Nikocado Avocado: A Journey Through Internet Fame, Health Challenges, and Dramatic Weight Loss
Nicholas Perry, born on May 19, 1992, in Ukraine, is an American internet personality widely recognized under his online moniker, Nikocado Avocado. Known for his mukbang videos, Perry has cultivated a substantial online following, engaging millions of viewers with his distinctive and often theatrical content.
Early Life and Musical Background
Nicholas Perry was adopted as an infant by an American family and grew up in Pennsylvania. His early years were marked by a strong connection to the arts, particularly music. Perry pursued a degree in violin performance at the Catholic University of America. After graduating, he worked as a freelance violinist and briefly at Home Depot. In 2013, Perry moved to New York City with aspirations of joining a Broadway orchestra, but he faced significant competition in the bustling music scene.
Transition to Online Fame
In 2014, Perry began exploring opportunities in the digital realm, encouraged by his partner, Orlin Home, who was already a YouTuber. Initially, Perry's YouTube channel featured vegan and lifestyle content, reflecting his commitment to a plant-based diet. However, by 2016, Perry shifted his focus to mukbang videos, a genre originating from South Korea where hosts eat large quantities of food while interacting with their audience.
Perry's mukbang videos quickly gained traction, and he became one of the early American adopters of this trend. His content, characterized by dramatic and comedic performances, often includes extensive food consumption, personal anecdotes, and emotional outbursts. This unique style helped him amass over 8.6 million subscribers and approximately 2.5 billion total views across six YouTube channels by January 2024.
Personal Life and Relationships
Nicholas Perry met Orlin Home through a vegan Facebook group in 2016. After several months of online communication, Home traveled from Colombia to meet Perry at the Woodstock Fruit Festival. Their relationship developed as they traveled together through Central America. In early 2014, Perry moved to Colombia to live with Home, and the couple married on April 10, 2017. Their relationship, including its ups and downs, is frequently featured in Perry's content.
Health and Weight Journey
Perry’s mukbang content, which involves consuming large amounts of food, led to significant weight gain. At his peak, his weight reached approximately 130 to 140 kilograms (286 to 308 pounds). His health became a topic of concern among viewers and fellow content creators due to the rapid weight gain and associated health issues.
In 2019, Perry revealed suffering from erectile dysfunction and a loss of libido as a result of his binge eating. He also reported fracturing his ribs due to excessive coughing and using a mobility scooter in 2021. Perry's weight and health issues have been openly discussed in his videos, often contributing to the dramatic nature of his content.
In May 2024, Perry announced he was abandoning his weight loss journey, citing a lack of significant progress. However, in September 2024, he surprised his audience with a dramatic weight loss revelation in a video titled "Two Steps Ahead," showing a loss of approximately 250 pounds (110 kg). Perry explained that he had used pre-recorded content to maintain his online presence during this transformation, calling it a "social experiment" to demonstrate the impact of social media on public perception.
Online Presence and Career
Beyond YouTube, Perry has built a presence on various other platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Cameo, Patreon, and OnlyFans. His online persona is known for its larger-than-life, often controversial style, which has sparked both criticism and fascination. Perry has admitted to using clickbait and orchestrating online conflicts to boost his visibility, leveraging his background in performance arts to enhance his online persona.
Controversies
Perry's career has not been without controversy. In December 2019, he was accused by fellow mukbanger Stephanie Soo of harassment, including unwanted text messages and taking intrusive photos. Perry responded with a video disputing the claims and presenting their text conversations, later suggesting that the feud was fabricated for career benefits.
7 Years Back Video (Jan. 18, 2017)
7 Months Back Video (Feb 15, 2024)
After Seven Months Video (Sep. 7, 2024)
Nicholas Perry, or Nikocado Avocado, has become a prominent figure in the world of online content through his mukbang videos, marked by their dramatic and often theatrical style. His journey from a classical musician to a social media sensation reflects significant changes in his personal and professional life. Despite facing health challenges and controversies, Perry remains a significant and polarizing figure in the digital landscape, continuously evolving his online presence and engaging with a vast audience.
