Things have been, shall we say, rough lately. Existential dread is basically the new default setting for anyone under 40. But don’t worry, a tiny green puppet is here to help us through it.
His name? Tiny Chef—or Cheffy, as some like to call him.
For those who don’t know him, Tiny Chef is the star of The Tiny Chef Show, a stop-motion comedy series on Nickelodeon.
The show is geared towards children ages 4 and up and each episode follows Cheffy as he whips up tiny dishes from his tree stump home for the world’s tiniest cooking show. Along the way, he learns lessons about friendship, patience, kindness, and food history.
Outside the show, Tiny Chef also had a few breakout moments on social media that went viral, like the time the little guy recreated Shakira’s choreography in “Girl Like Me.“
Tiny Chef was doing great, both on network TV and on social media—that is until Nickelodeon decided to pull the plug on the show.
Since then, Cheffy has been undergoing a sort of metamorphosis. He’s gone from being an icon to kids to becoming an unexpected source of comfort for adult audiences online—thanks, in part, to a surprisingly raw emotional arc that’s been unfolding across TikTok and Instagram.
The Cancelation
When Nickelodeon canceled The Tiny Chef Show after three seasons, the series’ social media account posted a video of the Tiny Chef character hearing the devastating news.
In the clip, Cheffy is cheerfully dusting his home when the phone rings.
“Hey, Mickelflodeon, how you doin’?” he answers in his signature garbled voice. “You ready to cook up some more episodes? I got a million ideas—”
Then he pauses, gasps, and drops his feather duster. “Canceled? What do you mean canceled?”
Cheffy pleads his case, promising plenty of great ideas ahead. But it’s no use. “I understand. I love you too,” he says softly before hanging up.
He tries to dust again, but he can’t manage it. Tears start to fall as he covers his face, sinks onto his bed, and sobs. Cheffy is completely inconsolable.
The video is heartbreaking. But also, it’s a stroke of marketing genius. Within hours, the clip went viral, raking in over 100 million views on X alone. The show’s comment sections also became flooded with people who, while claiming they had never seen the show, said they were ready to burn down Nickelodeon in protest.
“It’s on sight Nickelodeon 😡,” a TikToker wrote.
Cheffy’s Healing Journey
After that video went viral, Tiny Chef creators Rachel Larsen and Ozlem Akturk crowdfunded $140,000, which let them keep The Tiny Chef Show alive on social media.
They went all-in on Cheffy’s emotional journey post-cancelation, attempting to realistically portray how someone might deal with having their dream crushed.
Simply put, Cheffy was not doing okay.
In one video, his eyes are puffy from crying.
In another, he’s lying in bed surrounded by empty boxes of pizza. His room is absolute mess.
“Cheffy’s doing ok,” the caption assures viewers. “He says he’s just taking a few ‘duvet days’ for himself.”
Fans clocked on to what was happening immediately.
“My baby is DEPRESSED 😫❤️” one person commented.
It’s clear Cheffy’s mental health was at an all time low. However, realizing something needed to change, the little guy started making his first steps towards healing.
First, he tried to get inspired by watching some self-help content (we’ve all been there).
Next, he cleans his depression hole of a room (he does it while listening to “Anxiety” by Doechii, because he’s finally facing his anxiety, get it?).
Then, he gets back into yoga. It apparently helps him “re-center” himself.
And in the latest video posted to social media, Tiny Chef is back on the job hunt, looking for part-time work as he figures out his next steps.
We Are All Cheffy
It might seem strange that a fuzzy green puppet has become a figure of emotional support for adults online. But when you think about it, we’ve all been through what Cheffy is currently facing.
He worked hard, got a big break, but unfortunately, things still didn’t work out. Watching Cheffy shuffle around a messy room, order pizza, and feel overwhelmed with anxiety about his future is achingly familiar for many people.
Of course, that’s not to say the videos aren’t funny or cute. They absolutely are. But based on the comment sections, they’re also inspiring.
“Well, Tiny Chef. Now I have to clean my depression room. Good play,” a TikToker wrote.
When Tiny Chef starts his job hunt, one person commented: “Me trying to apply 4 jobs rn and getting nowhere. We got this tiny chef 😭😭."
While Cheffy may not be thriving, he is at least trying to move forward. And really, that’s all we could ever ask of him—or ourselves—for that matter.
