Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat has sparked complaints to Ofcom from viewers who were left seriously unimpressed with the film.
The Channel 4 ‘documentary’ aired on Monday night and saw the Masterchef judge explore a plant which harvested steaks from human tissue amid the cost-of-living crisis.
At one point, Gregg and chef Michael Roux Jr even tucked into the steaks – however, there was one catch. The whole documentary was fake.
Many viewers failed to notice this as the doc aired and shared their disgust on social media.
Now, 408 people have taken things one step further and contacted the broadcasting watchdog.
A spokesperson for Ofcom told the Daily Mirror: “The majority of the complaints objected to the theme of the mockumentary, which explored the consumption of human meat.”
As is standard procedure, the TV watchdog will now assess the complaints, before deciding whether or not to investigate.
Gregg responded to the backlash surrounding the mockumentary on Tuesday.
He wrote in a column for The Sun: “While it was a complete fantasy, we wanted to raise important questions about the nation’s relationship with food and what those struggling with the cost of living are being asked to do in order to stay afloat.
“If we don’t start to tackle the cost of food and eat more healthily, then this programme — and the prospect of human meat on the menu — might not seem so far-fetched after all,” Gregg warned.
Viewers who failed to spot that the doc was a fake were particularly unhappy with the scene which saw Gregg and Michael chow down on the ‘human’ steaks.
One posted on Twitter: “This #GregWallace #MiracleMeat programme that grows Human tissue for consumption is seriously knocking me sick! Donors of humans to make human meat is surely cannibalism?!?
“Tissue grown into steaks. It’s knocking me sick! I’m going vegan!! Greg & Michael Roux are eating this.”
“There’s something very unpalatable about the Gregg Wallace programme on Channel 4 where they’re eating meat that’s been cultivated from human cells,” said another.
Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat is available to stream on Channel 4.