LIVIN’ LA VIDA LOCA

I’m beyond excited to be heading to Spain – Algemesi, Valencia, for The Hell Contest on 31 October 2021. ❤️❤️❤️

A wonderful festival with food, music, and drink and of course the brutal chilli-eating contest. I was gutted to miss it in 2019 and so going this year makes it even more special! And as if that weren’t enough – The Hell Contest will be the first festival in Europe to hold the inaugural League Of Fire – Chilli Eating Champions European Title Belt Match! 😍❤️😍

There will be contestants representing 5 countries in Europe vying for the coveted Blue Bird – the LOF European Title Belt! To say this will be epic is an understatement! To be a part of something like this straight out of uncertain times is pretty unbelievable and I will cherish every moment.

I would like to say a special thanks to The Hell Contest who have been so generous and kind and welcoming in offering accommodation for all the visitors on the house. Their warmth and hospitality know no bounds. I have messages from Spanish producers who say they can’t wait to meet me in person and welcome me into their country and town. I am so humbled and so very happy. ❤️❤️❤️

For those of you who don’t know, The Hell Contest is the brainchild of two very well-regarded and respected men in Valencia; they are Jordi Vidal ‘Xein’ and Vicent Navarro ‘Oki’. The very first edition was in 2018 and it was a huge success. They had a great show in 2019 as well which is the one I couldn’t make and I was really sad to miss it. After the Covid gap of 2020, the 2021 edition promises to be bigger and better than ever before. The media is going crazy over there with lots of press coverage in newspapers, on radio & TV and, online.

INTRODUCING THE CONTESTANTS FOR THE 1st LOF EURO BELT MATCH IN ALGEMESI, SPAIN, ON 31 OCTOBER 2021.

I am absolutely honoured to be hosting the League of Fire European Title Belt Match. It will be very exciting to see who takes the Blue Bird home and I am happy that I will be on the other side of the pain in this one!

I thought I would do a short introduction of the competitors as the event draws closer.

We have 8 contestants representing 5 European countries. 3 from Poland, 2 from Hungary, 1 from Germany, 1 from Italy, and 1 from Spain.

Poland

1. Leszek ‘The Hiccup’ Machaj
He says “I am a madman in love with chilli (and his wonderful wife), a sauce producer, a pepper grower and a lover of hot challenges. I am always looking for adrenaline and limits to overcome!”

2. Anna ‘Lucky Dragon’ Rej
She says “I like to eat hot, and without hot it is inedible. I discover the world of challenges and I want to follow this “chilli path” with curiosity. How far will I go?”

3. Marcin ‘Peyoo’ Rej
He says “I’m here because my wife forced me. She cooks hot, very hot and I LOVE IT! Wherever she goes, I also go with pleasure, which is why we begin our journey on this ‘hot trail’!”

Hungary

4. Ferenc ‘GibbonRike’ Potocki
He says “I live on stage! I’ve been doing crazy things for over 20 years now and here I am to take it to the next level!”

5. Ödön ‘Dönci’ Bóka
He says “I was born in a mining city called Tatabánya and I love crazy challenges! I’ve done so much crazy stuff but this is gonna be the craziest!”

Germany

6. Edda ‘The Icelady’ Pantea
She says “My name is Edda and most of you know me as Icelady. Going to Spain is the hell of an opportunity to test my limits and I know I won’t give up unless my body refuses to continue. I don’t know if I can win but I don’t think I’d be invited if I didn’t have any chances – may the best woman or man win!”

Italy

7. Arturo ‘Mr Spicy’ Rencricca
He says “Hi, I’m Arturo Rencricca – Mr Spicy. For five years, I have been the Italian Champion of Chilli Eaters (2017-2018-2019-2020-2021). In 2018, at Silverstone Woodlands, I won the F1 Grand Prix Chilli Eating Contest in the UK! I am very excited to take part in the League of Fire European Title Belt Match and see how far I can go!”

Spain

8. Angela ‘Flames Master’ Hiniesta

She says “Hello. My name is Angela and I’ve been eating spicy food since I was inside my mum’s belly! I am taking part in the League of Fire European Title Belt Match because I am the current Spanish Chilli Champion having won The Hell Contest chilli-eating competition in 2019 and I am very glad to represent Spain in this championship!”

 

So there we have it! The 8 contestants from 5 countries in Europe for the 1st LOF European Title Belt Match!

If I were to sit down and list all their achievements which stretch far and wide, this blog will be way too long and so I will avoid in-depth details but suffice to say, there is a reason these contestants have been picked to compete for the Blue Bird!

I am blown away by their gumption to travel to Spain to represent their countries and participate in the first ever European Title Match!

I can’t wait to meet all these people in person for the first time as well as the organisers and the Spanish chilli community members who will be present at the event. ❤️❤️❤️🌶🏆😍🥇🇵🇱 🇭🇺 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🇪🇸

All that is left to say is that can it be 31 October already?!