Tommy Winkler, the social media star widely known as “The Food Guy,” is about to take on his biggest role yet: fatherhood. The 25-year-old influencer and his wife Jess are expecting their first baby together, with the little one due at the end of February.
The couple, who tied the knot just this past June, shared their pregnancy news exclusively with PEOPLE, revealing that they found out they were expecting the day after Tommy’s birthday in June. The announcement marks a new chapter for a creator whose food-focused content has built a massive audience across TikTok and Instagram.
For fans who have followed Tommy’s journey from viral food challenges to his wedding content, the baby news represents a natural next step in his public life—one that blends his signature humor and warmth with a deeply personal milestone.
Tommy Winkler and Wife Jess Are Expecting Their First Baby
The pregnancy was confirmed shortly after Tommy’s birthday. Jess, 24, explained that she had a feeling they should take a test, so the couple researched when the earliest date would show a positive result.
“We actually found out the day after my birthday, June 11,” Tommy told PEOPLE. “Jess took a test and we didn’t know if it was going to show up positive so we filmed a video where we showed the camera first then flipped the test and we saw it was positive. It was the craziest feeling.”
Jess described the moment as surreal. “I was expecting it but also not at the same time,” she said. “It was surreal having confirmation that this was happening and we were so excited. I’m very happy that we looked at the test together instead of me taking it alone.”
The couple shared the news with their immediate family and close friends within a month of finding out. Tommy told his family on Father’s Day, a timing he described as “super cool” despite his nerves about the news arriving so soon after their wedding.
Who Is Tommy Winkler, ‘The Food Guy’?
Tommy Winkler has built a career out of eating. The Wisconsin native gained traction on TikTok during the early days of quarantine, initially posting twice a day for about a year before landing on the format that would define his brand: “What I Eat in a Day” videos.
His content quickly evolved into food challenges, hacks, and adventurous eating experiments. He became known for trying absolutely anything his followers suggested—including balut, a Filipino duck embryo that he described as “very raw, very visual, super gross.”
That willingness to push boundaries, combined with a naturally charismatic on-camera presence, helped Winkler grow a following that now spans more than 12 million TikTok followers alone. Across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, his total reach exceeds 16 million followers.
In June 2026, Winkler signed with Independent Artist Group (IAG), signaling ambitions beyond social media. The agency announced plans to expand his presence across television, podcasting, publishing, live events, and brand partnerships.
“Joining IAG is an exciting next step for me and everything we’re building,” Winkler said at the time. “I’ve always believed there’s an opportunity to create something much bigger than social media.”
Tommy Winkler and Jess’ Relationship
Tommy and Jess’s love story began at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where the two met during their college years. Tommy was a sophomore on the men’s golf team, and Jess was a freshman on the women’s volleyball team. They lived in the same student-athlete housing complex, and their initial interactions were more playful rivalry than romance.
“Initially, we annoyed each other in what turned out to be a more flirtatious way,” Tommy recalled.
Their dynamic shifted when both contracted COVID-19 during the early stages of the pandemic. Isolating in separate housing, Tommy would throw pebbles at Jess’s window to ask her to join him for walks. What started as a way to combat isolation gradually became something more.
“It just felt so natural. We weren’t even trying,” Tommy said. Jess added, “I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. I wanted the true college experience.”
The couple made their relationship official in January 2021. They moved in together after just six months of dating, building both a partnership and a content-creation business side by side.
Tommy proposed four and a half years into their relationship. The proposal was a carefully planned affair—seven months in the making—with Tommy designing a custom ring inspired by Jess’s love of fantasy novels. The oval center stone was flanked by botanical, leaf-like side stones that reflected her aesthetic preferences.
When Is Tommy Winkler’s Baby Due?
The baby is due at the end of February, according to the announcement shared with PEOPLE. This timeline places the pregnancy at roughly the halfway point as of the September announcement, which is consistent with the couple’s plans to find out the baby’s sex in October.
It’s worth noting that “end of February” is an approximate timeframe, not a specific date. The couple has not publicly disclosed a precise due date, and it’s common for expectant parents to offer a general window rather than a fixed day. The due date may shift slightly as the pregnancy progresses, but the stated timeframe provides a reasonable expectation for when the couple will welcome their first child.
Tommy Winkler and Jess’ Pregnancy Announcement
The couple’s decision to share their news exclusively with PEOPLE reflects the approach they’ve taken throughout their relationship: selectively public, but on their own terms. They filmed the moment they found out, capturing the raw reaction to seeing the positive test.
Sharing the news with family and friends was more nerve-racking than expected. Tommy admitted he was “a lot more nervous than I thought I was going to be because I knew people would not be expecting this news so soon after our wedding.”
The couple told their immediate family and close friends within a month of finding out. The support they’ve received has been a source of comfort and excitement.
“It has been so cool to see all the support and love that they have shown already,” Jess said.
For Jess, the first trimester has come with significant challenges. She described it as “pretty difficult,” with continuous nausea and fatigue. She hasn’t experienced food cravings yet because she struggles to find anything appetizing.
“I am hopeful that I’ll start to feel better soon so that I can start getting excited for these upcoming months instead of taking it day by day,” she said.
Jess expressed deep gratitude for Tommy’s support during this period. “I have never felt more grateful for Tommy than I have these past few months. He has been so helpful and patient with trying to do whatever he can to make me feel better, and it means the world to me.”
Tommy acknowledged the difficulty of watching Jess struggle. “It’s hard seeing Jess in so much discomfort in these first few months,” he said. But he’s already thinking ahead to a moment that will resonate with his audience: “Once she starts feeling better and has more cravings, I’m excited to make a video of her eating her pregnancy cravings for the whole day.”
Will Tommy Winkler and Jess Have a Boy or Girl?
The couple is waiting until October to find out the sex of their baby. They have a sex reveal party scheduled shortly afterward.
As for names, they’ve already picked out a few options for both a boy and a girl, but they’re keeping those choices private until the baby arrives. This approach aligns with their overall preference for sharing milestones on their own timeline—a pattern that has defined how they’ve navigated their public relationship.
The sex of the baby remains genuinely unknown at this point. Any speculation about whether they’re having a boy or girl would be just that: speculation. The couple has been clear that they’re waiting, and their fans will learn the news when they do.
What Tommy Winkler Has Said About Becoming a Father
Tommy has spoken openly about his excitement for fatherhood, and his comments reflect a sense of readiness rather than anxiety.
“I am feeling extremely blessed and excited to be a father. Each day that goes by I am getting more and more excited,” he said. “I don’t feel nervous at all because I’ll have Jess by my side and I know she’s going to be an amazing mother. It’s going to be so fun to add another member to our daily lives and to travel with.”
That last detail—traveling with a baby—offers a glimpse into how Tommy imagines their future. The couple has built a life that blends work and adventure, and they seem eager to bring a child into that dynamic rather than pausing it.
Jess echoed that sentiment. “I am so excited for what’s to come once the baby is born and we get to experience life through a whole new set of eyes,” she said. “Me and Tommy have felt ready for this next step for a while and feel like we have done everything together just the two of us and are so excited and prepared for this next chapter.”
She added, “We truly are the best team and I am so confident in our partnership that we will just have the best time together with our new addition.”
What’s Next for ‘The Food Guy’?
Tommy Winkler’s career has already expanded well beyond the food videos that made him famous. In June 2026, he signed with Independent Artist Group, a move that signals ambitions spanning television, podcasting, publishing, and live events.
He and Jess launched a podcast together, “Don’t Ask with Jess and Tommy,” which gives fans an inside look at their relationship and lives. The podcast has become another platform for the couple to connect with their audience in a more personal format.
The baby’s arrival in late February will inevitably become part of Tommy’s content in some form—he’s already joked about filming Jess’s pregnancy cravings. But how much of their child’s life they choose to share publicly remains an open question. Given the couple’s approach to their relationship—selective, intentional, and on their own terms—it’s reasonable to expect they’ll apply similar boundaries to parenthood.
What’s clear is that Tommy’s brand has always been rooted in authenticity and enthusiasm. Fatherhood offers a natural extension of that: a new chapter of life to experience, document, and share with the audience that has followed him this far.
Why Tommy Winkler’s Baby News Is Getting Attention
Tommy Winkler’s pregnancy announcement resonates because it represents a milestone that many of his followers have witnessed in real time. His audience has watched him rise from quarantine content creator to viral food star to newlywed to expectant father. Each stage has been documented, creating a sense of investment that goes beyond typical celebrity fandom.
There’s also something relatable about the timing. Tommy and Jess married in June and announced their pregnancy in September—a quick turnaround that mirrors the experiences of many young couples who decide they’re ready to start a family soon after tying the knot. The couple’s honesty about the challenges of the first trimester, including Jess’s nausea and fatigue, adds a layer of authenticity that pregnancy announcements sometimes lack.
For fans of “The Food Guy,” the baby news also raises an appealing question: What does a food content creator’s pregnancy journey look like? Tommy’s joke about filming Jess’s cravings hints at the kind of content that might emerge. And for a creator whose brand is built on trying new things, fatherhood represents the ultimate new experience.
Tommy Winkler Baby News: What We Know So Far
- Tommy Winkler and his wife Jess are expecting their first baby
- The baby is due at the end of February
- The couple found out Jess was pregnant on June 11, the day after Tommy’s birthday
- Tommy and Jess married in June 2026
- They shared the news with family and close friends within a month of finding out
- Jess has experienced a difficult first trimester with nausea and fatigue
- They plan to find out the baby’s sex in October and will have a sex reveal party afterward
- They have picked out names for both a boy and a girl but won’t share until birth
- Tommy said he feels “extremely blessed and excited” about becoming a father
- Jess said they “feel ready for this next step” and are “so excited and prepared for this next chapter”
- Tommy is known as “The Food Guy” and has over 12 million TikTok followers
- He signed with Independent Artist Group in June 2026 to expand into TV, podcasting, and more