Andrew Rea facts for kids

Andrew Douglas Rea (born September 2, 1987), also known as Babish, is an American YouTuber, cook, and author. He is best known for starting the YouTube channel Babish Culinary Universe. On this channel, he creates and hosts popular cooking shows. His most famous shows are Binging with Babish and Basics with Babish. Andrew Rea has also written several cookbooks based on his cooking series.

Early Life and Cooking Beginnings

Andrew Rea was born on September 2, 1987, in Mendon, New York. He grew up in Rochester, New York. His mother, Annie, taught him how to cook from a young age. She showed him how to make dishes like stew and cookies.

When Andrew was 11, his mother passed away. As a teenager, he started cooking again. He would make stews to feel closer to her. In 2009, Andrew graduated from Hofstra University. He earned a degree in Film Studies. Later, he worked as an artist creating visual effects.

Andrew Rea's YouTube Journey

Andrew Rea started his Binging with Babish YouTube channel on August 21, 2006. The name "Babish" came from a character in the TV show The West Wing. Before his cooking shows, he uploaded a few unrelated videos.

Starting Binging with Babish

In 2016, Andrew was feeling down. He decided to buy some camera equipment to start filming again. His kitchen was the only space big enough in his small apartment. He filmed himself making a smoothie. The camera's position cut off his face, which became his unique filming style.

He then thought about creating an online cooking show. The first episode of Binging with Babish came out on February 10, 2016. It was inspired by a burger cook-off episode from the TV show Parks and Recreation. As his channel grew, he asked his friend Sawyer Carter Jacobs to become his business partner.

Basics with Babish and Channel Growth

Andrew noticed that some viewers just wanted cooking tips, not just recipes from movies. He also saw that many of his viewers were young men. So, on October 11, 2017, he launched Basics With Babish. This new series teaches basic recipes for people who are new to cooking.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, more people cooked at home. This made Andrew's channel grow very quickly. His number of subscribers jumped from 5 million to 8 million in just a few months. To keep up, he started making more videos each week.

The Babish Culinary Universe

Working long hours made Andrew feel very tired. His viewers noticed he seemed down. His fiancé, Jess Opon, and his business partner encouraged him to take a break. They told him to work fewer hours and not worry so much about numbers.

Andrew took their advice. He went back to making one video a week. He also started the Babish Culinary Universe. This allowed other talented cooks like Sohla El-Waylly and Alvin Zhou to join the channel. They helped create even more cooking content.

Cookbooks and Cookware

Andrew Rea has written several cookbooks based on his shows. His first book, Eat What You Watch, came out in 2017. It has recipes from the first season of Binging with Babish. His second book, Binging with Babish, was published in 2019. It includes 100 recipes and became a New York Times Best Seller. A third cookbook for Basics with Babish was released in 2023.

In 2021, Andrew announced he would launch his own line of cooking tools. He wanted to offer good quality kitchen products at fair prices. This line includes knives, bowls, and measuring spoons.

Personal Life

Andrew Rea married his high school sweetheart in 2014, but they divorced in 2017. He later announced his engagement to Jess Opon, a producer for the Babish Culinary Universe, in May 2021. They were married in a Binging with Babish episode by comedian Joel McHale. In 2023, Andrew shared that he and Jess Opon had separated in 2022.

Andrew has mentioned in his YouTube videos that he is allergic to bananas.

Filmography

Online Shows

Television Shows