BT Edmonton Blogs

You’d like to think he should have known better. You’d like to think he would have scoffed at the mere suggestion. But that was simply not the case when our very own camera operator/blogger Owen Strasky was offered $20 to eat an ENTIRE habanero pepper live on the air.

The truth is, I offered Wendy Sandwith the $20 (knowing full well she’d say no and our cooking segment would move on). It’s not that Wendy’s scared of a little adventure - I just figured being five months pregnant would stop her from ingesting one of the hottest peppers known to man. And I was right. But the moment I was asked if the offer extended to anybody, Owen raised his hand to participate.

It was one heck of a performance. Not only did Owen take a huge first bite, but he downed the ENTIRE thing – stem, seeds and all. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. It’s almost like he didn’t FULLY realize what he was getting into. First, you could see the sweat start to bead on his forehead. Then, his glasses started to fog up. And that was just the beginning.

If we didn’t know Owen was fully recovered from his “ordeal,” I’m not sure we’d be having such a hearty laugh (at his expense). But aside from an uncomfortable evening at home, Owen tells us he’s back to 100%. So here’s how it all went down (up until we sent Owen home early…):