Andrew Ilnyckyj is the American food show co-host and content producer who, alongside Steven Lim, built BuzzFeeds Worth It into one of YouTubes most-watched food series. A New Jersey native who joined BuzzFeed in 2013, Ilnyckyj co-created Worth It in 2016 and helped shape its 12-season run before reuniting with Lim and Adam Bianchi at Watcher Entertainment for the 2024 successor show Travel Season.
TL;DR
- American content producer and food show co-host, originally from New Jersey
- Started at BuzzFeed in 2013 in the Los Angeles office during the companys video expansion
- Co-created Worth It with Steven Lim in 2016, joining the show full-time by episode three
- Joined Watcher Entertainment in August 2023, after Worth Its April 2023 finale
- Co-hosts Travel Season on Watcher TV and the Andrew, Steven, and Adam YouTube channel launched in 2025
Key facts about Andrew Ilnyckyj
| Born | New Jersey, USA |
| Nationality | American (Ukrainian heritage) |
| Based in | Los Angeles, California |
| Notable shows | Worth It (2016 to 2023), Travel Season (2024 to present), Food Files (2023) |
| Role | Co-host, content producer, director, editor |
| Started at BuzzFeed | 2013 |
| Joined Watcher | August 2023 |
Early life and BuzzFeed years
Andrew Ilnyckyj grew up in New Jersey and moved to Los Angeles for work in the early 2010s. He joined BuzzFeed in 2013, when the companys video platform was still in its early stages and producers were learning the rhythms of YouTube on the job. Ilnyckyj produced videos across the BuzzFeed channels, working with personalities including Quinta Brunson, Keith Habersberger, and Allison Raskin before food became his focus.
One early appearance widely circulated outside BuzzFeed: he co-starred with then-President Barack Obama in the BuzzFeed video “Things Everybody Does But Doesnt Talk About,” shot during Obamas final years in office and viewed more than 60 million times.
Andrew Ilnyckyj career timeline
- 2013 Joins BuzzFeed in the Los Angeles office as a video producer
- 2015 Launches Instagram account, starts appearing on camera more frequently
- 2016 Joins Worth It at episode three, co-creating the format with Steven Lim and cameraman Adam Bianchi
- 2017 Worth It wins its first Streamy Award for Best Online Food Show, repeats in 2018
- 2018 NBC Sports commissions a Worth It Super Bowl LII episode
- 2023 Worth It series finale airs April 8 after 12 seasons and 84 episodes
- 2023 Joins Watcher Entertainment in August, working on Food Files with Adam Bianchi
- 2024 Co-hosts Travel Season, premiering May 31 on Watcher TV and June 28 on YouTube
- 2025 The dedicated Andrew, Steven, and Adam YouTube channel launches, hitting 100,000 subscribers within four days
Andrew Ilnyckyj signature style and screen presence
Where Steven Lim is the structured pitch-man on Worth It and Travel Season, Ilnyckyj brings a deadpan, observational counterweight. His on-camera approach reads as quiet curiosity rather than performance, which is part of why the dynamic between the two has held up across nearly a decade of shows. His off-camera role as producer, director, and editor has been equally important, particularly during the Watcher era where the team operates with smaller crews and tighter creative control than at BuzzFeed.
The reunion of Lim, Ilnyckyj, and Bianchi for Travel Season dropped the explicit “winner” framing of Worth It in favor of a slower, immersive travelogue format. Critics and longtime viewers have noted that the show looks more like a Netflix-style documentary than its scrappier YouTube predecessor.
Notable work: Worth It, Food Files, Travel Season
Worth It ran from September 2016 to April 2023, spanning 12 seasons and 84 episodes. The show was built on a simple premise: visiting three restaurants serving the same dish at three drastically different price points, and discussing which version delivered the most value. The format propelled the show past two billion total watch minutes and earned three Streamy Awards plus a 2023 Webby Peoples Voice Award.
After Worth It, Ilnyckyj joined Adam Bianchi on Food Files at Watcher in 2023, a more behind-the-scenes look at how iconic dishes are made. In 2024 the three Worth It alumni reunited for Travel Season, with Season One filmed in Seoul, South Korea. In May 2025 they launched the dedicated Andrew, Steven, and Adam YouTube channel to host the second season, which gained 100,000 subscribers in its first four days.
Awards and recognition
- 2017 Streamy Award, Best Online Food Show (Worth It, with Steven Lim and Adam Bianchi)
- 2018 Streamy Award, Best Online Food Show (Worth It)
- 2019 Third Streamy Award win for Worth It
- 2023 Webby Peoples Voice Award (Worth It)
Impact and cultural relevance
Worth It set a template for personality-driven food media on YouTube that has shaped countless creator careers since. The shows three-tier comparison format has been adapted, parodied, and imitated across platforms, and the warm rapport between Ilnyckyj and Lim influenced how creator partnerships across food and travel content are structured. Ilnyckyjs role as both co-host and producer mirrors what creators like Sonny Side and Trevor James have done in the travel-and-food space.
His decision to follow Lim to Watcher rather than stay at BuzzFeed reflects a broader pattern in the creator economy of talent gravitating toward independent platforms with creative ownership. The launch of the Andrew, Steven, and Adam channel in 2025 marks a notable step in that direction, alongside other YouTube food figures like Nick DiGiovanni and Guga Foods who have built independent followings outside legacy publishers.
Andrew Ilnyckyj FAQ
Where is Andrew Ilnyckyj from?
Ilnyckyj is American and originally from New Jersey. He moved to Los Angeles to work at BuzzFeeds Motion Pictures division in 2013, and he is currently based in LA where Watcher Entertainment is headquartered.
How did Andrew Ilnyckyj join Worth It?
Steven Lim created Worth It in 2016 and Ilnyckyj joined the show at episode three. The two co-developed the format with cameraman Adam Bianchi, and Ilnyckyj remained co-host for the full 84-episode run through April 2023.
Is Andrew Ilnyckyj still at BuzzFeed?
No. Ilnyckyj left BuzzFeed in 2023 after the Worth It series finale and joined Watcher Entertainment in August 2023, where he now produces and co-hosts food and travel series alongside Steven Lim and Adam Bianchi.
What show does Andrew Ilnyckyj host now?
Ilnyckyj currently co-hosts Travel Season with Steven Lim, available on Watcher TV and on the Andrew, Steven, and Adam YouTube channel launched in May 2025. Season Two is in production, following the first season filmed in Seoul, South Korea.
Did Andrew Ilnyckyj really co-star with Barack Obama?
Yes. Ilnyckyj appeared with then-President Barack Obama in the BuzzFeed video “Things Everybody Does But Doesnt Talk About,” part of BuzzFeeds final-year-in-office collaboration with the Obama administration. The video has been viewed more than 60 million times.
What is next for Andrew Ilnyckyj
Travel Season Season 2 is currently rolling out on Watcher TV and the new Andrew, Steven, and Adam YouTube channel. Ilnyckyj continues to wear multiple hats as on-screen talent, producer, and editor for the Watcher food slate. Follow his updates on his Instagram (@andrewilnyckyj).
