The Untold Truth Of Adam Richman

Over the course of several seasons of Man v. Food, Adam Richman put his body through hell trying to muscle through some insane food challenges. Whether it was stuffing himself silly with four pounds of pancakes or setting fire to his tongue with ghost peppers, the guy made some serious physical sacrifices for the sake of television entertainment. 

But, the show never really let viewers into the life of the man behind those daunting feats. There's a heck of a lot more to the former host than simply a guy who can handle an immense caloric intake and a level of spice potent enough to suppress an entire army.

Prepare to take a deep dive into the life of a gluttonous gladiator who, week after week, put it all on the line in the name of good eats. This isn't just the untold truth of an average man. No, this is the untold truth of Adam Richman.

Did you know Adam Richman is an Ivy League alumni? It's hard to tell when you're watching him drool over meat and cheese, but it's true.

Richman graduated from Emory College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in international studies in 1996. Before he ever pictured himself traveling around the country gorging himself full of delicious (and painfully large) amounts of food, he was just a lowly recent college grad figuring out what the heck direction he wanted his life to take. 

And, oh, what a scrumptious path it took once he landed himself a sweet television hosting gig — though that's probably not the path he planned to take.

As a member of the Actors Theater of Louisville in Kentucky, Richman often graced the stage in theaters around Atlanta and New York City. However, in 2000, his acting career kicked up from 10 to 11 when he was accepted into the Yale School of Drama.

In 2003, Richman received his coveted Master's of Fine Arts degree from the school and soon joined three major acting unions. One of these unions eventually offered him the opportunity to host a food show, Man v. Food, which Richman eagerly auditioned for. He nailed the audition, and from that point forward was a staple host in the food landscape.  

Social media can have disastrous results when used inappropriately. And, if you have a solid following like Adam Richman does, all it takes is one slip-up for the online community to tear down your scaffolding real quick. Well, the Twitterverse and Instagram world did just that to Richman.

It all started with a photo Richman posted on Instagram showing off his weight loss. After indulging in thousands of calories throughout Man v. Food, Richman grew depressed at how much his waistline increased. So, he embarked on a 10-month mission and successfully shed a whopping 70 pounds. 

Sounds totally innocent and encouraging, right? Well, not when you add the hashtag "thinspiration" to it. For those who don't know, the term is used to advocate anorexia and bulimia, and it offended quite of bit of his followers. Then things got real sloppy.

He went on to respond to several comments with some alarming profanity-laden messages. To one, he replied, "Oh eat a bag of sh**... Only f***up it seems was your dad's choice not to use a condom." Yikes. He also told a poster no one would miss them if they grabbed "a razor blade and drew a bath." 

Needless to say, his show after Man v. Food, which was called Man Finds Food, was put on hold during the social media crucifixion he endured due to his responses. Hopefully he learned his lesson. 

When someone decides to begin living a vegan lifestyle, it can surprise a lot of people around them, especially if at one point they wouldn't have hesitated to rip through a tomahawk steak with a smile on their face — kind of like we've all seen Adam Richman do quite a few times. 

So, when tabloid headlines started spreading rumors that Richman was turning away from a carnivore lifestyle and embracing all things green and leafy, fans were shocked. However, as we all know, we have to do our own research before immediately buying into tabloid headlines.

Richman quickly took to social media to ensure fans the headlines were completely false, but he did admit he occasionally eats strictly vegan when training to play soccer. Hitting the soccer field with a stomach full of brisket and poutine isn't what anyone wants to do. 

According to Richman, veganism is a temporary lifestyle choice he abides by when he needs to be in especially good shape, as opposed to a gung-ho "no meat ever again" overhaul. 

He didn't just tell people he still very much loved his delicious omnivore lifestyle, either. He proved it by posting a photo of him going ham on an In-N-Out burger. C'mon now, a guy like Richman hanging up his meaty gloves? Not a chance in hell.

Here in the States we're inundated with football, baseball, and basketball, and our soccer league — the MLS — takes a back seat to those three. However, take a trip across the pond to Europe and you quickly realize their version of football is an all-out religion. And Adam Richman is totally on board with the fandom, specifically the Tottenham Hotspurs.

His passion started years ago when a friend sent him a video called 100 Greatest Goals at the Lane (Whiteheart Lane is the name of the team's stadium), and Richman was instantly hooked. Man Finds Food was actually split between the United States and England, which allowed Richman to attend as many games as possible. He was even granted a special private tour of the stadium where things got emotional. 

Richman even sent the coach a care package full of meats and spices, and that landed him a new texting buddy. Ahh, it's good to be the host of a television show.

After 59 brutal challenges throughout the course of Man v. Food, Adam Richman put up with a heck of a lot of physical discomfort. It took a stomach of steel and a willingness to put up with some pretty terrible bathroom trips to do what Richman did, but when you look at the payoff, it all seems worth it.

How much loot does an intense hosting gig like Man v. Food get you? Well, in Richman's case, plenty. His net worth was $10 million, which is an undeniably lovely chunk of change. After the financial breakdown of everything he's done, each episode of Man v. Food earned him $35,000. Of course, there were also the minor roles he played in television shows like Guiding Light and All My Children, as well as his cookbook sales.

Listen, he definitely put his body through the ringer over the course of his Travel Channel show, but let's be honest, you'd probably deal with a few dozen rough nights on the john for millions of bucks, too.

For picky eaters, there are plenty of food options that seem downright disgusting. Adam Richman, however, has five specific foods he knows sound funky but are actually awesome. If you have the guts to try them.

First up: tongue. If you can get past the fact that it's... well, a tongue, you realize it's a delicate and lean silky muscle. Korean restaurants often have it on the menu, where it's sliced paper thin and served with a delicious sauce like gochujang. 

Caviar is next on the list. Yes, they're fish eggs, but those tiny spheres of flavor pop open in your mouth to reveal an exciting oceanic flavor. He reccomends you stick to the smaller eggs if you're not a fan of fishy tastes.

Richman also implores people to try sweetbreads. No, they're not sweetened cakes, although the name totally implies it. In reality, it's pancreas, one of the body's offal meats. The texture is subtle, creamy, and rich. Especially if they're lightly fried with seasoned crunch on the outside. 

Another creamy and rich dish that's won over Richman's heart is pate. Describing pate as a "meat mousse" may not entice people, but that's exactly what it is. Richman says spreading it on toasted bread or pairing it with a sweet marmalade will turn pate-doubters into pate-lovers. 

Finally, Richman rounds out his list with... sardines! The name conjures up images of slimy filets with an obnoxiously strong smell, but he says if you go to a professional fish-monger (and avoid the canned stuff), they'll present you with flavor-packed sardines that'll keep you craving more. 

Most people who know their way around a kitchen and love the occasional booze-fueled evenings like to think they have the perfect hangover cure for those foggy next days. As a guy who had plenty of long nights in college, Adam Richman says he learned a killer recipe from a friend.

Now, there are slight variations anyone can make when it comes to the assortment of ingredients thrown in and what you have on hand, but the items you must include are eggs, bacon, and cream stout beer (hair of the dog, anyone?). After cracking a few eggs into a mixing bowl and pouring in some cream stout, the real work begins. In his YouTube video, Richman uses a variety of spices, three kinds of cheese (feta, mozzarella, cheddar), marinated mushrooms, olives, and artichokes. Yea, pretty epic. 

Once that entire mixture comes together in a skillet, shovel it onto a toasted english muffin and top it with a couple strips of crispy bacon. According to Richman, you'll be feeling better in no time.

Adam Richman went through plenty of suffering during his stint as Man v. Food's host. You just had to tune in for one episode to see the grimace on his face after every hard-fought battle. But, of all the challenges that left him feeling like utter crapola, one stands out as the most painful... by far.

It was the "Fire in Your Hole Wing Challenge" at a place called Munchies 420 Cafe in Sarasota, Florida. The challenge was 12 wings completely doused in a sauce containing jet black ghost chili extract, and it was one of the few food challenges Richman never completed for Man v. Food. 

However, there was a legitimately unfair reason behind the "L" he was forced to put up, and Richman doesn't hesitate to tell the story. The cafe's head chef was mic'd up prior to starting, and before the wings hit Richman's table, the kitchen team was heard whispering about adding the entire bottle of extract in order to "blow him out." 

Now, two things are wrong with this. First, it's simply unfair. Rules are rules, and if they don't state the whole bottle's going into the sauce, it shouldn't. Second — and most important — is what they did was completely reckless. The end result was Richman cowering in the restroom with a swollen tongue and nasal passages, and crippling stomach pains. It's actually a miracle he managed to walk out in one piece. 

When Adam Richman was initially bested by the "Suicide Six Wings" challenge in Brooklyn, New York, he made it a point to eventually return and prove he was not the same man who walked out with his held low that fateful losing day. 

Sitting down at a table surrounded by eager spectators, the Man . Food host loudly decrees, "This one isn't for a shirt. This one isn't for a picture on a wall. This one's for pride." That it is, Mr. Richman. The glistening wings of doom stared up from the plate with aggression, but that didn't stop our hero from jumping in head first, ready to conquer them with whatever strength he could muster.

Punches were thrown, roundhouse kicks of heat were delivered, and Richman, at times, looked like he would yet again raise the white flag of defeat. But Richman withstood the fiery fury and threw the final bone down onto the plate in one an act of epic glory. 

Many of us know what it's like to completely overindulge in one of our favorite foods, and the outcome is always horrendous. Suddenly, this amazing culinary delight we've loved for years is so hideous we can't bear to think about the flavor anymore (oh the horror!). During one challenge, Adam Richman ruined one of his favorite foods forever: oysters. 

At the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans, Richman dared to join the 15 Dozen Club: the pantheon of epic eaters who could suck down 15 dozen oysters! Yea, you read that correctly. Richman beasted his way through all 15 like a boss, but those slippery mollusks were never the same for him again. He couldn't even touch oysters for three years until the pilot episode of Man v. Food Nation.

We salute you for your shelled sacrifice, Adam Richman. 

If Man v. Food aired in a prime time slot on VH1 or MTV, Adam Richman might have impressed viewers with not only his food knowledge but his hip-hop insight, as well. You would never know it by watching his Travel Channel programs, but the guy has a real passion for urban music. He unveiled his encyclopedic knowledge of it as a guest on the Sway in the Morning radio show, showing a whole new side of everyone's favorite foodie.

Sway Calloway, the host of the show, invited Richman on as a featured guest to answer questions about his Man v. Food hosting gig, give cooking tips, and discuss music. At one point, it came time to put Richman's knowledge of rap to the test with four difficult questions. He slam dunked three of the four, which impressed everyone in the studio.

That wasn't even the first time Richman appeared on Sway in the Morning, either. On another episode, Richman actually spits some hit fire into the mic and has everyone in the room stoked. Hey, if his hosting gigs ever end, he could always take up a career as Eminem's hype man.

Adam Richman's eaten a lot of food. A lot. More than most people in the world will ever experience. As amazing and unique as many of those culinary experiences were, when you sample such a vast array of flavors, you're bound to come across some stuff that churns the stomach. So, what was Richman's least favorite food ever? A fermented bean dish from Japan, and it sounds pretty atrocious.

"Natto" is its name, and when Richman describes it on an episode of Sway in the Morning, it sounds pretty repulsive. He says it "looks like someone else ate it before you, spit it out, and then gave it to you to eat." It smells like "earth, snot, and is horrible." Well, at least he sugarcoated his opinion.

Funny enough, the dish is actually considered a superfood in Japan and is supposed to be quite delicious if you can get over the bizarre consistency (and, apparently, smell). Hey, to each their own. Some might rant and rave about the stuff, but Richman's appetite is not on board.