Ebenezer Smith, a Ghanaian chef, has been arrested following a dispute with his sponsor after falsely claiming to have broken the world record for the longest non-stop cooking marathon by an individual. Smith announced on Tuesday that he had cooked continuously for 802 hours and 25 minutes, exceeding more than a month, and presented a certificate allegedly from Guinness World Records (GWR) confirming his record-breaking achievement.
However, the authenticity of Smith’s claim was quickly challenged. A GWR spokesperson clarified that the certificate was “not true” and “not our certificate,” stating that they were unaware of Smith’s attempt and had not received any application from him. GWR further stated that the current record holder is Ireland’s Alan Fisher, who cooked for 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds in September-October 2023, dethroning Nigerian chef Hilda Bacci’s previous record of 93 hours and 11 minutes.
Smith’s arrest followed a dispute with his sponsor, Amadia Shopping Centre in Spintex, Accra, where his cooking marathon was held in March. The sponsor accused Smith of breaching their contractual agreement by not informing them about the alleged confirmation of the award.
The case has caused significant shock and disappointment among Ghanaians, who had widely supported Smith’s supposed record-breaking attempt. Despite being in police custody, Smith has not yet been charged and has not commented on the accusations.
Smith’s false claim highlights the growing trend among Ghanaians to break Guinness World Records, with notable attempts including media personality and entrepreneur Afua Asantewaa Aduonum’s longest singing marathon last year and chef Failatu Abdul Razak’s longest cooking marathon in Tamale earlier this year.
