Rick Stein Swears on Live TV, Burns Shallots in Chaotic "This Morning" Segment

Celebrity chef Rick Stein's appearance on the morning television show "This Morning" devolved into chaos on Wednesday, marked by struggles with kitchen appliances, burnt ingredients, and an unexpected on-air curse.

Stein, 79, was attempting to demonstrate a prawn pilaf recipe from his new cookbook when he encountered difficulties operating an induction hob, admitting to 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 don't know why. I've got them at home."

Further complicating the segment, a knob on the hob fell to the floor, accompanied by a beeping sound. O'Leary intervened to inquire if the hob was intended to be at its current high temperature. Shortly thereafter, Stein's shallots burned to a crisp in a pan, a mistake the chef acknowledged. He humorously recalled a previous appearance where he forgot to include fruit in a Christmas pudding.

The situation escalated when Stein, reacting to the mishap, uttered an expletive on live television. "I've been saying 'don't throw away your prawn shells' and I get p***ed off, excuse my language," he said. O'Leary reacted by putting his head in his hands and quipping, "No, don't apologise, you're Rick Stein, we'll apologise on your behalf."

Viewers on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) reacted with amusement to the unfolding events. Comments included observations about it being Stein's "last appearance on This Morning" and comparisons to his "Wayne Rooney route to national treasure status," while also noting he avoided using the F-word like chef Gordon Ramsay.

This cooking segment followed another notable mishap on "This Morning" earlier in the week. On Monday, chef John Torode served "burnt and inedible" mac and cheese. Torode, 61, had acknowledged the dish was "a little overdone" when presenting it to hosts Sian and Dermot O'Leary, who were then tasked with tasting it. Viewers also commented on Torode's burnt offering, questioning its appearance and calling it "spooky" and "caramelised."