Nigel Ng (Uncle roger)

Nigel Ng was born on March 15, 1991, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Malaysian Chinese parents of Hokkien ancestry. He grew up in the Cheras district before moving to the U.S. for higher education. He attended Northwestern University, where he majored in engineering and minored in philosophy, graduating in 2014. Before fully committing to comedy, Ng worked as a data scientist at Monzo and maintained a GitHub account. His early career also included hosting the comedy podcasts ‘Rice to Meet You’ with Evelyn Mok and ‘HAIYAA with Nigel Ng’.

Ng’s comedic career gained significant traction with the development of his alter ego, Uncle Roger, a stereotypical middle-aged Chinese uncle who critiques Western interpretations of Asian food. This character, co-created with Evelyn Mok, first appeared in TikTok and Instagram sketches before becoming a YouTube phenomenon. In July 2020, an ‘Uncle Roger’ video critiquing Hersha Patel’s BBC Food egg-fried rice tutorial went viral, leading to collaborations with Patel and appearances on BBC Food. He later critiqued Gordon Ramsay’s fried rice, praising his technique, and has consistently reviewed Jamie Oliver’s Asian dish adaptations.

His career progression expanded beyond YouTube with television appearances, including ‘Mock the Week’ in 2021 and guest roles on ‘MasterChef Singapore’ (2021) and ‘Junior MasterChef Indonesia’ (2022). He also appeared as a guest diner on ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ in 2022. In 2024, Ng launched his first restaurant, “Fuiyoh! It’s Uncle Roger,” in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, followed by a second location. This venture was accompanied by breaking two Guinness World Records: “Largest gathering of people dressed as Uncle Roger” and “Most fried rice tossed and caught with a ladle in 30 seconds.” He has collaborated with various food personalities and entertainers, showcasing his versatility in the entertainment and culinary industries.