Derek Gilstrap is an American YouTube personality born on December 11, 1989. He runs the comedy channel GilstrapTV, known for prank and comedic videos. His 2019 escalator prank video alone has drawn over 38 million views.
Who is Derek Gilstrap?
Derek Gilstrap is a comedy content creator best known for his GilstrapTV YouTube channel. He built his following through prank videos and public comedy skits.
His channel has generated well over a billion cumulative views since launch. That total continues to grow with weekly uploads.
One of his most viewed videos, Touching Hands on the Escalator! Man Edition!, came out on October 22, 2019. It has since drawn more than 38 million views on its own.
Gilstrap has since expanded beyond his main channel into short-form video content as well.
Early Life of Derek Gilstrap
Derek Gilstrap was born on December 11, 1989, in Phoenix, Arizona. He grew up and completed his early schooling in the Phoenix area.
Details about his parents and any siblings remain private, as Gilstrap has not shared that information publicly.
He later moved to San Diego, California, where he now lives with his family.
From an early age, Gilstrap gravitated toward making people laugh, which eventually shaped his career direction. That instinct carried directly into his YouTube content once he launched his channel.
Derek Gilstrap Age
Derek Gilstrap is 36 years old as of 2026, born on December 11, 1989. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
He has spent more than a decade building his YouTube career since launching his channel in July 2015.
Derek Gilstrap Ethnicity and Nationality
Derek Gilstrap is American. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, before relocating to California.
His content draws heavily on everyday American public settings, including libraries, escalators, and grocery stores.
He has not shared extensive detail about his broader family or cultural background beyond his American upbringing.
Derek Gilstrap Height and Weight
Derek Gilstrap stands around 5 feet 7 inches tall, or about 170 centimeters. His weight is estimated at around 80 kilograms, or roughly 176 pounds.
He maintains an average build suited to the physical comedy style featured across his videos.
Derek Gilstrap Career
Derek Gilstrap built his entire public career through YouTube, starting from a single comedy channel in 2015.
Early Career
Gilstrap launched his YouTube channel, GilstrapTV, in July 2015. His first video, LOUD Eating in the Library University of Arizona Edition, went up on January 25, 2016, and drew over 100,000 views.
From there, he built a consistent weekly upload schedule centered on public pranks. Many of his early videos focused on exaggerated, awkward social situations in places like libraries and stores.
His comedic style leaned on discomfort and public reactions rather than scripted sketches.
Breakthrough Video
Gilstrap’s channel gained wider attention with his October 22, 2019 video, Touching Hands on the Escalator! Man Edition. The clip drew more than 38 million views and became his most recognized upload.
That video helped push GilstrapTV toward a much larger audience. Following its success, brand partnerships and sponsorship deals became a bigger part of his income.
His prank format, especially bits involving public flatulence and escalator gags, became his signature style.
Recent Work
In October 2020, Gilstrap launched a second channel, simply called Gilstrap, dedicated to short-form videos. That channel gave him a second consistent revenue stream separate from his main uploads.
Both channels remain active as of 2026, with Gilstrap continuing his weekly release schedule on his main page. He has kept his prank and public comedy format largely consistent across the past decade.
He continues to earn income primarily through YouTube advertising, brand deals, and merchandise sales tied to his channels.
Derek Gilstrap Wife
Derek Gilstrap is married, though he has not publicly shared his wife’s name. The couple has two children together, a son and a daughter.
He keeps most details about his family life private, sharing only glimpses through his social media posts.
Gilstrap and his family live together in San Diego, California.
Derek Gilstrap Net Worth
Derek Gilstrap’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026. His income comes primarily from YouTube advertising revenue, brand sponsorships, and merchandise sales.
His two YouTube channels, GilstrapTV and Gilstrap, together generate the bulk of his monthly earnings.
Derek Gilstrap Social Media
Derek Gilstrap is active on YouTube through his two channels, GilstrapTV and Gilstrap. He also maintains accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok under variations of his name.
He posts prank and comedy content consistently across all of these platforms, often cross-promoting clips between his main channel and his shorts-focused page.
The Bottom Line
Derek Gilstrap built his career on GilstrapTV, the YouTube channel he launched in July 2015. His October 2019 escalator prank video became his most-watched upload, drawing over 38 million views.
He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, before settling in San Diego, where he still lives with his wife and two children today. His prank-based comedy style, especially around public reactions, remains his signature.
Gilstrap continues to release weekly content across both of his YouTube channels in 2026. His long-running consistency has kept his channels active for more than a decade.
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