Inside Pete Evans’ history of controversy – as he’s fined over a ‘healing lamp’

Celebrity chef Pete Evans was fined $25,200 earlier this month for promoting a lamp that he claimed could help treat coronavirus.

But it wasn’t the first time the My Kitchen Rules judge, 47, had found himself in hot water over his bizarre theories and unscientific claims.

From questionable diet advice to strange views on health and wellness, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at Pete’s long history of controversy.

October 2014: Pete claims the Paleo diet can prevent autism

In October 2014, Pete posted a 2,100-word rant on Facebook bizarrely claiming that the modern Australian diet was behind the rise in autism.

Pete took aim at the Heart Foundation and the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) while promoting the supposed benefits of the Paleo diet. 

‘Why has our rate of autism jumped from 1 in 10,000 children in 1974, to 1 in 50 in 2014? Where do you think it will be in another 40 years if it is escalating at this rate? This has grown rapidly since the guidelines have been in place!’ he wrote.

Among the experts who slammed Pete’s claims at the time was renowned autism expert Professor Cheryl Dissanayake. 

‘There is absolutely no evidence that diet is the cause of autism,’ Professor Dissanayake said. 

March 2015: Pete’s book is pulled from shelves due to its bone broth recipe for infants

Pete’s Paleo cookbook for children, Bubba Yum Yum, was pulled from shelves in March 2015.

An expert claimed the book’s bone broth recipe for infants could kill a baby due to its high vitamin A content.

The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) released a statement saying that the book could lead to the deaths of children across the country.

‘In my view, there’s a very real possibility that a baby may die if this book goes ahead,’ said Professor Heather Yeatman, president of the PHAA. 

Pete instead published the book independently online.

July 2016: Pete claims vegan women should eat meat during pregnancy

Pete angered fans on Facebook in July 2016 by telling women not to follow a vegan diet if they ‘are wanting to reproduce’. 

However, health experts warned the public not to follow Pete’s advice without doing their own research.

‘The guy is dangerous. Pete Evans is a cook, he is not an anthropologist,’ Robyn Chuter of Empower Total Health told Daily Mail Australia at the time. 

Despite their fury, Pete didn’t back down from position.

‘The most sensible approach to pregnancy is a diet filled with animal fats and protein,’ he said at the time. 

July 2016: Pete advises against wearing ‘normal’ sunscreen  

Pete infamously discouraged fans from wearing ‘normal sunscreen’ in July 2016, claiming it was filled with ‘poisonous chemicals’. 

‘The silly thing is people put on normal chemical sunscreen then lay out in the sun for hours on end and think that they are safe because they have covered themselves in poisonous chemicals, which is a recipe for disaster as we are witnessing these days,’ he wrote on Facebook at the time.

‘We need to respect the sun but not hide from it either as it is so beneficial for us, but use common sense. The goal is always never to burn yourself.’ 

Pete, who admitted he used ‘generally nothing’ for sun protection, enraged skin cancer experts with his comments.

A year later he clarified his comments on Sunday Night, saying: ‘A lot of sunscreens are full of toxic chemicals that you would not put on your face or on your kids’ faces.

‘So I’ve never said, “Don’t use sunscreen.” I’ve said [to] make sure you choose one that’s the least toxic that’s out there.’

July 2016: Pete claims Wi-Fi is ‘dangerous’ 

In July 2016, the outspoken chef revealed he keeps his Internet switched off when he’s not using it due to fears Wi-Fi can cause health issues.

‘We turn off Wi-Fi at night at home and have our house EMF friendly,’ he wrote on Facebook in response to a fan’s question about the supposed ‘dangers of Wi-Fi’.

‘If people have not educated themselves on this yet, then I urge them to do so as well. EMFS are causing a lot of issues for people,’ he added.

In November 2016, Pete said he uses ‘Earthing mats’ to fight what he believes are the ‘dangerous’ electromagnetic fields caused by Wi-Fi.

‘When you’re sitting at your computer, you put your feet onto a little mat and it sort of, potentially, negates any of the Wi-Fi issues and reconnects you to the Earth,’ he told The Age, adding: ‘So that to me sounds like, wow, that’s a positive thing.’ 

Prominent American clinical neurologist Steven Novella slammed the theory in a blog post, writing: ‘This is just one of many pseudosciences that fits into the “just make s**t up” category.’

August 2016: Pete claims osteoporosis suffers shouldn’t eat dairy

Pete was slammed in August 2016 for dishing out unqualified medical advice when he told a woman with osteoporosis to stop consuming dairy.

The advice appears to be opposite to the common medical direction that dairy products help protect against the disease, which results in brittle and fragile bones due to vitamin D and calcium deficiencies.

Pete gave the advice to a follower during one of his Facebook Q&A sessions. 

The woman wrote: ‘I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. My doctor insists that medication is the only way. Can Paleo help?’

Pete responded: ‘I would strongly suggest removing dairy and eat the Paleo way as calcium from dairy can remove the calcium from your bones… Most doctors do not know this information.’

Pete was slammed by Professor Peter Ebeling, an endocrinologist and medical director of Osteoporosis Australia, who told The Daily Telegraph: ‘He shouldn’t be saying these things. It’s really bad and just not true.

‘The keystone to preventing osteoporosis is adequate calcium intake and this is achieved by three [daily] serves of calcium-rich foods like dairy. Dairy is the most easily available source and has the highest calcium content in it.’ 

September 2016: Pete says camel milk can replace breastfeeding 

Pete stirred up controversy in September 2016 when he claimed that camel milk was ‘nearly identical in its total composition to human milk’ and could ‘supplement regular breastfeeding’.

In a post on his website, he said camel milk was ‘expensive and a bit hard to come by but is generally safe from an immune reactive standpoint’. 

‘[Camel milk] may prove useful where supplementing regular breastfeeding might be necessary, as well as a non-immune reactive dairy alternative,’ the post continued. 

However, the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) said camel milk could cause kidney damage in infants because of its high levels protein.

April 2017: Pete campaigns against the ‘mass fluoridation of public water’

Pete raised eyebrows again in April 2017 when he posted a photo to Instagram of water flowing out of a tap and forming the poison symbol.

In the accompanying caption, he shared his concerns over the ‘mass fluoridation of public water’.

‘I am concerned about mass fluoridation of public water, and I strongly believe that if people want to add fluoride to their drinking water then they should, but it should be a choice that each person has the ability and the right to make for their own household,’ he wrote. 

Fluoride is added to water to prevent tooth decay and is endorsed by Australian medical bodies.

It wasn’t the first time Pete had expressed such views, as he’d supported a Western Australian anti-fluoride group in 2014.

December 2018: Pete reveals he looks into the sun

Pete was slammed in December 2018 when he revealed that he looks directly into the sun and takes a swim daily for ‘free medicine’. 

Pete shared a photo to social media of himself sitting on a cliff after a dip in the ocean, drenched in sunlight.

He captioned his post: ‘Every day I love to immerse myself in an experience within the cleansing ocean water as well as a brief gaze into the radiant light of the early rising or late setting sun.’

‘These simple, yet powerful practices have got to be two of the best forms of free medicine on the planet for body, mind and spirit.’ 

The Australian Medical Association blasted Pete’s post, tweeting: ‘We’re getting a little tired of saying this but: please don’t follow advice from Pete Evans. Especially if he’s suggesting you “gaze” at the sun.’ 

In response, Pete said he was being unfairly targeted by the AMA, writing on Facebook: ‘They’ve singled me out for enjoying a sunrise and being in great health!’

April 2020: Pete’s ketogenic recipe book is slammed by health professionals

Pete’s Easy Keto Dinners: 60+ Simple Keto Meals for Any Night of the Week was was released in February this year.

Two months later, the cookbook was criticised for its promotion of the ketogenic diet and for prioritising meat over carbs and dairy.

A number of health professionals shared their concerns about the book to the Herald Sun, including VicHealth CEO Dr Sandro Demaio.

Dr Demaio said he was concerned that people following a ‘carnivore ketogenic’ diet could miss out on important nutrients.

‘This is not a sustainable and accessible approach for most of us and can lead to people not getting enough nutrients in their diets,’ he said.

‘When it comes to health, it’s recommended people get dietary advice from a reputable source like a health expert — rather than a celebrity chef.’ 

April 2020: Pete is fined for promoting ‘healing lamp’ that he claimed could help cure the ‘Wuhan virus’

In April, Pete was fined $25,200 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for promoting a lamp that he bizarrely claimed could help treat coronavirus.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration issued two infringement notices to Pete’s company for alleged breaches of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.

The celebrity chef allegedly live-streamed a video on Facebook on April 9 claiming a ‘BioCharger’ device could be used in relation to ‘Wuhan Coronavirus’.

The TGA said the claims had no foundation in science. 

The TGA has recently issued a warning to advertisers about the legality of making health claims in regards to coronavirus.

The fines were issued for the video and for advertising material on Pete’s website.

The advertisements on the website claimed the lamp was ‘proven to restore strength, stamina, co-ordination and mental clarity’.

Pete said the TGA’s ruling was ‘unfounded’ in a statement to Daily Mail Australia.

‘The claims made by the TGA are totally unfounded and we will be strongly defending these claims. It is now in the hands of my lawyers,’ he said.

Pete had promoted his BioCharger NG Subtle Energy Platform on social media earlier this month, describing it as a ‘hybrid subtle energy revitalisation platform’.

Apparently, his family uses the ‘non-invasive’ lamp every day.

‘It works to optimize your health, wellness, and athletic performance by aligning and balancing the energy of every cell in your body,’ Pete claimed.

Pete also said the lamp was programmed with thousands of recipes, several of which might help treat ‘Wuhan coronavirus’.

There is no evidence that the BioCharger has any effect on COVID-19.