Babs Costello
Barbara "Babs" Costello | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1948 (age 77–78) |
| Education | Marquette University (BA) |
| Occupations | Influencer, retired educator |
Barbara "Babs" Costello, who goes by Brunch with Babs on social media, is an American writer, social media influencer and retired educator. Dubbed "America's grandma", she is best known for her content on TikTok. She has also written two cookbooks, Celebrate with Babs and Brunch with Babs, and a children's book, Did Your Mother Ever Tell You?
Biography
[edit]Costello grew up on the west side of Chicago and earned a BA in English with a minor in Education from Marquette University.[1] She worked as a middle school teacher before she started her family, and after that began teaching and running a preschool[2] called The Growing Tree.[1] She also moved to Connecticut.[1] She has also lived in Virginia.[3]
She began making TikTok videos after her retirement,[4] at the urging of her daughter: she first thought the platform was for dancing videos, which she was unwilling to do, but was persuaded to create a cooking video instead. After beginning, though, she became inspired to continue, feeling that she was able to give people "the sense that life would go on" during COVID-19.[2] Her vidoes are focused on food and cleaning: one of her most popular is a guide to extracting the guts from a pumpkin.[5]
She has emphasized self-care and healthcare,[4] and has been tapped to help Astellas advertise their treatment for geographic atrophy.[6] She has also partnered with Eli Lily to advertise their tool for testing for signs of Alzheimer's disease, discussing her mother's experience with the condition.[7]
Her first cookbook, Celebrate with Babs, was released in 2022.[8] Her second cookbook, Every Day with Babs, was released in 2025 and includes recipes such as an Easter rack of lamb.[9][10] It also included a message from the publisher that wasn't removed, suggesting photoshopping Costello's arms to be thinner, resulting in online outrage at the publishers.[11] Her first children's book, Did Your Mother Ever Tell You, was released on April 7, 2026,[12][13] and emphasizes classic sayings reworked.[14][15] Her cleaning-focused book Homemaking with Babs will be released in September 2026.[16]
She was named to the TikTok Discover List in 2026.[2] She has been featured on Good Morning America.[17] She is signed to CAA.[18] She was dubbed "America's grandma" by ABC News,[19] and has been called on to discuss things from Easter and Mother's Day traditions to cleaning techniques and holiday hosting advice.[20][21][10][16] She is also considered one of the leaders of "Grandmacore".[22]
Personal Life
[edit]She is half-Lebanese and half-Italian.[23] She has four children and nine grandchildren.[24]
She resides in a historical cottage and former basket shop in Silvermine, Connecticut, which she decided to restore despite being told it'd be cheaper to tear down and replace.[25]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Orlando, Rachel Gintner (2024-05-16). "Babs knows best: How the Marquette alumna became the internet's favorite mom". Marquette Today. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 3 Parent, Tabitha (March 6, 2026). "Getting on TikTok Was 77-Year-Old Babs Costello's Viral Second Act — Now, She's Teasing Her Third (Exclusive)". People.
- ↑ "The Holiday Wisdom You Didn't Know You Needed from Babs Costello". Country Living. 2025-11-10. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 Hyman, Lizzie; Finan, Eileen (December 5, 2025). "'TikTok Grandma' Babs Costello, 77, Came Out of Retirement to Be an Influencer — Now She's Busier Than Ever (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on 2025-12-05. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "Barbara 'Babs' Costello Dishes on Fame at 74 and Her Most Popular Hack: 'People Were Blown Away'". People.com. Archived from the original on 2025-04-27. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Park, Andrea (2025-10-23). "Astellas taps Babs Costello to promote Izervay for GA". www.fiercepharma.com. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Santilli, Mara (2025-05-28). "'My Mother's Best Recipes Didn't Taste the Same': How Babs Costello Knew Her Mother Had Alzheimer's". Flow Space. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Francis, Ali (2022-04-12). "Clean Your Oven and Other Spring Organizing Tips From the Internet's Fave Nonna". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Weiss, Sabrina (April 10, 2025). "Barbara 'Babs' Costello's Pesto Rack of Lamb Recipe for Easter". People.com. Archived from the original on 2026-01-08. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 "Plan Your Mother's Day Brunch With the Best Advice From Babs Costello". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on 2025-05-21. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "A Rude Misprint In Bab Costello's New Cookbook Is Going Viral". Scary Mommy. 2025-04-24. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ O’Shaughnessy, Tracey (2026-03-30). "Social media star 'Brunch with Babs' will share her new book at the Ridgefield Library". CT Insider. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "Video Babs Costello discusses new children's book". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "Babs Costello Shares Cleaning Hacks Inspired by New Kids' Book". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on 2026-05-07. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Team, Mom com (2026-04-13). "Barbara "Babs" Costello Is Rewriting the Phrases We Grew Up With, And Parents Are Listening". Mom.com. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- 1 2 "Babs Costello shares spring cleaning tips from new book 'Homemaking with Babs'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2026-05-02. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ America, Good Morning. "Babs Costello shares 3 family-friendly recipes". Good Morning America. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Vlessing, Etan (2024-03-28). "Barbara "Babs" Costello, Cookbook Author and TikToker, Signs With CAA (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "Video 'America's Grandma' Babs Costello shares wisdom in her new children's book". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "'Brunch with Babs' Reveals the Best Hosting Gift Idea We've Heard Yet". Better Homes & Gardens. Archived from the original on 2025-11-25. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Andrews, Erica (2023-04-03). "Brunch With Babs' Favorite Easter Family Traditions Are So Wholesome - Exclusive". Mashed. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Mosness, Carissa (2025-10-02). "Brunch with Babs Loves Michaels! Here's Her Must-Have 'Grandmacore' Fall Finds (EXCLUSIVE)". Woman's World. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "It's Babs!". citylifestyle.com. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Price, Deborah Evans (2025-05-02). "Babs Costello's Best Advice? 'No Matter What Age, You Can Do Something'". Woman's World. Archived from the original on 2025-11-28. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Studach, Mel (2025-11-06). "Brunch With Babs Turned a Former Basket Shop Into the Connecticut Cottage of Her Dreams". Architectural Digest. Archived from the original on 2026-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-23.