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Sugar star ate my goldfish
Apprentice contestant Ben Clarke faces RSPCA probe after swallowing live pet at party
FOR MY NEXT SICK TRICK: Ben gees up crowd
FISH & LIPS: Sicko wipes mouth after swallowing pet
APPRENTICE posh boy Ben Clarke swallowed a LIVE GOLDFISH whole in a sick stunt at a boozy birthday bash.
Our shocking pictures show the shark in a suit gulping down the defenceless creature as he's cheered on by a crowd of guffawing toffs.
After polishing off the pet in a shot glass-condemning it to a horrific death dissolving in stomach acid-swaggering Ben then egged on his drunken friends to swill down 15 MORE goldfish.
And we can reveal that the slimy Apprentice contestant could now face an investigation into animal cruelty by the RSPCA after we passed on pictures of his shocking antics.
A horrified party guest told us: "Ben was out of control! Yes it was a drunken party but how can anyone defend eating a live animal just for a laugh?"
Bowls
Trainee stockbroker Ben-whose breathtaking arrogance on the BBC show has irritated self-made tycoon Alan Sugar-disgraced himself at a lavish 21st birthday party for friend Rebecca McConnell earlier this month.
The former Gavin Henson lookalike -who claims making money is better than sex-joined guests dining on salmon in filo parcels and fine wine at the marquee bash near Dalkeith, Midlothian.
The goldfish, in decorative bowls, were part of the table decorations.
"It was nearing midnight and everyone had been on the champagne and wine for a good five hours," explained our source.
"Ben and his brother were at the top table, but by this point everyone was milling about and mixing.
"Obviously a lot of booze had gone down and attention suddenly turned to the goldfish bowls. Someone made a joke about eating one of the fish. And if you were going to bet on anyone taking things too far it would be safe to put all your money on Ben.
"So no one was shocked when he got involved in the dare. He wasn't alone - four or five others from different tables followed his lead too."
Our pictures show what happened next. Ben takes a glass tumbler and scoops one of the fish out of its bowl.
He's then seen appealing for the applause of the 150-strong crowd before downing the "shot" in one.
The gobsmacked onlooker added: "Ben just swallowed the fish whole. No one could quite believe he had done it.
"There was not a flicker of squeamishness as it went down the hatch. There's no doubt in my mind that he enjoyed doing it.
"The blokes were clapping and the girls were groaning. I thought it was disgusting behaviour, but Ben thought he was the cock of the walk afterwards.
"He loves behaving outrageously and to him this was just high jinks. Some of the others at the table thought it was too - the laughter was unbearable.
"It was clearly enormously cruel to the fish. Ben was only interested in showing off though."
Not satsfied with that, Ben then began to wind up other revellers - all former students of two leading Edinburgh public schools - to follow his lead.
One floppy-haired partygoer in a kilt had to admit defeat after he couldn't go through with the cruel act. Instead he looked on in horror as his un-eaten fish squirmed in his hand.
The source went on: "Ben's behaviour started off other people doing the same thing. All of a sudden 'fish-shooting' became a five-minute craze.
"Sixteen goldfish were consumed by Ben and his mates. He had the first one but then started egging on his pals to do the same."
On social networking site Facebook, Ben's savage behaviour was the talk of the posh partygoers for days afterwards.
Pictures with titles like "Ben Clarke about to down the poor fish!" and "going in for the kill" appeared in people's albums.
One Facebooker even went into gruesome detail of exactly how Ben's stomach acid would have finished off the goldfish.
It explained how "Strong hydrochloric acid burns the fish . . . eating away at the its eyes and fins, completely dissolving both within less than ten minutes."
Last night News of the World medical expert Dr Hilary Jones confirmed: "The stomach is full of hydrochloric acid with an extremely strong PH of 1. If you were to take stomach acid and drop a penny in it, it would clean it like Brasso. The fish would suffocate and the acid would ill it within 30 to 40 seconds.
"The acid would burn its gills and nervous system, eventually dissolving it bones and all. It would be a very unpleasant way to go."
Punch
The source added: "Ben was pleased as punch - a lot of other people just thought he was an idiot.
"It was a black tie do but he rocked up in a suit with Aviators sticking out the pocket giving it the big 'I am'.
"He was lording it up and getting a lot of female attention. Word has it that he left with a young lady that evening."
It's not the first time a TV personality has hit headlines for eating a live animal. Infamously, comedian Freddie Starr was accused of eating a girlfriend's hamster in 1986. Although Starr has since denied the incident, it has gone down in popular British culture as his defining moment.
Ben now faces tough questions from the RSPCA, which last night said it would investigate our evidence.
Spokesman Rob Harris said: "The RSPCA is very concerned about this story and condemns any action that causes suffering to animals.
"There's a debate about whether fish can feel pain or not, but the RSPCA believes they should be treated with respect.
"After hearing of this particular case, we would encourage anyone holding any evidence of this to contact us on 0300 1234 999."
We have to check every comment before we can allow it to be published. But don't worry, we've got a team on it 24/7 - so check back soon! Please note that we cannot publish all comments received. The editor's decision is final. Please note that your email address will not be displayed next to your comment.
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This article has 41 comments
what a idiot ben is
By dan lewis. Posted September 15 2009 at 4:34 PM.
He's absolutely disgusting, if you think that what he did was a laugh than you are as sick and disgusting as he is!
By allegra. Posted June 18 2009 at 6:40 PM.
is this a joke??? the rspca? jesus.
By Joan. Posted May 29 2009 at 2:54 PM.
Some interesting and valid comments - Its cruel yes but then so is the accepted method of all meat production.
Regardless of all that, the guy is a prize idiot!
By red. Posted May 24 2009 at 9:22 AM.
what a sick man
By tim healy. Posted May 22 2009 at 9:25 PM.
Who cares, its a goldfish. It is pathetic that anyone would actually care about this. Good banter from someone who seems like a good bloke. Why is everyone on his back because they are jelous that he's got something about him and will most probably be a success in life?
By oikle. Posted May 22 2009 at 4:12 PM.
Lollll its a goldfish, lets all start crying.
HAHA yeah, do enlighten us, how is it different from eating any other kind of meat?
'poor defenceless creature'.. u lot are having a laugh.. get a LIFE
By Minnie. Posted May 21 2009 at 11:58 AM.
I eat oysters all the time. They are alive but eating them is not frowned upon, in fact it is encouraged. I really can't see the problem here, there are much more serious thing wrong with the world than a few dead goldfish. Anyone notice whats happening in Sri Lanka recently? I thought not, no one seems to care about them as they are not white.
By Jon Nash. Posted May 21 2009 at 1:12 AM.
I eat live goldfish all the time. sue me.
By Tom. Posted May 21 2009 at 12:46 AM.
What a fuss over nothing, anyone would think Ben had done something bad the way some people are reacting. Get over it! I thought it was hilarious when i read about it.
By Jamie. Posted May 20 2009 at 11:52 PM.
get over it...
By Andy Knox. Posted May 18 2009 at 2:24 PM.
Not only is eating a live fish cruel and totally irresponsible, there is also another risk. Many goldfish which are bred in mass numbers on fish farms often come with certain diseases, including fish TB and salmonella. Swallowing the fish increases your chances of contracting these diseases. I wouldn't be surprised if the idiot who did this starts complaining of a stomach upset...
By Luke . Posted May 18 2009 at 10:45 AM.
Who cares - we eat live oysters?
And in Japan lots of fish is consumed raw - both alive and dead!
By Simon. Posted May 18 2009 at 11:14 AM.
Surely this is not an RSPCA matter but one for the SSPCA as it happened in Scotland?
By Hughie. Posted May 18 2009 at 2:20 AM.
disgrace, i hope he gets fined for this
By dan. Posted May 18 2009 at 1:23 AM.
Call the RSPCA?? Do me a favour, its a goldfish for goodness sake. So its ok to catch a rat in a poisonous trap, or a squirrel in a box in your garden, or eat a steak which has come from a cow which has had a metal bolt shot through its head in a slaughter house??!! But eating a goldfish is the end of the world?!
Do people not have more important things to worry about.
By John. Posted May 18 2009 at 12:15 AM.
That is just Sick! Poor little thing
By scott. Posted May 18 2009 at 12:12 AM.
He's tried to show off but ended up looking a right idiot!!!!!!!! Why do a stunt including a poor defenceless animal why didn't he just nail his privates to a table like dirty sanchez/jack ass do!!!!!
By Faye Newsome. Posted May 17 2009 at 6:56 PM.
see, this is exactly whats wrong with our country
"it's a bloody gold fish"
" how is it different from any other meat..."
people with comments like this are obviously utter morons.
read back what your saying before you post it , fools.
By Jodie. Posted May 17 2009 at 5:49 PM.
This fella is a total plonker. I've always hated his bad attitude. How would you like to be thrown in a swimming pool full of burning acid? I for one hope the RSPCA does him over!
By Dave. Posted May 17 2009 at 5:09 PM.
Good Lad
By JJ. Posted May 17 2009 at 1:58 PM.
exactly james, i saw a live lobster be placed in a pan on tv a few days ago and it disgusted me, it was still crawling trying to get out after minutes of being boiled! this is cruel aswell, yet you do nothing about that?
By bla. Posted May 17 2009 at 2:20 PM.
Oh come on, its only a bloody goldfish. They're two a penny...
By Alicia. Posted May 17 2009 at 1:45 PM.
how can you morons sit there and say this is a waste of the RSPCA's time, it was a cruel act and one i absolutely disgusted at. Quite right the RSPCA should investigate they are there for the protection of animals whether it be goldfish or whatever. If that was a shark swallowing him the shark would've been hunted and killed. So yes he should be punished. who does he think he is that gives him the right to behave in such a disgraceful manner.
By mandy. Posted May 17 2009 at 12:47 PM.
disgusting behaviour. Why anyone thinks its accpetable to have them as table decorations is beyond me, as you get stupid idiots like this.
By Jane. Posted May 17 2009 at 1:31 PM.
Why is this worse than eating any other kind of meat?
By jane. Posted May 17 2009 at 1:17 PM.
i approve of such great behaviour at social events....i was at the party!! role on more fishy 21st's
By 'G'. Posted May 17 2009 at 11:49 AM.
Send the RSPCA to my local butchers, I hear they have been killing animals there too!!
What a waste of RSPCA time if this is true. It does show what a tit this bloke is, but it's a fish, and he ate it alive.... happens every second in the ocean, lets get a grip...but the bloke is clearly a tit!
By Rob Shaw. Posted May 17 2009 at 11:45 AM.
That's absolutely disgusting and immoral. Wtf is wrong with him. I was willing to give him a chance to redeem himself on the apprentice, but now I hate him and hope he goes!! I hope there is karma and that he is reincarnated as a fish that is also swallowed. Just because a fish isn't cuddly like a dog or cat, it's still a living animal than can feel pain!
What a grotesque individual.
By claire. Posted May 17 2009 at 11:18 AM.
This has to be a joke. RSPCA investigating... for Pete's sake... totally and utterly pathetic. There really are some half-wits out there, seemly working for the RSPCA by the looks of it.
By Carol. Posted May 17 2009 at 11:17 AM.
What an absolute PLONKER. A total waste of space and air time.
By Debs. Posted May 17 2009 at 10:58 AM.
How cruel. I don't like him and hope he doesn't win. Why put goldfish in tiny bowls as table decorations? Surely that is just as cruel as eating them live? Asking for trouble!
By Angie. Posted May 17 2009 at 10:22 AM.
WAS it a fish, or the usual stick of carrot?
.
By mrs_spratt. Posted May 17 2009 at 10:14 AM.
Sugar Star ?? Saccharin more like, Ben leaves a bad taste in everyones mouth. Can't stand him !!
By trinity52. Posted May 17 2009 at 9:38 AM.
now we know where Nemo is...
By lea. Posted May 17 2009 at 8:59 AM.
Informing the RSPCA over this incident is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion!! There are real monsters out there cruelly mistreating & torturing animals who far more deserve the attention of the RSPCA. We are constantly reminded that this organisation is underfunded,with dwindling volunteer commitment and efforts, so we should use their resources & time wisely! Yes, maybe Ben Clarke did it for the shock value..but lets face it,people all over the world eat all sorts of live things & its not a far cry from sushi, is it?!! Please people, lets put things into perspective and put the countries failing protective services to their real use & prosecute the real criminals out there!!
By Dolly D. Posted May 17 2009 at 8:14 AM.
Ben is a big-head and full of s***. this just proves the point further
By Fellow Irishman. Posted May 17 2009 at 8:17 AM.
Inform the RSPCA? How is swallowing a goldfish any worse than putting a live lobster in a pan of boiling water like restaurants do up and down the country everyday? I disagree with both practices by the way.
By James. Posted May 17 2009 at 6:24 AM.
Sugar 'star'..... This is just a jumped up little jerk and to brand him a star is outrageous and a complete insult to the many actors, actresses and sports stars who have dedicated their lives to becoming as good as they can be at their craft. The sooner these people fade from the spotlight the better. What a waste of space this guy is.
By Barry. Posted May 17 2009 at 4:39 AM.
What a loser
By Kim. Posted May 17 2009 at 1:27 AM.
Please dont eat meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
By Pinky. Posted May 16 2009 at 11:58 PM.