Come Dine With Me’s 'whisk man' revealed he appeared on the hit Channel 4 show because a friend played a prank on him19:33, 12 Aug 2026Updated 19:34, 12 Aug 2026A man accidentally became one of the internet’s most iconic memes after appearing on a hit show.‌Kev Riley, who is also known as the whisk man, is one of the most recognisable faces after a bizarre moment during his appearance on Come Dine With Me.‌He originally appeared on the show back in 2013 and caught viewers attention after shoving a whole hand whisk into his mouth while preparing dessert.‌While preparing dessert, Kev picked up a hand whisk and, in a moment that has since become firmly embedded in internet culture, put the entire utensil into his mouth. The clip has been shared and memed countless times, transforming Kev from a nervous first-time cook into an unlikely online celebrity.Speaking on behalf of Buzz Bingo, Kev revealed that he has embraced the fame as he said: “I love it. “It's one of those things. I’ve done it and lived with it.”‌The TV star said the reaction can be particularly noticeable when he travels away from his home in Burnley, where people already know who he is.“When I'm out of town, people look at me as if they're saying, ‘Where do I know him from?’ Then it kicks in,” he said. “Because Come Dine With Me has got a cult following.”He admitted he deliberately avoids reading comments online, having learned from his time running a nightclub that not everyone is going to like the same thing.‌“If you were to read all the comments and start getting into online battles with people who made a negative comment, you could probably say it was negative,” he said. “But I don't read the comments at all.”Kev explained that his experience of running a nightclub had taught him an important lesson: whatever DJ or event you put on, some people will love it and others will not. Everyone's got an opinion,” he said. “I don't read the comments unless someone tells me there’s been something nice.”‌The clip went on to become an internet meme – but Kev says his appearance on the cult reality show was never meant to happen in the first place.Kev revealed he was pranked into going on the show by a friend who spotted an opportunity to put his name down on a casting clipboard in the town centre.At the time, Kev owned a nightclub and had a reputation for enjoying dining out, which his friend apparently thought made him the perfect candidate.‌“My friend thought it'd be funny to put my name and number down on the form,” Kev explained. “When the call came through, I was thinking it was a wind-up, so I went along with it. Then a couple of weeks later I got told, ‘You've been successful. You're on the show.’”It was only when a camera and sound crew turned up at his home that Kev realised the prank had gone much further than expected. “That was when I knew it was real,” he said.The application process itself had been surprisingly straightforward, involving just two phone calls before the production team visited his home.Article continues belowKev admitted he did not feel he made the best impression when the crew arrived – particularly as he and his wife had had “a massive row” that morning. But despite his reservations, filming eventually went ahead three months later.You can stream Come Dine With Me on Channel 4