Nikocado Avocado

{{Infobox YouTube personality

| name = Nikocado Avocado

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Nicholas Perry

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|5|19}}

| birth_place = Kherson, Ukraine

| nationality = American

| occupation = YouTuber

| years_active = 2013–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Orlin Home|2017}}

| website = {{URL|nikocadoavocado.com}}

| channel_handle = NikocadoAvocado

| genre = Mukbang

| subscribers = 4.61 million

| views = 930 million

| associated_acts = {{hlist|Orlin Home|Oompaville|Raven-Symoné|Chelcie Lynn|MeatCanyon}}

| silver_button = y

| silver_year =

| gold_button = y

| gold_year = 2018

| stats_update = September 22, 2024

}}

Nicholas Perry ({{langx|uk|Ніколас Перрі}}; born May 19, 1992), better known as Nikocado Avocado, is a Ukrainian-born American internet celebrity and YouTuber known for his mukbang videos. {{As of|2024|09}}, 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 on TikTok.

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. The video remains one of Perry's most successful uploads, garnering more than 50 million views as of February 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/youtuber-nikocado-avocado-reveals-surgery-results-months-weight-loss-s-rcna191782|title=YouTuber Nikocado Avocado reveals surgery results months after weight loss shocks internet|website=NBC News|date=February 12, 2025|last=Yang|first=Angela}}

Early life

Perry was born in Kherson on May 19, 1992, and was adopted in infancy by an American family who raised him in Pennsylvania. He majored in violin performance in college,{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Lillian |date=September 1, 2021 |title=Who is the Real Nik Avocado? |url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/nikocado-avocado-onlyfans-profile |access-date=December 31, 2022 |website=MEL Magazine |archive-date=December 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201194649/https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/nikocado-avocado-onlyfans-profile |url-status=live }} attending the Catholic University of America's Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art and performing at Carnegie Hall.{{cite web|url=https://communications.catholic.edu/news/2011/10/carnegie-concert.html|title=Carnegie Concert Preview|publisher=Catholic University of America|location=Washington, D.C.|date=October 28, 2011|access-date=September 7, 2024}} Between 2011 and 2012, he made a living as a freelance violinist and a Home Depot worker, and moved to New York City in 2013 to pursue his dream of playing in a Broadway orchestra.{{Cite web |last=Amo |first=Sergio del |date=May 3, 2022 |title=The YouTuber who gained 100 kilos in front of the camera |url=https://english.elpais.com/society/2022-05-02/the-extreme-show-of-the-youtuber-who-gained-100-kilos-before-the-cameras.html |access-date=December 30, 2022 |website=El País |language=en |archive-date=December 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230122803/https://english.elpais.com/society/2022-05-02/the-extreme-show-of-the-youtuber-who-gained-100-kilos-before-the-cameras.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Matthews |first=Melissa |date=January 19, 2019 |title=These Viral 'Mukbang' Stars Get Paid to Gorge on Food—at the Expense of Their Bodies |url=https://www.menshealth.com/health/a25892411/youtube-mukbang-stars-binge-eat/ |access-date=December 31, 2022 |website=Men's Health |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024034808/https://www.menshealth.com/health/a25892411/youtube-mukbang-stars-binge-eat/ |url-status=live }} However, he found it difficult to make a living in a city surrounded by other talented musicians.{{cite web |last1=Asarch |first1=Steven |last2=Mendez II |first2=Moises |last3=Cheong |first3=Charissa |last4=Lloyd |first4=Andrew |date=November 26, 2022 |title=Inside the rise of Nikocado Avocado, the extreme-eating YouTuber whose dramatic meltdowns have led to years of controversy and feuds |url=https://www.insider.com/who-is-youtube-star-nikocado-avocado-2020-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131161124/https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-youtube-star-nikocado-avocado-2020-1 |archive-date=31 January 2020 |access-date=December 30, 2022 |work=Insider}}

Career

Perry's husband, who already had a YouTube channel of his own, first encouraged Perry to start one in 2014. His channel, named Nikocado Avocado, then consisted of vegan and lifestyle vlogs, as well as musical performances. On September 1, 2016, Perry released a video explaining why he no longer wanted to be a vegan YouTuber and his frustrations with the vegan community, which he described as "unbalanced, hostile, and mentally unstable".

From 2016 onwards, Perry began filming mukbang 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. His earlier mukbang videos showed his pet parrot sitting on his shoulder while he ate.{{cite news |last1=Italie |first1=Leanne |date=October 3, 2019 |title=Binge eating videos find big audience, even for weight loss |work=AP News |url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-lifestyle-ap-top-news-us-news-0261673235a040b49a136cdc412299d8 |access-date=April 25, 2022 |archive-date=December 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207191957/https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-health-lifestyle-ap-top-news-us-news-0261673235a040b49a136cdc412299d8 |url-status=live }}

Perry appeared on Comedy Central's Tosh.0 in 2018.Comedy Central (November 4, 2018). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGBVNBB1NIk "CeWEBrity Profile – Nikocado Avocado – Tosh.0"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027073106/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=rGBVNBB1NIk |date=October 27, 2021 }}. YouTube He also has a presence on platforms other than YouTube, such as Cameo, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Patreon,{{Cite web|url=https://www.inputmag.com/culture/nikocado-avocado-mukbang-youtube-eating-disorders-ed-food|title=The ED community is using Nikocado Avocado as 'thinspiration'|first=Jessica|last=Lucas|website=Input|date=October 18, 2021 |access-date=November 8, 2021|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107141452/https://www.inputmag.com/culture/nikocado-avocado-mukbang-youtube-eating-disorders-ed-food|url-status=live}} and OnlyFans. He says he has had manic episodes due to his poor diet, and that he takes advantage of his low moments by using clickbait to encourage views to his videos.

In December 2019, Perry was accused by mukbanger Stephanie 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.Nikocado Avocado (December 30, 2019). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkmJFW_joAY "re: Stephanie Soo"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012202403/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkmJFW_joAY |date=October 12, 2021 }}. YouTube. He also showed their text conversations, stating that Soo had stood him up for a scheduled collaboration.{{cite news|last1=Harris|first1=Margot|date=January 28, 2020|title=A controversial extreme-eating YouTuber had a meltdown after his former collaborators accused him of abusive behavior|work=Insider|url=https://www.insider.com/nikocado-avocado-fans-worried-for-youtuber-and-mukbanger-after-video-2020-1|access-date=February 20, 2021|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207191959/https://www.insider.com/nikocado-avocado-fans-worried-for-youtuber-and-mukbanger-after-video-2020-1|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Drayton|first1=Tiffanie|date=December 23, 2019|title=YouTuber Stephanie Soo exposes Nikocado Avocado's alleged abuse in video|work=The Daily Dot|url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/youtube-stephanie-soo-nikocado-avocado/|access-date=February 20, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029195534/https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/youtube-stephanie-soo-nikocado-avocado/|url-status=live}} 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. Perry later said that he and Soo had faked the feud to benefit their careers.

According to Perry's interview with MEL magazine in 2021, many of his online conflicts are self-orchestrated for the benefit of his career, citing his past education in performance arts and his desire to play the role of the villain. "It's all completely scripted", Perry told MEL 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."{{Cite web |last=Kircher |first=Madison |date=2024-09-11 |title=Why a YouTuber's Drastic Weight Loss Went Viral |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/11/style/nikocado-avocado-youtuber-weight-loss.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911214338/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/11/style/nikocado-avocado-youtuber-weight-loss.html/ |archive-date=11 September 2024 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=The New York Times}}

=Health concerns=

Due to Perry's sharp weight gain in recent years, many fans and YouTubers have been concerned about his health.{{cite web |title=Is This YouTuber Eating Himself to Death? |url=https://slate.com/transcripts/WWpTZ0EzMktsdm1UWktiT2RGZXpNN1liVDl6czVJbWVBcXU4MXFZaHlVND0= |website=IYCMI |publisher=Slate |date=November 28, 2021 |access-date=November 29, 2021 |archive-date=November 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129002757/https://slate.com/transcripts/WWpTZ0EzMktsdm1UWktiT2RGZXpNN1liVDl6czVJbWVBcXU4MXFZaHlVND0= |url-status=live }} In a 2019 interview, Perry said he only planned on creating mukbang videos "for a couple more years" and that "it is very unhealthy". Numerous emotionally turbulent videos uploaded by Perry have also led people to question the state of his mental health.{{cite news|last1=Harris|first1=Margot|date=April 17, 2020|title=Extreme-eating YouTuber Nikocado Avocado calls himself 'Jesus' and cries in a new video, leading many viewers to express concern|work=Insider|url=https://www.insider.com/youtuber-nikocado-avocado-new-video-fans-worried-trolling-2020-4|access-date=February 20, 2021|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207191957/https://www.insider.com/youtuber-nikocado-avocado-new-video-fans-worried-trolling-2020-4|url-status=live}} In 2019, Perry told Men's Health that he suffers from erectile dysfunction and a loss of libido as a result of his binge eating. In 2021, he claimed that he had fractured his ribs after months of "excessive, forceful coughing". He also told his viewers that he had classed as disabled and rode a mobility scooter.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=John |title=Exclusive: Nikocado Avocado fires back after YouTuber claims he's 'slowly killing himself for views' |url=https://extra.ie/2021/10/09/must-see/exclusive-youtuber-responds-after-claims-that-hes-slowly-killing-himself-for-views |access-date=January 14, 2022 |work=Extra.ie |date=October 9, 2021 |archive-date=January 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114004802/https://extra.ie/2021/10/09/must-see/exclusive-youtuber-responds-after-claims-that-hes-slowly-killing-himself-for-views |url-status=live }}

=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.

However, on September 6, Perry revealed that he had lost over {{convert|250|lb|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 "greatest social experiment of [his] entire life".{{cite news |last1=Yang |first1=Angela |title=YouTuber Nikocado Avocado bamboozles viewers with secret weight loss transformation |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/nikocado-avocado-secret-weight-loss-rcna170142 |access-date=September 9, 2024 |work=NBC News |date=September 8, 2024 |language=en}} 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{{emdash}}and it's the parallel I wanted to make."

In January 2025, Perry revealed to People 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.{{cite web |title=Nikocado Avocado Reveals Facelift to Fix His 'Big Gobble Gobble Turkey Neck' After 250-Lb. Weight Loss (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/nikocado-avocado-facelift-losing-250-lbs-video-ben-talei-exclusive-8775739 |website=People.com |language=en}} A month later, in February, Perry told NBC 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.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-13 |title=YouTuber Nikocado Avocado reveals surgery results months after weight loss shocks internet |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/youtuber-nikocado-avocado-reveals-surgery-results-months-weight-loss-s-rcna191782 |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=NBC News |language=en}}

Personal life

According to a 2016 video, Perry first met Orlin Home through a vegan Facebook group. After months of online communication, Home traveled to the U.S. from his native country, Colombia, to meet Perry at the Woodstock Fruit Festival. They began a relationship after traveling together in Central America, and Perry abandoned his musical career in early 2014 to settle down with Home in Colombia. The two married on April 10, 2017. They currently reside in Las Vegas, Nevada.