Ghanaian chef Ebenezer Smith, popularly known as Chef Smith, has been arrested and detained for fabricating a Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
Chef Smith made headlines on Tuesday when he announced at a press conference and on social media that he was the new world record holder for a purported 820-hour 25-minute cook-a-thon, which he claimed lasted from February 1, 2024, to March 6, 2024.
However, this claim was quickly debunked by Alina Polianskaya, the Public Relations Executive for Guinness World Records.
In an interview with the BBC, Polianskaya stated, “No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate.”
Polianskaya further clarified that the actual record for the longest cooking marathon (individual) is held by Irish chef Alan Fisher.
Fisher achieved the record with a marathon of 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from September 28 to October 3, 2023.
Recalls that Alan Fisher’s achievement surpassed the previous record set by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci.