Steve Bennett's Interest in Gemporia

[Marietta]

We occasionally see Steve Bennett make an appearance on Gemporia, but just how much interest does he have now?

 

[Lilo Lil]

Not a lot …

 

[historymystery]

I get the feeling he just shows his head round the door to remind people that it was originally his 'baby' - then he goes on about how the company's owned by the staff (lots that could be said on this topic, IMO).

 

[TheManWithNoName]

He doesn't come on to sell jewellery now - he only comes on to shift his health stuff.

Also, after his announcement that he was coming back to run the company two years ago - but then quickly handed over the reigns to Jake Thompson instead, speaks volumes in my opinion.

His interest lies in health now.

Steve has form for starting businesses and then moving on to something new. I suspect one day he'll also move on from fitness too to start something entirely different again.

 

[Kit10]

I remember him saying as much when he came back to pour money into the company. Someone messaged in saying how wonderful it was to see him on air again and what shows would he be doing. He closed the conversation down really quickly by saying that he had a lot to do as he was trying to save the NHS’. I wonder how that is going…..

 

[Ant7t]

He doesn't come on to sell jewellery now - he only comes on to shift his health stuff.

Also, after his announcement that he was coming back to run the company two years ago - but then quickly handed over the reigns to Jake Thompson instead, speaks volumes in my opinion.

His interest lies in health now.

Steve has form for starting businesses and then moving on to something new. I suspect one day he'll also move on from fitness too to start something entirely different again.

This saves me posting this somewhere else. I'm not the quickest thinker, but on his recent show: fibre and such, he stated that the human body can only cope with 1 tea spoon of sugar a day: paraphrase and from memory. I finally got to checking. And the higher powers suggest it's between 7 and 9 tea spoons a day for an adult.

 

[AndyW]

This saves me posting this somewhere else. I'm not the quickest thinker, but on his recent show: fibre and such, he stated that the human body can only cope with 1 tea spoon of sugar a day: paraphrase and from memory. I finally got to checking. And the higher powers suggest it's between 7 and 9 tea spoons a day for an adult.

Personal health and, as TMWNN said on the thread about Steve Bennett's association with Gemma Collins, what you "put into your gob" is really one of the most basic aspects of life that is totally in your control. No different to getting up in the morning and deciding not to deliberately walk in front of a bus today. How much refined, added sugar you consume is 100% down to you, every time you have a sip of coke, lemonade or sneak in that extra custard cream. NDon't get me wrong - I'm not one of those fascistic diet "guru" Roundheads. Life is about balance and for living but you do control everything about that balance.

I'd be happy to accept that Bennett starts from a "good place" when he talks about the cr*p and the UPFs, which fill the shelves of our supermarkets, masquerading as "food" and that, sadly, can appear cheaper than buying whole foods and cooking at home. But he is not a lone voice in the wilderness on this subject and I do find that I lose my goodwill for him every time he appears on Gemporia to flog manufactured products to "fix the NHS" (not to mention his LED 'Friday the 13th' stage prop). He just becomes part of the deadly embrace between Big Food and Big Pharma (to use an American expression).

I ought to buy and read his "Fibre First" book. I suspect it's mostly common sense but the answer is not to buy his heavily packaged awful konjac noodles and more pills than you can shake a stick at, where the jury has been out for the last seventy years on whether they actually have any positive effect that is greater than taking personal control of your own diet.

 

[AndyW]

[duplicate posting deleted. sorry!]

 

[rubia]

I remember him saying as much when he came back to pour money into the company. Someone messaged in saying how wonderful it was to see him on air again and what shows would he be doing. He closed the conversation down really quickly by saying that he had a lot to do as he was trying to save the NHS’. I wonder how that is going…..

Not very well as we can see.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Personal health and, as TMWNN said on the thread about Steve Bennett's association with Gemma Collins, what you "put into your gob" is really one of the most basic aspects of life that is totally in your control. No different to getting up in the morning and deciding not to deliberately walk in front of a bus today. How much refined, added sugar you consume is 100% down to you, every time you have a sip of coke, lemonade or sneak in that extra custard cream. NDon't get me wrong - I'm not one of those fascistic diet "guru" Roundheads. Life is about balance and for living but you do control everything about that balance.

I'd be happy to accept that Bennett starts from a "good place" when he talks about the cr*p and the UPFs, which fill the shelves of our supermarkets, masquerading as "food" and that, sadly, can appear cheaper than buying whole foods and cooking at home. But he is not a lone voice in the wilderness on this subject and I do find that I lose my goodwill for him every time he appears on Gemporia to flog manufactured products to "fix the NHS" (not to mention his LED 'Friday the 13th' stage prop). He just becomes part of the deadly embrace between Big Food and Big Pharma (to use an American expression).

I ought to buy and read his "Fibre First" book. I suspect it's mostly common sense but the answer is not to buy his heavily packaged awful konjac noodles and more pills than you can shake a stick at, where the jury has been out for the last seventy years on whether they actually have any positive effect that is greater than taking personal control of your own diet.

My choice of wording about trying the "stop shovelling food in your gob" diet probably came across as a bit insulting to those that are a overweight or trying diets themselves (i'm not exactly slim myself).

However, that choice of wording was aimed solely at Gemma Collins because she's constantly in tabloid newspapers with headlines such as "Gemma Collins wows fans as she tries X diet" or "Gemma Collins stuns in plunging red dress as she loses 1 stone during diet".

I do not believe for one minute that Gemma Collins has any intention of losing any meaningful amount of weight. She's been reported as trying umpteen diets for years - but she never looks any different.

I am sceptical that it's all for money. She must have made a small fortune from TV appearances talking about her "diet" and got numerous sponsorship deals for advertising so-called diet plans and weight loss fads.

The media seem obsessed with her for some reason and they keep encouraging her 'diets' - and I suspect she's making a lot of money out of it in the process.

If she really wanted to lose weight, she'd have done so by now. Someone with her profile and money would be able to afford a dedicated dietician, seek professional help, or, god forbid, go to a gym and pay for a one-to-one personal trainer if they genuinely wanted to lose weight.

If someone is struggling to lose weight after 6 months, then fair enough. If someone is struggling to lose weight after years and years, then it's completely on them and what they're eating.

 

[AndyW]

My choice of wording about trying the "stop shovelling food in your gob" diet probably came across as a bit insulting to those that are a overweight or trying diets themselves (i'm not exactly slim myself).

I understood the context of your phrasing and, for one, didn't see it as a soulless bashing. You have explained it perfectly. She totally appears to be exploiting what is a real, life-threatening problem for some. Shameless and a lesson for Bennett if it's true that they've parted company so soon.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I do find that I lose my goodwill for him every time he appears on Gemporia to flog manufactured products to "fix the NHS" (not to mention his LED 'Friday the 13th' stage prop).

I don’t mind Steve as a person, but I strongly dislike his tactics for promoting his 'health' products.

I remember one social media clip he posted last year where he criticised a specific chicken product, I believe from Birds Eye. If I recall correctly, he picked up a box of Birds Eye Chicken Quarter Pounders, which stated: “Made from 100% chicken breast.”

Steve made a lengthy video claiming Birds Eye were being misleading and proceeded to go through the ingredients. He pointed out that the product contained only around 60% chicken, with the rest made up of water, batter, etc.

However, Birds Eye weren’t being misleading. The claim wasn’t that the product was “100% chicken” – it stated that the chicken content consisted solely of 100% chicken breast (not a mix of breast, wing, etc.). It’s pretty obvious that if the chicken is coated in batter, the product as a whole can’t be 100% chicken.

The whole thing came across as a bit desperate. If Steve wants to build credibility, he should at least use valid examples.

I also find it hypocritical for him to call out companies for being 'misleading' when his own company has had multiple warnings from the ASA for.................... misleading. I think he needs to look a bit closer to home, and get his own house in order, before calling out other businesses!

In addition, if he genuinely cared about health, he’d stop making exaggerated claims about his Primal Living Probiotics being “one of the strongest on the market.” They’re not. In fact, they’re among the weakest.

Steve's probiotics are just 6 billion CFU at a cost of £9.99p for 30 days worth (Primal Living Probiotics).
Bioglan probiotics (one of the market leaders), are 20 billion CFU at a cost of £18.12p for 30 days worth (Bioglan Probiotics) - so over 3 times as strong, for not even double the price. If you get them from Costco, like I do, then it only costs £22 for 60 days worth.

Costco even do their own brand in store - and theirs are 30 billion CFU and work out to something like £21 for 60 days worth.

If Steve genuinely cared about people’s health over profit, he would either admit his product is weaker and adjust the price, develop a stronger product to compete at a similar price point, or, if neither is possible, stop selling it altogether. A truly health-focused approach would be to say: “I can’t offer you a product better than what’s already available on the market, so I recommend Bioglan or X brand because I want you to have the best options for your health.”

Why doesn't he do that? Because he's a businessman. Profit first. Health second.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I understood the context of your phrasing and, for one, didn't see it as a soulless bashing. You have explained it perfectly. She totally appears to be exploiting what is a real, life-threatening problem for some. Shameless and a lesson for Bennett if it's true that they've parted company so soon.

It would be interesting to know whether Steve parted company with her, because he began to see through her - or whether she parted ways with him, because she got a better 'sponsorship' deal elsewhere to promote another so-called 'diet' or weight-loss fad.

 

[AndyW]

It would be interesting to know whether Steve parted company with her, because he began to see through her - or whether she parted ways with him, because she got a better 'sponsorship' deal elsewhere to promote another so-called 'diet' or weight-loss fad.

It shows a woeful naivete on his part, partnering with her in the first place.

This article from 41/2 years ago, talks of the issues associated with weight management when you have polycystic ovarian syndrome (which, by very definition is a range of related issues). It's not awfully complimentary, shall we say but makes your point even then.

https://amberizzo.com/2020/06/10/skinnyjabgemmacollins/

 

[TheManWithNoName]

It shows a woeful naivete on his part, partnering with her in the first place.

This article from 41/2 years ago, talks of the issues associated with weight management when you have polycystic ovarian syndrome (which, by very definition is a range of related issues). It's not awfully complimentary, shall we say but makes your point even then.

https://amberizzo.com/2020/06/10/skinnyjabgemmacollins/

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Steve/Gemporia have always had a bit of a fascination with celebrities - mostly Z list ones at that.

I don't know if they still have it on their website, but at one point, there was a webpage showing various 'celebrities' wearing their jewellery.

They also made a big deal of Steve giving Camilla a Csarite ring.

Surely an endorsement from a celebrity only has any value if that celebrity has bought an item because they genuinely wanted it.

I doubt Camilla has ever worn that Csarite ring.

So the same applies to Gemma Collins. I doubt very much that she ever followed those 'diets', etc behind closed doors outside of her advertising them. I would imagine she threw the jabs in the bin and replaced the daily injection with cakes and kebabs instead.

 

[Ant7t]

I remember one social media clip he posted last year where he criticised a specific chicken product, I believe from Birds Eye. If I recall correctly, he picked up a box of Birds Eye Chicken Quarter Pounders, which stated: “Made from 100% chicken breast.”

I'm going to be stupid here, but by now, you should know how my mind works. Even chicken is not 100% chicken. Where I worked, for a while they 'hired' chickens for the residents to care for and / or admire, as well as the egg side of things. The place is closed down so chickens have long gone. But that's an aside. The place also had / has peacocks and hens. (They haven't left). So, one of these pea-birds used to like pouncing on the chickens and one of them escaped and was being accosted by this pea bird. I picked the chicken up and was surprised how light she was. When you pick up chickens in a 'shop', they are heavy. So, coz they are pumped full of water, an 'eating' chicken is not 100% You love my stories, dontcha?