'It's a free country': MKR judge defends Pete Evans
MKR judge Colin Fassnidge has backed Pete Evans publically after the chef’s highly controversial coronavirus conspiracy theories landed him in hot water.
Pete parted ways with Channel Seven last week, and soon after began to share a series of elaborate and dramatic theories about the coronavirus pandemic to his formerly controversial but cautious social media.
Despite heavy backlash from the medical community and the public, Pete’s longtime ‘mate’ Colin says he will be standing by the chef.
“Look Pete’s a mate of mine,” Colin said on The Briefing podcast this morning.
“We agree on some stuff and we don’t agree on other things. But, you know, it’s a free country and Pete’s allowed to say what he wants as long as he doesn’t harm anyone.”
“I’ll just leave it at that, Pete’s a mate of mine, that’s it,” he concluded. “You stand by your mates, that’s all I say.”
Pete’s comments have not been understood as harmless by everyone, however.
Pete’s bizarre theory
The celebrity chef was recently fined $25,200 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration after he spruiked a $15,000 lamp as a potential coronavirus treatment online, and now he has plunged into the deep end with a series of posts explaining an extensive theory on a supposed global coronavirus cover-up.
Among them was the idea that the coronavirus is an elaborate cover for secret executions of high profile people by an unspecified ‘authority’, with a series of ‘code words’ disguising the ‘truth’.
“Tested positive for CV = they confessed and taking a deal, their execution will be out of the public eye. Execution will be portrayed as a suicide or some sort of accidental death ... pay very close attention for these code words in the media,” on Instagram post read.
Other posts encouraged people to side with their intuition over information verified by authorities, and encouraged people to ditch mainstream media, all of which he claims is operating off hidden agendas.
Top doctor fears for Evans
Dr Harry Nespolan, president of the Royal Australian College of GPs, expressed his fears for Pete Evans following the baffling posts.
While appearing on 2GB with Ben Fordham on Tuesday, Dr Nespolan said: "I'd really be a little bit keen to make sure that Pete is actually with his family or with someone else."
"If he really is in trouble, dare I say, he should make an appointment with his GP and I'm really quite serious about that."
The doctor clarified that he didn’t know Pete personally, but insisted that the ideas being spread could do serious harm to a community in the throes of a pandemic, warning Australians against taking medical advice from anyone who is not a medical professional.
"If people actually follow what he has been promoting in the past - look for activated almonds it really doesn't matter - but when it comes to giving people the view that they might be protected from the COVID-19 virus that can potentially be a real problem," he said.
Pete has since responded to Dr Nespolan on Facebook saying, “Thank you to this doctor, and for his concern for my well-being. For the record, I am extremely happy, content and enjoying life, like I always do, and I have the most robust health (physical, emotional and spiritual) ever at the age of almost 47 years, and currently do not take any medications/pharmaceuticals.”
It comes after Channel 7 and Pete reached a mutual decision to end their partnership of over a decade. Pete was reportedly earning $800,000 a year for hosting My Kitchen Rules.
Pete has previously come under fire for several claims shared with followers, including anti-fluoride theories, that sunscreen is toxic, as well as for publically promoting his friendships with prolific anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy JNR.
Wife Nicola was also slammed for promoting coronavirus conspiracy theories, which physician and broadcaster Dr Norman Swan called “profoundly dangerous”.
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