Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge has been charged with driving with cocaine in his system after police pulled over his car in Sydney.
Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs after cocaine was allegedly detected in his system during a random drug test.
The My Kitchen Rules judge was pulled over early last month in South Maroubra, Sydney’s eastern suburbs, by police during a roadside operation.
He allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine, The Daily Telegraphreported.
The 52-year-old was arrested and undertook a second swab, which also allegedly returned a positive test, NSW Police confirmed in a statement.
Colin Fassnidge has been charged with driving under the influence. Picture: David Swift
Fassnidge was driving a grey ute when he was stopped on November 8 just after 3pm on Malabar Road, one of the busy roads in the affluent east.
He was charged with drive vehicle, illicit drug present in blood etc —- second offence.
The Irish-born chef is due to face Waverley Court on January 28.
News.com.au has reached out to the MKR’s star’s representatives for comment.
Fassnidge, a father of two, made headlines almost 10 years ago when he went on an expletive-ladened rant, claiming young apprentice cooks were refusing to do the hard yards after a report at the time warned Australia had a dire shortage of chefs.
“I know ur little Johnny works hard and is a great kid !!!!! But his mate Larry pops 10 pingers on the sat and 4 bongs on the Sunday ……. Then he’s at work …….and cooks the the f**king bejesus out of the broccoli til it resembles a brown soup,” he ranted on Facebook.
“Which gets sent back and I have to write a sorry email … now the 2 little f**kers want Tuesday off (eccky Tuesday) and I’m paying for them.
“I should have just gone to double bay w them on sat.”
Fassnidge is a judge on MKR with French chef Manu Feildel (left). Picture: Justin Lloyd
Addressing the comments left by angry mums who were upset by his comments about Gen Y, the father-of-two went on to say: “Thanks to all the johnnys mums for their comments today … now make sure he’s brushed his teeth and nothing under the bed !!! Oh sh*t tomorrow’s Tuesday, he’s off sick !!! Get well soon Johnny.”
Fassnidge has also spoken about life working as chef in the high-pressure hospitality industry, saying the stress inevitably bleeds into family life.
Fassnidge, here with wife Jane Hyland, has previously opened up about chef life bleeding into family life. Picture: Supplied
Fassnidge says being a chef is a hard life with high suicide rates. Picture: Don Arnold/Getty Images
“It’s a hard life, it’s the highest divorce, drugs, drink, suicide industry,” he said in an interview with Sunday Style. “Living with a chef is very hard, it’s not good. We are the worst people in the world.”
The celebrity chef has featured on MKR since 2012, replacing Pete Evans who was dropped as the full-time judge.
He fast earned a reputation for being Australia’s answer to Gordon Ramsay – a hard talking, foul mouthed yet lovable chef who didn’t hold back on the truth.
Fassnidge is also a presenter on the home lifestyle program Better Homes and Gardens alongside fellow MKR judge Manu Feildel’s wife Clarissa, and hosted the 2022 series of Kitchen Nightmares Australia.
