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No doubt they're calling him a massive liar in part because they probably feel really foolish. My first thought was '... no one CHECKED?! They just swallowed what he said, no casual questioning... NOTHING?'. This was followed by 'How come he didn't bluff himself back OUT of the mess, by just grinning and saying, "I was just kidding I cannot believe you swallowed all that rubbish!"'.
Still, it does go to show that skill alone generally gets you absolutely nowhere.

I liken the terms cook and chef to medic and medical doctor. They each have skills and abilities, but one has the educational credentials to earn the more respected title. There has been much discussion about tv chefs vs. cooks. Some cooks even have their own restaurants, but do not refer to themselves as chef, because they are not culinary school graduates. Most will agree that their expertise is lacking compared to their better educated counterparts.

I've never attended culinary school, but I would think they offer business classes for those who might want to someday own or manage a restaurant. The necessary skills are not even related to cooking a great meal. The article only talked about his cooking talent. If I were an investor, I'd want to know where the business acumen was coming from.

It does irk me that he calls himself an Executive Chef and all the other titles he has bestowed upon himself. Putting on airs is phony and just plain dishonest.

Whether he is exactly what he claimed to be or not, his show is a hit and we watch it every chance we get. He seems to accomplish a great deal in the challenges he is faced with, and feeds a lot of people food which they enjoy. So what if he stretched the truth a bit on his resume. Don't most people do the same?

"amy: So what if he stretched the truth a bit on his resume. Don't most people do the same?"

@amy . . . . ah, no? He didn't stretch the truth. He totally made things up. This is what happens when a person lies on their resume. They get caught and embarrassed, not to mention possibly fired. I can't believe his outrageous statements didn't raise any red flags.

Perkymac: The only reason he calls himself "Executive Chef" is b/c HE HAS BEEN AN EXEC. CHEF FOR MANY HOTELS/ RESORTS Including Donald Trump's Taj Majal.

Look- yes he did stretch the truth regarding a couple things in his past but let's not forget all that he has accomplished. He HAS cooked for several Presidents and he has been an Exec. Chef for many prestigeous Hotels and Resorts and he HAS cooked for Royalty.

And PERKY MAC- You are only getting ONE side of this story as far as Robert Irvine "Steeling" hundreds of thousands of dollars (which isn't the case- trust me).. This Socialite woman LaTorre practically owns St.Pettersburgh and has an axe to grind- she bought & paid for the article. This is a one sided story and is unfair. Are you really going to believe everything you read?? I can verify that SEVERAL "facts" in this article are FALSE, so maybe this fact checker hasn't done their best?

PerkyMac, Chef is not the title for a graduate of culinary school. It is a job title, the title for someone who is in charge of the day-to-day operation of a high-level professional kitchen. Executive Chef is a job title, usually for the chief chef of a large kitchen or multi-kitchen operation who has multiple chefs working under him (either chefs de parti or chefs of various shifts). They are also professional certifications handed out by various national professional associations, such as the America Culinary Federation here in the US. It is perfectly possible to apprentice in order to gain the skills to hold these positions and certifications rather than go to culinary school, and many fine chefs have done so and will continue to do so all over the world. In addition, a graduate of culinary school does not automatically become a chef.
Please stop promulgating the misconception that a chef is a culinary school graduate. A chef is someone who does the job of a chef.

I, for one, do not really care for his show. He makes the smallest minor setbacks into earth-shattering crises. Too melodramatic.

The Food Network has removed his bio from their site and issued this statement:

"It's unfortunate if Robert embellished the extent of his culinary experiences. We are investigating the matter and taking the necessary steps to ensure the accuracy of all representations of Robert on Food Network and foodnetwork.com."

This is totally unrelated to food, but medics and doctors do not have the same skills and the difference is that one has gone to school. The difference goes far beyond getting a medical degree.

I never liked his show. The times I've seen his show. He sometimes seems to make pretty simple stuff...out of the need to make a huge amount. It's not necessarily good food. He seems a little two faced. He often unreasonably yells at his staff...then later in front of the crowd of diners, he acts totally different. I suppose it might be what an executive chef needs to do to get the job done. But he just seems way too angry to me.

It seems to me "The Foolish Network" should have checked on "Sir" Roberts' knighthood in the first place and then they wouldn't have to be checking on it now. Just goes to show the dumbing down of "The Foolish Network" is a reality. Whatta ya say to that Brooke Johnson?!