Competitive eating is a bizarre pursuit. You might think that nobody wants to watch someone shovel food into their mouth and struggle to swallow it or keep it down, but you’d be wrong.
You might think that someone who’d experienced the ill effects of pounding over 60 hot dogs in one sitting would deter them from doing it again, but you’d be wrong.
One man has been particularly committed to trying to blow his own stomach up with processed tubes of ‘meat’ and his name is Joey Chestnut.
Mr Chestnut has won 16 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contests, and in 2023 he landed his 16th by choking down 62 hot dogs in just 10 minutes.
He had previously set the world record at the 2021 edition: 76.
Speaking of the effects on his body, Chestnut told Business Insider: "Most people relate to feeling really bloated and tired after Thanksgiving.
"It's kind of like that, except really, really bad."
"People have told me they can smell the hot dogs. I really can't, but the sweat afterward, it feels sticky and greasy. My girlfriend says it smells different."
He continued: "It's hard on the body, there's no way around it.”
He is now back at it in 2025 as he strives for a 17th title.
He was banned from Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2024 as he’d entered a partnership with a competitor, Impossible Foods, but it seems he’s been cleared to nauseate audiences once again this summer.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Chestnut tweeted. “This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”
Chestnut also threw the claims of his 2024 ban into doubt: “While I have and continue to partner with a variety of companies, including some in the plant-based space, those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hot dogs.
“To be clear: Nathan’s is the only hot dog company I’ve ever worked with.”
Perhaps he just needed a fallow year to recover, Glastonbury-style.
Chestnut fans celebrated the news on X, with one saying ‘tradition restored.
On Instagram, one person said: “In NBA terms: Michael Jordan coming back to the Bulls after doing the baseball thing.”
Being the Michael Jordan of anything puts you in a pretty elite tier, although we’d imagine being the Michael Jordon of eating a revolting amount of sausages is pretty low on most people’s reincarnation wish lists.
Featured Image Credit: Kena Betancur / Stringer/Getty Images
Rachael Davis