BANZZ is known as one of the very first few to do mukbangs, videos where the content creators focus on eating in front of the camera. With over 2 million subscribers, he made a name for himself in 2016 to 2018, before newer mukbang YouTubers came along.
BANZZ was famous for his insane workout routine and his hot body. Even though he downed plates of food in every video, he worked hard at the gym to burn them off. He once shared that he works out for 6 to 10 hours per day!
In 2019, he suddenly faced a controversy. He had been selling diet pills by the name of Eat For You. These pills were heavily criticized for having no effect and for being sold at a high price of ₩89,000 KRW (about $ 66.80 USD) for a month’s worth. He also ran into some legal trouble, when these pills were charged with false advertising. Not only were they uneffective, but he had tried to sell and categorize them as health products. South Korean laws are strict on the categorization of diet supplements and health products, leading to BANZZ being slapped with a fine.
Following that, he also faced controversy for hosting a mukbang while driving on a high speed road. Many criticized him for not respecting safe driving and traffic rules. Although many may snack while driving, he hosted a whole mukbang while on the road. Furthermore, as a public figure, many believed he should not have been promoting unsafe driving.
BANZZ took a long break from YouTube in 2022. He made a comeback in 2023 with a video titled “I want to run again.” His comeback was met with mixed opinions. While some supported him, others did not want to see him again on the platform.
He got married to Yoon Soo Ah in 2019, amidst all the chaos and controversy.
They gave birth to a daughter in 2022.
Now, BANZZ videos average 20 to 50 thousand views, a far cry from his heyday.
With many new mukbangers on the scene, it is hard for him to maintain his niche any longer. With his controversies added on, viewers have turned to other sources to feed their mukbang cravings.