Keith Lee Credits TikTok for Helping Him Cope with Anxiety and Depression: 'A Huge, Remarkable Progress' (Exclusive)

TikTok has changed Keith Lee’s life in more ways than one.

The popular food critic, 28, started posting his restaurant reviews on TikTok in 2021. He’s since amassed a following of almost 17 million on the app, along with nearly 800 million likes.

In a typical Keith Lee video, he sits in his car with takeout and rates each dish on a scale of one to 10. At first, most of the restaurants were local businesses around his then-hometown of Las Vegas. However, as his platform grew, he embarked on food tours from Houston and New York City to South Korea and Japan.

A good review from Lee can attract lines of customers out the door — and in the case of restaurants like Dynamite Korean Food & Sushi/Grill, around the block. Last New Year’s Eve, Lee called on his followers to show up and honor the family-owned business’ late owner, who had recently died of tongue cancer. At its peak, the wait time for food was five hours.

Related: Sushi Restaurant in Seattle Temporarily Closes After ‘Worm’ Complaints on Food Critic Keith Lee’s Video

Reflecting on Dynamite and other mom-and-pop shops he’s boosted, Lee tells PEOPLE as one of 2024's Creators of the Year that he’s “forever blessed” to assist others in realizing their dreams.

“The [owner’s] son came to me and he said we played a pivotal role in his dad seeing his dream before he passed away,” Lee recalls. “That's intangible, and I believe that's something that can't be put into words and that can't be expressed other than just saying I'm thankful for it.”

The benefits of his reviews go both ways for Lee. Since starting TikTok, he says there’s been “a huge, remarkable progress” in how he deals with his social anxiety and depression, which he’s spoken openly about in his videos.

When he compares a video of himself at 18 to now, he notes a difference in how he articulates on camera and in public.

“I believe TikTok has played a pivotal role in that, and the people of TikTok, I’m forever thankful for them,” Lee says.

Related: Keith Lee Reveals His Family Has Moved to Texas After 10 Years of Living in Las Vegas: 'God Put Me Here for a Reason'

Lee also credits his family — his wife Ronni and his children, Karter and Riley — for “grounding” him as he deals with his anxiety and seasonal depression.

“Without them, I don’t believe that I would be able to cope as much as I do or have as many tools to improve on it as I have,” the food critic says.

He clarifies that he isn’t an “overnight sensation.” Rather, he attributes his success to a “long-standing community” of fans who have watched him long before his review videos, when he began posting on Vine and Instagram in 2014.

“These are people who have seen me as a kid, seen me as a 19-year-old, 20-year-old. A lot of people have seen when my daughter was firstborn. Now she's four, about to be five,” he explains of his longtime viewers. “It feels like having a distant family.”

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Looking forward, Lee says the “Keith Lee Effect” that has uplifted restaurants worldwide is “just beginning.” In the coming year, he will explore cuisine in new countries, including Australia, France and the United Kingdom.

As he expands his content internationally, Lee remembers “to be thankful for everything” as he travels the world.

“It’s different when you see how everybody lives. We just left from Japan, and that was one of the most shell-shocking experiences I’ve ever had,” he says. “It makes me be thankful for every part of life that I’ve been able to experience.”

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