Celebrity chef says he’s cancer free after given 30% chance to live

Kevin Ashton, a sorority chef and content creator with millions of followers on social media, says he’s “essentially cancer free” after originally being given a 30% chance of survival.

In September 2023, Ashton, a chef at the University of Nevada Pi Beta Phi sorority house, was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma.

“My prognosis wasn’t that good,” he said in a post over the weekend. “And trust me, that kind of news changes your life.”

Often referred to by his followers as the Bob Ross of cooking, thanks to his calm demeanor, soft voice and easy-to-follow instructional videos, Ashton has amassed more than 5 million followers on TikTok and Instagram and has continued to post his cooking videos and talk candidly about his diagnosis and treatment.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” he said. “It’s had plenty of ups and downs.”

Last summer, Ashton said a mutation in his cancer caused a new tumor to start growing. That tumor was eventually eradicated with radiation, and after more than 20 infusions of immunotherapy, he received a positive update during his most recent body scan.

“I got the results on Friday, and guys, it shows zero metabolic activity in my body,” Ashton said in his latest cooking video. “I’m essentially cancer free.”

Throughout his journey, Ashton, whose social handle is @oldscoolkevmo, continued to espouse the importance of positivity, always signing off his videos with a “cheers” and his catchphrase, “what a treat.”

He credited that same positive outlook as the difference maker in his treatment.

“I did everything wrong in terms of treating your own cancer. I didn’t eat well, I didn’t exercise. The one thing I did and I stayed true to the whole time was being positive,” he said. “And folks, the power of positivity does wonders. It changed my life and it changed the course of my cancer.”

While making 20 servings of overnight oats in his sorority house kitchen, Ashton thanked his followers for joining him on his cancer journey and encouraged them to “keep on smiling and keep on trucking.”

And, of course, he signed off with his trademark slogan, “what a treat” — and this time, it really was.