Your support helps us to tell the story
In my reporting on women's reproductive rights, I've witnessed the critical role that independent journalism plays in protecting freedoms and informing the public.
Your support allows us to keep these vital issues in the spotlight. Without your help, we wouldn't be able to fight for truth and justice.
Every contribution ensures that we can continue to report on the stories that impact lives
Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
A YouTube star has played the long game and pranked the internet over the course of two years, while secretly losing a huge amount of weight.
Nicholas Perry, better known as Nikocado Avocado has more than 3.9 million followers on YouTube, where he is best known for his food content in the specific genre of ‘Mukbang’ where he and others ate excessive amounts of food.
Perry has been making videos on YouTube for more than seven years and when he first started had a much slender physique, at least compared to his appearance in his penultimate video, shared just three months ago, where he said that he had “quit his weight loss journey.”
However, Perry was pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes and in a new video shared on 7 September showed off a new look, having apparently shed 17st (250lbs) in weight in just a matter of months.
The shocking video, called ‘Two Steps Ahead’, which has already had more than 3 million views at the time of writing, starts with Perry wearing a panda head and while in character, tells viewers: “I am always two steps ahead.”
He adds: “This has been the greatest social experiment of my entire life. It’s worrying, it’s compelling, it’s gripping to observe all these unwell, disorientated beings roam the internet in search of stories, ideas, rivalries where they feel encouraged, engaged.”
Perry continued to say that he had now woken up from a “very long dream” where he had lost “250 pounds off his body.”
However, in another video, called ‘hi’ on a separate YouTube channel, Perry, alongside his pet parrot, has a much friendlier demeanour where he briefly explains how he managed to pull off his stunt.
Before eating a large plate of spicy cheese noodles, Perry explains that he hasn’t made a video in two years and has simply been sharing old premade content in order to maintain his channel while working on his health.
Perry’s big reveal has since gone viral with many viewers stunned at the twist in the story. One fan wrote: “This feels almost not real, he managed to play us like a violin, this redemption arc feels surreal.”
Another wrote: “Nikocado Avocado, you have my utmost respect. you managed to troll the internet for 2 years.”
A third said: “This is the most I’ve ever smiled watching Nikocado Avocado and I genuinely could not be happier and more proud of him unironically.”
Perry has said that he will now just be posting on his second channel and hinted that he will be sharing more about his story next week.
