I've spent so much time focusing on me and my family and growing my business, it's time to step back and focus on helping other people for a change and I'm excited to see where that takes me.”