Why Rylan Clark-Neal’s Supermarket Sweep proved controversial
Viewers were unimpressed by the perishable produce thrown on the floor
Rylan Clark-Neal played host to a bunch of happy shoppers on the rebooted Supermarket Sweep – but viewers were left with a sense of sour grapes after fruit and vegetables were thrown on the floor.
The new one-hour long show sees three pairs of contestants tasked with several challenges in a bid to gain time on their clocks for the iconic trolley dash and the chance to win £3,000 in the final Super Sweep.
Viewers praised Clark-Neal on taking over from the late Dale Winton, but one contestant sparked outrage after she was tasked with finding a clue in a box of grapes, and proceeded to throw the fruit over the floor and into the air.
“Excuse me lady,” Clark-Neal said. “What is this? What were you doing?”
Viewers were unimpressed by the “shameful waste” and called for the use of “artificial foodstuffs”.
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“Eww the waste of food on the new #SupermarketSweep is outrageous,” tweeted one viewer.
Another wrote: “Cannot believe that you have allowed this woman to chuck food on the floor! Food waste is an absolute disgrace! #SupermarketSweep. Sort it out pronto!!”
Clark-Neal – who will also front the rebooted Ready, Steady Cook next year – previously assured viewers that all perishable produce is sent to food banks and charities every three to four days.
“We’ve built the set as a real supermarket, so it’s all real food and real products,” he told RadioTimes.com. “We’re going to be making sure that all the fresh produce, once it’s been used, will be donated to food banks.
“We want it to be really sustainable, and we want to have zero waste. It is real food, so we want to make sure it’s all donated. That was a big point that all of us wanted to make.”
RadioTimes.com has contacted show bosses for comment.
Supermarket Sweep is on ITV2 weeknights at 8pm
