Charlie Brook

Hello, one and all,

Just a quick question, as I am confused (yet again), Charlie Brook purports to be 'tea-total', which is fine (as am I), but then he was eating a pie (I know shock horror, he usually really restrains himself on these shows (tongue well and truly connecting with cheek there), but if therefore someone is tea-total, why would you eat a pie with alcohol in? I know that people say that the alcohol burns out so it is just akin to a 'flavour enhancer', but nevertheless the alcohol was added initially so surely the pie would still contain alcohol. This is someone that is so bad that won't even eat ready meals that have the tiniest bit of alcohol in.

I am just curious as to people's take on this!

I would say that tea total has a couple of varieties. Some may disapprove of alcohol and therefore on moral grounds refuse anything which may have it as part of the process no matter how tenuous. Others may not like the taste or the effects but not worried about a pie where the cork was passed over bowl or 10 seconds. Maybe CB is in this category?

Much as with vegetarians, whilst most don't eats meat on moral grounds others just don't like the taste but will happily wear a leather bag/shoes/coat.

It's in a pie, that's all the encouragement he needs.

I'm teetotal too and don't touch anything with added alcohol whether it burns off or not. Be interesting to know his rationale for it.

When Simon Kitchen Essentials was making smoothies and cocktails, Charlie demolished all before him, but would only smell the alcoholic ones.

I've almost reached the big seven zero, and to be honest, he's the first man I've come across that's tee total ! most blokes I've known throughout my life have liked a pint, a G & T or wine. I wonder, when he's amongst a group of blokes whether he still stands a round of drinks even though he's on orange juice, or whether he's a bit of a loner, or a tight wad - short arms and long pockets. I may be misjudging him badly, but when I hear that he has SEVEN Peony displays at home - who can afford those ? so he's clearly got them free, and wolfs down food like he hasn't eaten all day, it just makes me wonder.

I love to see people enjoying their food, much better than picking at a lettuce leaf anytime, but what puts me off with CB is that he doesn't wait for one mouthful to be chewed and gone down before stuffing another (and another!) in his mouth. How he hasn't choked, I don't know. I switch over if he's on with food, I've never forgotten the sight of him stuffing chocolates in his mouth in a pre-Christmas show - he could only mumble because he had so much grub in his mouth, and bits of food were all around his mouth. He was like a gannet and as though he hadn't eaten for weeks. Not a pretty sight. I'm afraid I'd take anything they say with a pinch of salt (or a glass of wine), as they change their story to suit the occasion so often.

brissles said:

When Simon Kitchen Essentials was making smoothies and cocktails, Charlie demolished all before him, but would only smell the alcoholic ones.

I've almost reached the big seven zero, and to be honest, he's the first man I've come across that's tee total ! most blokes I've known throughout my life have liked a pint, a G & T or wine. I wonder, when he's amongst a group of blokes whether he still stands a round of drinks even though he's on orange juice, or whether he's a bit of a loner, or a tight wad - short arms and long pockets. I may be misjudging him badly, but when I hear that he has SEVEN Peony displays at home - who can afford those ? so he's clearly got them free, and wolfs down food like he hasn't eaten all day, it just makes me wonder.

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loveallthingsitalian said:

I would say that tea total has a couple of varieties. Some may disapprove of alcohol and therefore on moral grounds refuse anything which may have it as part of the process no matter how tenuous. Others may not like the taste or the effects but not worried about a pie where the cork was passed over bowl or 10 seconds. Maybe CB is in this category?

Much as with vegetarians, whilst most don't eats meat on moral grounds others just don't like the taste but will happily wear a leather bag/shoes/coat.

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I agree. Does he says he is teetotal or does he say I don't drink alcohol? Not that I care either way but that might explain how he sees a difference. I always thought alcohol burnt off in hot sauces but don't know about other dishes. I come from a family where one side had a Methodist old school TT background (it didn't stretch to me though!!!!!) and I can remember the palaver over sherry trifles for Xmas! (In fact I don't like sherry so didn't have any in mine either.)

I haven't had an alcoholic drink for over twenty years, I just went off it, both because of the taste and also because I didn't even know my own name once I started. Nowadays I wouldn't have anything alcoholic even if you paid me. Message for Charlie though, you can't get drunk off a pie..........I think. :mysmilie_17:

People have all sorts of different reasons for not liking alcohol. One Muslim guy at work won't use the alcohol gel hand sanitisers because he believes it absorbs into his bloodstream. I tried to explain that this would not happen to any great degree, and that he's probably better off using the gel since Allah is hardly likely to run to some mystical antisepsis, however he persists with his habit. I personally don't like alcohol because it makes me very dehydrated and I am quite prone to dehydration anyway, I don't know why - I just am. I used to eat steak organic steak and ale pies once, in the full knowledge that the alcohol is neutralised in the cooking process. I also like Listerine mouthwash but obviously don't ingest it in any great quantity, so it's fine. I don't use it at all before flying as I wouldn't want any false readings should my flying club decide to do any random checks (which they reserve the right to do).

My Dad wouldn`t touch anything with alcohol in it nor would he drink alcohol but it all stemmed from his miserable childhood with an alcoholic Mother after his own Father was killed on a French battlefield in 1917 when my Dad was just 3 years old. His Mother`s alcoholism resulted in Dad and his siblings being separated. Dad was sent to Canada at the age of 12 in 1926 as a Barnados boy, his sister who was 13 was put into service as a scullery maid and his 2 older brothers joined the forces as boy soldiers. It was to be 1939 before Dad returned to the UK again and after working his passage aboard a merchant ship and it took him several more years to finally trace his brothers and sister.
He lived until he was 87 and in all those years a drop never passed his lips, nor would he allow alcohol in the house and even when we were old enough to legitimately drink, he would never allow us to do so in his company. In his eyes alcohol destroyed lives.

Lemonpop said:

It's in a pie, that's all the encouragement he needs.

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lol yeah and not just any pie 'a Real Pie Company pie' , yeah forgot about that!

Vienna said:

My Dad wouldn`t touch anything with alcohol in it nor would he drink alcohol but it all stemmed from his miserable childhood with an alcoholic Mother after his own Father was killed on a French battlefield in 1917 when my Dad was just 3 years old. His Mother`s alcoholism resulted in Dad and his siblings being separated. Dad was sent to Canada at the age of 12 in 1926 as a Barnados boy, his sister who was 13 was put into service as a scullery maid and his 2 older brothers joined the forces as boy soldiers. It was to be 1939 before Dad returned to the UK again and after working his passage aboard a merchant ship and it took him several more years to finally trace his brothers and sister.
He lived until he was 87 and in all those years a drop never passed his lips, nor would he allow alcohol in the house and even when we were old enough to legitimately drink, he would never allow us to do so in his company. In his eyes alcohol destroyed lives.

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Thanks for the share, I can see how war can affect (good or bad), ones experience with alcohol, some would use it as a leverage, others would as your father 'never touch a drop', my reasoning is that I don't eat or drink anything I don't like the smell of and thus far I can't say I like the smell of any alcohol (admitadly I have not smelt that much, but from the ones I have, I can't say that they 'do a lot for me')), plus I have a very addictive personality as my 4 litres of 'water' (which actually says on the bottle Pepsi Max (I am going to have to sue I feel for it not being 'water' :mysmilie_11:, then this to me is another good reason.


No thanks again for sharing, makes my reason sound a bit prosaic!

My brother is t total hasn't touched a drop for 18 yrs. He checks the alcohol content in absolutely everything and wont even have a rum truffle.

He's an alcoholic-always will be. Lives every day a day at a time and follows his programme.

I couldn't be prouder of him.

Lemonsqueezy said:

My brother is t total hasn't touched a drop for 18 yrs. He checks the alcohol content in absolutely everything and wont even have a rum truffle.

He's an alcoholic-always will be. Lives every day a day at a time and follows his programme.

I couldn't be prouder of him.

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Well done to your brother Lemonsqueezy.

Anna said:

Well done to your brother Lemonsqueezy.

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Hear hear, that takes some guts and strength to do what he's done

Lemonsqueezy said:

My brother is t total hasn't touched a drop for 18 yrs. He checks the alcohol content in absolutely everything and wont even have a rum truffle.

He's an alcoholic-always will be. Lives every day a day at a time and follows his programme.

I couldn't be prouder of him.

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My brother is the same and for the same reason. Like you, I'm very proud of him for the effort it takes. And well done to your brother also.

People do get funny about drinking though. I don't drink much, although I'm not t-total but I get fed up hearing comments like "get a real drink down you" at family events or parties. I don't know why it's expected that people have to drink. Also get fed up being the designated driver because of it. Mum can't drink because of medication she takes; one Christmas, a few years ago, we were visiting other family for dinner. Just after the meal, mum felt thirsty and picked up what she thought was her lemonade and drank it down. Her sister watched her and then said "Do you realise you just drank my vodka?" and then laughed. Mum was incensed because it ended up making her feel really ill. Why would somebody find that funny? I often get the impression that people think you're a bit odd because you don't drink.

And all because Charlie wanted a pie!

Lemonsqueezy said:

My brother is t total hasn't touched a drop for 18 yrs. He checks the alcohol content in absolutely everything and wont even have a rum truffle.

He's an alcoholic-always will be. Lives every day a day at a time and follows his programme.

I couldn't be prouder of him.

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Fabulous willpower, hat off to him Lemonsqueezy.

Loveinamist said:

Fabulous willpower, hat off to him Lemonsqueezy.

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Indeed. Many people think that because it is what they perceive to be "self inflicted " it should be easy to "sort yourself out". Anyone who has experience knows that it is a terrible thing to live with so if someone has managed to come through the other side they should be given all the credit in the world.

You never fully understand things like alcohol, drugs or mental health until you have walked in their shoes.

Yes, best wishes to him Lemonsqueezy, not being an addict myself I can't possibly imagine the daily battle he must go through every single day, he's winning his own personal war and that's great, all the best to him.

brissles said:

When Simon Kitchen Essentials was making smoothies and cocktails, Charlie demolished all before him, but would only smell the alcoholic ones.

I've almost reached the big seven zero, and to be honest, he's the first man I've come across that's tee total ! most blokes I've known throughout my life have liked a pint, a G & T or wine. I wonder, when he's amongst a group of blokes whether he still stands a round of drinks even though he's on orange juice, or whether he's a bit of a loner, or a tight wad - short arms and long pockets. I may be misjudging him badly, but when I hear that he has SEVEN Peony displays at home - who can afford those ? so he's clearly got them free, and wolfs down food like he hasn't eaten all day, it just makes me wonder.

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Hmm, you could have a point, but with regards to the 'perceived' freebies, I imagine that all Q presenters get some freebies (or tester products as they deign to call them), this is so that they can give 'real world' examples of how they have incorporated the products in to their own homes and where they have them placed etc. It though may be feasible as don't forget they get a 20% discount (according to their careers home page), so if you take this of some of the products then it is a fair old 'whack' (that is why of course most of the presenters state that they would buy their tech from any where else, (well you wouldn't if you got 20% of a £700 telly (Carol Vordaman is not needed here)), so it may be feasible that he has that many, though I know they do get 'tester products', as can you honestly imagine that Gill Gauntlet would have that many solar lights in her home!