Ghanaian chef Ebenezer Smith, known as Chef Smith, has been arrested and detained following allegations of falsely claiming a Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
The controversy began when Smith, during a press conference on Tuesday, declared himself the new record holder after reportedly cooking non-stop for 820 hours and 25 minutes.
This alleged marathon reportedly took place from February 1, 2024, to March 6, 2024, garnering attention on social media.
However, the legitimacy of Smith’s claim was swiftly debunked by Guinness World Records.
In an interview with BBC, Alina Polianskaya, the public relations executive for Guinness World Records, categorically denied Smith’s assertion.
“No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate,” Polianskaya said.
Polianskaya clarified that the authentic record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual stands at 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds.
“The current and true record for the longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119hr 57 min 16 sec and was achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023,” he added.
It may be recalled that the Irish chef Alan Fisher surpassed the previous record holder, Nigerian chef Hilda Baci, with a cooking marathon lasting 119 hours and 57 minutes.
In related news, Guinness World Records has reportedly deactivated “cook-a-thon” category after a Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith forged his certificate.
The chef had taken to Facebook to falsely claim to have set a new record for the longest cooking marathon and presented a fake certificate.
Guinness World Records confirmed that Smith’s certificate is not authentic and dismissed his claim.
The decision to deactivate the category comes amidst controversy surrounding Smith’s false claim.
Smith, who has since been arrested and detained at a press conference on Tuesday, announced himself on social media as the new world record holder for a purported 820-hour 25-minute cook-a-thon, from February 1, 2024 to March 6, 2024.
