Gregg Wallace is ‘chuffed’ with the reception to his controversial Channel 4 fake programme British Miracle Meat, despite anger from viewers, and it’s now been claimed he has ‘all the answers’.
The MasterChef star, 58, hosted the channel’s one-off TV special, which included him travelling a plant to investigate claims that a new meat replacement had been discovered to assist deliver low-cost meals during the cost of living crisis – with Gregg uncovering the new steaks were created from human flesh.
The ‘human’ steak, which cost only 99p, was promoted as a cost-cutting option during the current economic downturn.
As if that wasn’t enough, a new ‘premium’ line known as ‘toddler tartare’ was rumoured to be in the works, ‘harvested from the cells of toddlers under the age of six’.
However, the show was a comedy rather than an Inside The Factory-style documentary, and the host has now broken his silence on the spoof by uploading an image of a review on Instagram, simply writing: ‘Chuffed.’
The show immediately split viewers, with some shocked by the subject matter and others admiring the politically-aware parody – which some compared to the BBC’s legendary 1992 special Ghostwatch, which tricked viewers into thinking they were watching a live haunting.
British Miracle Meat director Tom Kingsley has since branded Gregg the ‘smartest person in the room’.
He told the Guardian: ‘It’s [the show] not just about our society; it’s a satire of TV as well.
‘These [documentary-style TV] shows purport to be telling you something like “this is how biscuits are made”, but really you’re being given a very narrow window into the process.
‘We’re not given very much context; anything troublesome is overlooked… TV can provoke and educate and inspire, but it can also just fill your time without delving into anything complicated.’
He went on to add that Gregg was thrilled to be a part of the project, saying: ‘He was really excited to be doing something new.’
Tom continued: ‘People think: “Oh, he’s just this guy who goes around asking people questions about stuff that he probably doesn’t know anything about.”
‘No, he’s the smartest person in the room. Because he knows all of the answers.’
This comes after Gregg assured the mockumentary wasn’t too ‘far-fetched,’ and described the program’s inspiration and research.
After receiving criticism, including from Loose Women’s Brenda Edwards, who said she was’so riled up’ after watching the mockumentary, which left her fearing she would be gobbled up during the night, Gregg stated that while the show was ‘complete fantasy,’ the team wanted to ‘raise questions’ about the cost of living and our relationship with food, which was supported by experts and science.
He continued to The Sun: ‘The programme makers consulted with experts to make sure what we were saying reflected what is actually happening and didn’t wander into the realms of science fiction.
‘Scientists in the US have already come up with the concept of a “grow your own” kit, where it would be possible to create a steak from cells scraped from the inside of your own cheek.
‘The creation of synthetic meats is an area of huge scientific research, with millions being invested in it. More and more “fake meat” products are filling our supermarket shelves every day. Advances such as this raise a load of fascinating moral questions.’
Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat is available to stream on demand on Channel 4.
Source My Celebrity Life.
