Rick Stein's cookery demonstration on Wednesday's This Morning (October 28) turned into a chaotic segment as the 79-year-old chef struggled with an induction hob while preparing a prawn pilaf from his new cookbook.
Under the studio lights, Stein told hosts Sian Welby and Dermot O'Leary: "I don't know what it is, but I just find using these ovens, induction ovens, very tricky. I've got them at home."
Hob troubles and a burning pan
As he tried to continue, a knob accidentally fell to the floor and a beeping alarm sounded through the studio. O'Leary asked whether the hob was meant to be at such a high temperature, and soon Stein's shallots began to burn in the pan.
The chef later admitted his cooking mistake, recalling that the last time he appeared on the ITV daytime show, he made a Christmas pudding but left out the fruit.
Live on-air slip
While plating the dish, Stein swore live on television, muttering: "I've been saying 'don't throw away your prawn shells', and I get p***ed off, excuse my language."
O'Leary buried his head in his hands before responding: "No, don't apologise, you're Rick Stein, we'll apologise on your behalf."
Viewer reactions
Viewers quickly took to social media to comment on the chaotic scenes. One user wrote: "I think we can safely say that was Rick Stein's last appearance on This Morning! That 'p***ed off' slip of the tongue was something else!"
Another added: "Someone please preserve Rick Stein on This Morning. He is taking the Wayne Rooney route to national treasure status."
A third commented: "At least Rick didn't do a Ramsey and use the F-word," while a fourth joked: "Rick Stein saying 'p***ed off' on This Morning was not on my bingo card. Especially in relation to prawn shells..."
The segment followed a similar mishap on Monday's show (October 26), when John Torode served the hosts "burnt and inedible" mac and cheese. After pulling the dish from the oven, the 61-year-old chef sighed: "Oh, it's gone a bit spooky across the top, but that's OK," as the trio picked up their forks.
Fans criticised the efforts online, with one user joking: "Hahahahaha looks a bit burnt," and another quipping: "Burnt food is delish, yeah right..." A third added: "Don't think it's meant to be that colour," while a fourth asked: "Was that caramelised, John?"
