Celebrity TV Chef Robert Irvine Reportedly Fired Over Spiced-Up Resume

[Tab]

Food Network plans to drop celebrity chef Robert Irvine, host of "Dinner: Impossible," from the cable channel's lineup for cooking up a resume with plenty of garnish but light on honest ingredients, according to reports on several online news sites.

Irvine had boasted that he was a graduate of the University of Leeds and had cooked for Princess Diana. Those and other claims were embellishments at best, according to a report Feb. 17 in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times.

News of the the newspaper's investigation spread, and on Friday the cable network issued a statement that was disseminated by reporters covering the food and entertainment industry.

Jeff Houck reprinted the statement on his blog, The Stew, on TBO.com in Tampa, Fla.:

"We looked into the situation and found that, as Robert as already admitted, there were some embellishments and inaccuracies in his resume," Food Network President Brooke Johnson is quoted as saying. "The few and minor incidents of the inclusion of these embellishments into 'Dinner Impossible' have been removed.

"The show is, and has always been, completely accurate in the depiction of the cooking challenges faced by Robert. We will continue airing both old shows and the new season of programs currently in production. We have not renewed Robert’s contract for future seasons but will fulfill our contractual obligations."

The network also released a statement from Irvine:

“I was wrong to exaggerate in statements related to my experiences regarding the Royal Family. ... I am truly sorry for the errors in my judgment," Irvine said, as quoted on Houck's blog.

Article at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334348,00.html

[housewolf]

1. Hmmmm.... too bad when things like this happen

I wonder how they found out now, and why not earlier. Curious.

[htuttle]

2. Never been that thrilled about his show

Some of the shows have been entertaining, but his approach to food is entirely too martial for my tastes.

[housewolf]

3. Most of his foods are not things I'm interested in eating...

but I have found the show to be entertaining at times but the concept was getting old to me already - a secret mission, he moans & groans about the obstacles/challenges he faces, the pulls it off with seconds to spare every single time.

Can't say I'm broken-hearted over it, but am sorry that he felt the need to mis-represent himself, and sorry the Food Network folks didn't find out ahead of time.

[displacedtexan]

4. He just finished a challenge here in DC.

For next season.

As for the Food Network vetting people, remember when they let that contestant get
away with claiming he'd served in Afghanistan and Iraq... until he got caught?

And I've eaten at Paula Deen's restaurant. Four aged black women do all of the cooking,
and I'm pretty sure they always have.

Paula signs autographs and flits around the dining room on occasion.

It's TV, after all.