Old Man Steve, 81, has millions of views on TikTok videos of him making sandwiches

TikTok user ‘Old Man Steve’, 81, delights Gen Z followers with ‘cooking’ videos of him pouring cereal and making sandwiches – and says the support makes him feel less ‘alone’

  • Stephen Austin, 81, has won over millions of fans with his adorable TikTok videos
  • TikTok star, from Texas, says he has followers asking him ‘to be his grandpa’ 
  • He makes easy food, including cereal, pancakes and crackers and films it
  • Said the interaction with followers makes him feel ‘loved’ and ‘not so alone’ 

An 81-year-old man has stolen the hearts of millennnial TikTok users with his ‘cooking’ videos that show him making sandwiches and bowls of cereal.  

Retired box office worker Stephen Austin, known by the username ‘Old Man Steve’, delights his 576,000 followers with his short clips, all filmed in his small kitchen at his home in Fort Worth, Texas.

Mr Austin has no grandchildren of his own but often receives messages from young fans ‘asking him to be their grandpa’. He said their support makes him feel ‘loved’ and ‘not so alone’.  

Pictured, filming a video of him making a snack that received 362,000 views

Retired box office worker Stephen Austin, known by the username ‘Old Man Steve’, delights his 576,000 followers with his short clips, all filmed in his small kitchen at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. Pictured, filming a video of him making a snack that received 362,000 views 

Mr Austin, pictured, has no grandchildren of his own but receives messages from young fans 'asking him to be their grandpa'. He said their support makes him feel 'loved' and 'not so alone'

Mr Austin, pictured, has no grandchildren of his own but receives messages from young fans ‘asking him to be their grandpa’. He said their support makes him feel ‘loved’ and ‘not so alone’ 

He said: ‘Most of them are young people and they want me to be their grandpa or call me grandpa or I remind them of their grandpa. 

‘As I have no children or grandkids, this has been such a joy to me and it makes me feel not so alone and loved.  

Mr Austin's age means he immediately stands out on the video platform, which is largely used by Gen Zers

A video titled 'making a sandwich' that's been viewed 748,000 times

Mr Austin’s age means he immediately stands out on the video platform, which is largely used by Gen Zers. Pictured, a video titled ‘making a sandwich’ that’s been viewed 748,000 times

The tech-savvy octogenarian, pictured, is no stranger to social media, having previously had an account on the now defunct app Vine and boasting 5,000 followers on his YouTube channel

The tech-savvy octogenarian, pictured, is no stranger to social media, having previously had an account on the now defunct app Vine and boasting 5,000 followers on his YouTube channel 

‘Most of the comments say they love me and I’m the best thing on TikTok. I feel very blessed.’ 

Mr Austin’s age means he immediately stands out on the video platform, which is largely used by Gen Zers, and his natural talent has paid off. 

His most popular video, which shows him spreading butter and peach preserve on toasted frozen biscuits, has been viewed more than 8.5million times and received 1.7million likes. Old Man Steve videos have received 5million likes in total.  

Steve's pancake video, pictured, has been viewed more than 4.8million times

The 81-year-old in his kitchen

Steve’s pancake video, pictured, has been viewed more than 4.8million times 

Mr Austin continued: ‘Since I don’t really cook I just do simple stuff, like toasting some bread and simple fare, I never could have imagined having this many followers. Doing the “cooking with Steve” just happened and people seem to like it.

‘Most people on TikTok are young people and they dance around or do some sort of physical stuff which I can’t do.’ 

The tech-savvy octogenarian is no stranger to social media, having previously had an account on the now defunct app Vine and boasting 5,000 followers on his YouTube channel.  

Steve's most popular video, which showed him baking some frozen biscuits before spreading butter and peach preserve on top, has been viewed more than 8.5million times coupled with 1.7million likes.

Steve delights fans with his happy attitude and upbeat videos

Steve’s most popular video, pictured, which showed him baking some frozen biscuits before spreading butter and peach preserve on top, has been viewed more than 8.5million times

He said: ‘I’m self-taught as far as doing my video work on the camera and lighting and such and understanding how to do TikTok. If I don’t understand something I Google it or see if a video on YouTube has a subject on it.’ 

The social media is also a natural in front of the camera, something which he credits to a family history in showbusiness.    

‘My granddad was an entertainer and in vaudeville,’ he continued. ‘Maybe that’s where I get it from. My mother used to say I was silly just like him.’

Despite his age, Steve is savvy with technology, he said: 'I'm self-taught as far as doing my video work on the camera and lighting and such and understanding how to do TikTok.

Steve added: 'If I don't understand something I Google it or see if a video on YouTube has a subject on it.'

Despite his age, Steve is savvy with technology and taught himself TikTok. Pictured, making snacks in his kitchen

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