TV Host Apologizes For Feeding A Vegan Guest Ghee

A British cooking show host had to apologize to a guest after he said a dish was vegan when it was, in fact, not. Host of Sunday Brunch Simon Rimmer issued an apology on air and to the guest, but viewers were not too happy with his tone.

Sunday Brunch is a British show hosted by Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy. On the show, Simon and Tim cook different meals with their guests, and this week’s guest was British comedian Jon Richardson and his wife Lucy Beaumont. Simon made a dhal dish that called for ghee, an animal byproduct, and told Jon, a vegan, that it was fine for him to eat.

After the break, his co-host Tim explained that Simon had something to say. “Earlier on, in the previous cooking item I may have informed guests that the dhal was in fact vegan. It was, of course, ghee used in the recipe, which isn’t vegan,” Simon said.

Simon continued, as Tim wagged a finger and people in the audience laughed: “I allowed Jon Richardson who is indeed a vegan to eat some of it. Jon, on behalf of myself and the Sunday Brunch team I sincerely apologize and hope I haven’t offended you and spoiled your life.”

Jon seemed to take it well and joked, “well, when I’m sick during my interview you can take responsibility for that. But it was delicious.” Everyone laughed it off, but some viewers thought the joking tone was rude to those who follow strict vegan lifestyles.

Others thought it was just an honest mistake. The online backlash was getting so serious that Simon began replying to tweets and even invited people to go to his vegan restaurant and try out his vegan recipes for themselves.