Chef Smith declared on 2 July 2024 that he had set a new record with a cooking marathon lasting 802 hours and 25 minutes.
He presented a certificate, purportedly from Guinness World Records, during a press conference. However, investigations later revealed the certificate to be fraudulent.
In an official response email, Guinness World Records clarified the situation, stating: "No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate. The current and true record holder is: The longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119 hr 57 min 16 sec and was achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023."
Dr Abbey criticised the media for not verifying Chef Smith's claims before publicising the event. As the host of Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV, he lamented the damage to Ghana's reputation caused by such deception.
Referring to the incident as a "July fool," Dr Abbey questioned how Chef Smith could deceive the entire nation without consequences, drawing a parallel with previous similar incidents involving figures like Dr UN.
"Back in the day, there was no Google to fact-check these things, but today, someone could verify right at the event or send a mail to Guinness World Records. The media coverage was extensive. Somebody could send a mail to the Guinness World Records to verify. The media presence was huge. This one is July fool," he remarked.
Chef Smith started his cook-a-thon journey on 1 February 2024. He cooked for 820 hours, ending his marathon on 6 March 2024, even though he initially targeted 1,200 hours.