Nicholas Perry (Ukrainian:Ніколас Перрі; born May 19, 1992), better known asNikocado Avocado, is a Ukrainian-born Americaninternet celebrity andYouTuber known for hismukbang videos. As of September 2024[update], he has accumulated more than 9.9 million subscribers and approximately 2.67 billion total views across six YouTube channels. His online persona is known for his comedic and theatrical performances, gaining excess weight on camera, and generating over 10 billion views onTikTok.
| Nikocado Avocado | ||||||||||
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
| Born | Nicholas Perry (1992-05-19)May 19, 1992 (age 32) Kherson, Ukraine | |||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||
| Occupation | YouTuber | |||||||||
| Spouse | ||||||||||
| Website | nikocadoavocado | |||||||||
| YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2013–present | |||||||||
| Genre | Mukbang | |||||||||
| Subscribers | 4.61 million[1] | |||||||||
| Views | 930 million[1] | |||||||||
| Associated acts |
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Last updated: September 22, 2024 | ||||||||||
In September 2024, he said in a video that he had lost over 250 pounds (114 kg) over the course of two years. He said he had concealed this weight loss by uploading prerecorded content. The video, entitled "Two Steps Ahead", garnered over 26 million views within 48 hours.[2] The video remains one of Perry's most successful uploads, garnering more than 50 million views as of February 2025.[3]
Early life
Perry was born inKherson on May 19, 1992, and was adopted in infancy by an American family who raised him inPennsylvania.[4] He majored in violin performance in college,[5] attending theCatholic University of America'sBenjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art and performing atCarnegie Hall.[6] Between 2011 and 2012, he made a living as a freelance violinist and aHome Depot worker, and moved toNew York City in 2013 to pursue his dream of playing in aBroadway orchestra.[7][8] However, he found it difficult to make a living in a city surrounded by other talented musicians.[4]
Career
Perry's husband, who already had aYouTube channel of his own, first encouraged Perry to start one in 2014. His channel, named Nikocado Avocado, then consisted ofvegan and lifestylevlogs, as well as musical performances.[7][8] On September 1, 2016, Perry released a video explaining why he no longer wanted to be a veganYouTuber and his frustrations with the vegan community, which he described as "unbalanced, hostile, and mentally unstable".[4][7]
From 2016 onwards, Perry began filmingmukbang videos, becoming one of the first American men to partake in the trend, with his first mukbang video reaching 50,000 views in a couple of weeks.[9] His earlier mukbang videos showed his pet parrot sitting on his shoulder while he ate.[9]
Perry appeared onComedy Central'sTosh.0 in 2018.[10] He also has a presence on platforms other than YouTube, such asCameo,TikTok,Twitter,Facebook,Instagram,Patreon,[11] andOnlyFans.[5] He says he has hadmanic episodes due to his poor diet, and that he takes advantage of his low moments by usingclickbait to encourage views to his videos.[4]
In December 2019, Perry was accused by mukbangerStephanie Soo of harassing her by sending her text messages and taking photos from inside her home. Perry published a response video disputing her statements, in which he displayed the photos he took and argued that Soo was fully aware of them being taken.[12] He also showed their text conversations, stating that Soo had stood him up for a scheduled collaboration.[13][12][14][15] Zach Choi, a fellow mukbanger who once joined Perry and Soo in a collaboration, later stated that he had hired an attorney to address Perry's statements, though no legal action ever took place.[14][15] Perry later said that he and Soo had faked the feud to benefit their careers.[5]
According to Perry's interview withMEL Magazine in 2021, many of his online conflicts are self-orchestrated for the benefit of his career, citing his past education inperformance arts and his desire to play the role of the villain. “It’s all completely scripted,” Mr. Perry told Mel magazine in 2021 during a conversation in which he also discussed his OnlyFans channel. “YouTube has been a way for me to create a character and provide entertainment."[16]
Health concerns
Due to Perry's sharp weight gain in recent years, many fans and YouTubers have been concerned about his health.[4][17] In a 2019 interview, Perry said he only planned on creating mukbang videos "for a couple more years" and that "it is very unhealthy".[9] Numerous emotionally turbulent videos uploaded by Perry have also led people to question the state of his mental health.[13] In 2019, Perry toldMen's Health that he suffers fromerectile dysfunction and a loss oflibido as a result of hisbinge eating.[8] In 2021, he claimed that he hadfractured his ribs after months of "excessive, forceful coughing".[4] He also told his viewers that he had classed as disabled and rode amobility scooter.[18]
Weight loss
In a video uploaded on May 10, 2024, Perry announced that he was giving up his weight loss journey, telling his viewers that he failed to lose a significant amount of weight within the past two years.[2]
However, on September 6, Perry revealed that he had lost over 250 pounds (110 kg) in a video called "Two Steps Ahead", which gained over 26 million views in 48 hours. In the video, Perry revealed that he secretly lost the weight over the past two years and hid this fact by uploading pre-recorded content during that time, calling it the "greatestsocial experiment of [his] entire life".[2] Perry opened the video wearing a giant panda mask, which he said symbolized the world of social media not being as black-and-white as it appears. He said, "While everybody pointed and laughed at me for over-consuming food, I was in total control the entire time. In reality, people are completely absorbed with internet personalities and obsessively watch their content. That is where a deeper level of over-consumption lies—and it's the parallel I wanted to make."[2]
In January 2025, Perry revealed toPeople that he underwent a major facelift procedure to fix his "drooped neck," with Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Talei, a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California.[19] A month later, in February, Perry toldNBC News that he underwent a series of invasive body lift procedures, in which he removed at least 10 pounds of excess skin from his body, performed by plastic surgeon, Dr. Timothy Katzen; for Perry, these operations felt like the final step to closing out a weight loss journey.[20]
Personal life
According to a 2016 video, Perry first met Orlin Home through aveganFacebook group. After months of online communication, Home traveled to the U.S. from his native country,Colombia, to meet Perry at theWoodstock Fruit Festival. They began a relationship after traveling together inCentral America, and Perry abandoned his musical career in early 2014 to settle down with Home in Colombia.[4][7] The two married on April 10, 2017.[4] They currently reside inLas Vegas,Nevada.[16]
References
- ^ab"About NikocadoAvocado".YouTube.
- ^abcdYang, Angela (September 8, 2024)."YouTuber Nikocado Avocado bamboozles viewers with secret weight loss transformation".NBC News. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2024.
- ^Yang, Angela (February 12, 2025)."YouTuber Nikocado Avocado reveals surgery results months after weight loss shocks internet".NBC News.
- ^abcdefghAsarch, Steven; Mendez II, Moises; Cheong, Charissa; Lloyd, Andrew (November 26, 2022)."Inside the rise of Nikocado Avocado, the extreme-eating YouTuber whose dramatic meltdowns have led to years of controversy and feuds".Insider.Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. RetrievedDecember 30, 2022.
- ^abcStone, Lillian (September 1, 2021)."Who is the Real Nik Avocado?".MEL Magazine.Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. RetrievedDecember 31, 2022.
- ^"Carnegie Concert Preview".Washington, D.C.:Catholic University of America. October 28, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 7, 2024.
- ^abcdAmo, Sergio del (May 3, 2022)."The YouTuber who gained 100 kilos in front of the camera".El País.Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. RetrievedDecember 30, 2022.
- ^abcMatthews, Melissa (January 19, 2019)."These Viral 'Mukbang' Stars Get Paid to Gorge on Food—at the Expense of Their Bodies".Men's Health.Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. RetrievedDecember 31, 2022.
- ^abcItalie, Leanne (October 3, 2019)."Binge eating videos find big audience, even for weight loss".AP News.Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. RetrievedApril 25, 2022.
- ^Comedy Central (November 4, 2018)."CeWEBrity Profile – Nikocado Avocado – Tosh.0"Archived October 27, 2021, at theWayback Machine.YouTube
- ^Lucas, Jessica (October 18, 2021)."The ED community is using Nikocado Avocado as 'thinspiration'".Input.Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. RetrievedNovember 8, 2021.
- ^abNikocado Avocado (December 30, 2019)."re: Stephanie Soo"Archived October 12, 2021, at theWayback Machine.YouTube.
- ^abHarris, Margot (April 17, 2020)."Extreme-eating YouTuber Nikocado Avocado calls himself 'Jesus' and cries in a new video, leading many viewers to express concern".Insider.Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2021.
- ^abHarris, Margot (January 28, 2020)."A controversial extreme-eating YouTuber had a meltdown after his former collaborators accused him of abusive behavior".Insider.Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2021.
- ^abDrayton, Tiffanie (December 23, 2019)."YouTuber Stephanie Soo exposes Nikocado Avocado's alleged abuse in video".The Daily Dot.Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2021.
- ^abKircher, Madison (September 11, 2024)."Why a YouTuber's Drastic Weight Loss Went Viral".The New York Times.Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2024.
- ^"Is This YouTuber Eating Himself to Death?".IYCMI. Slate. November 28, 2021.Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. RetrievedNovember 29, 2021.
- ^Murphy, John (October 9, 2021)."Exclusive: Nikocado Avocado fires back after YouTuber claims he's 'slowly killing himself for views'".Extra.ie.Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. RetrievedJanuary 14, 2022.
- ^"Nikocado Avocado Reveals Facelift to Fix His 'Big Gobble Gobble Turkey Neck' After 250-Lb. Weight Loss (Exclusive)".People.com.
- ^"YouTuber Nikocado Avocado reveals surgery results months after weight loss shocks internet".NBC News. February 13, 2025. RetrievedFebruary 15, 2025.