PMB man conquers chilli bites
Last week the 48-year old fire-eater from Pietermaritzburg left a trail of scorched tongues in his wake, surviving 14 jaw-dropping rounds of the Chilli Pod Eating Contest at the Great East Coast Chilli Festival.
When the flames settled Morton was crowned the 2025 Chilli Pod Eating Champion and his name will be emblazoned on the coveted championship belt.
'You've got to be a bit strange, you've got to be a bit crazy to do this,' he told the Independent on Saturday this week.
By no means a chilli rookie, he has taken on some of the country's most fiery chilli competitions. 'This is my fifth time entering and my second win,' he said. 'I've been competing since 2021, at different venues and under different organisers. I missed 2024 because I was overseas, but I came back ready.'
Organisers say that as sweat, tears and noses ran uncontrollably, paramedics were on standby to douse any chilli-induced flames.
However, Morton was never in danger and didn't even have smoke wafting out of his ears.
In the run up to the competition, he followed a tough three week chilling conditioning routine, working his way up from mild habaneros to 'superhots' all while gardening, painting and tilling through the tongue tingling torture.
' I only need three weeks because I can start off on the hot stuff. But if you're just a normal person you'll probably need a bit longer, let's say two months. During those three weeks I start off on something that's really hot for most people, like a habanero, and I just keep on getting hotter and hotter and hotter until I get to the superhots. And then, when I can eat at least four of them in a row without suffering too much, I eat them and I go work in the garden.'
He says it's all about distracting the brain. 'The pain is real, but if your mind knows what's coming, you can override it.'
And he has a dire warning for future chilli champions, ' Don't do it while you're driving. It's too dangerous. Most people will crash their car.'
However, it's not just about having the toughest tummy in town. Morton's way of life had turned him into a chilli ninja. His karate-trained body, clean eating, zero alcohol, obsessive attention to gut health puts him a burn above the rest. 'Your gut is your second brain,' he said, 'and mine's in top form. I'm probably fitter than most 25-year-olds—actually, make that 18-year-olds,' he said.
However, blazing a trail to the chili championship has not been without heat. To test his tolerance for a previous competition he ate a ghost chilli on an empty stomach and it burnt like hell.
'I was down for two or three hours, rolling on the floor in total agony. I ran a bath of ice-cold water. I put ice in it and just lay there for two hours,' he said.
Organisers of The Great East Coast Chilli Festival say that apart from the chilli eating contest, they also held an 'Awesome Sauce' Competition, the Crazy Korean 'Speed Wings and Ramen Challenge', and the 'Kadipore Farms Hot Pani Puri Challenge'.
And in partnership with Titanium Media South Africa (TMSA), they'll be launching an e-commerce store for vendors and chilli entrepreneurs to provide resources that support a local and international distribution platform for local chilli products.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
31-07-2025
- IOL News
A perfect Storm
Storm Gulzar, a six-week-old Siberian Husky rusn on the charm to win July's pet of the month competition Image: Supplied Staff Reporter Meet our July winner and finalists in the Independent on Saturday's May Pet of the Month competition. This month winner is Storm a six-week-old Siberian Husky from Clare Estate, who narrowly beat his litter mate Koda to the title. Storm's mum said: "Storm is full of mischief and tiny howls. He brings endless energy to every moment. A cuddle bug at heart, his bright eyes already sparkle with adventure." Storm wins an exciting new prize open to all pet winners this year – an exclusive photoshoot from pet photographer Tilanie Grote worth R1 500. How to enter: Snap a photo of your pet showing its unique personality, with a sentence telling us why he or she is so special to you. Please review your picture regarding focus, cropping, extraneous backgrounds etc. Add your name, your pet's name, breed, age and the area you live in. Email it to Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Supplied Litter mate Koda Gulzar, 6 weeks, another Siberian Husky puppy from Clare Estate. Image: supplied Playing with a favourite toy is Doodoos, a three-year-old mixed breed from .Umhlanga. Image: Suplie Prize: Winners will receive a photoshoot from pet photographer Tilanie Grote worth R1 500. Competition rules: The competition is open to all pets and only one picture may be submitted. Employees of Independent Media, the sponsor, their advertising agencies and their immediate families may not enter. The editor's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered next Pet of the Month feature will be published on August 30. Entries close on August 25 at noon. The competition will run until February 2026. An independent panel of judges will select the Pet of the Month. Because of space constraints, not all pictures will be published in the newspaper. However, every pet will be considered and all entries will be published on our Facebook page. Kiko, a 10-week-old cocker spaniel from Ballito is daddy's darling. Image: Supplied Trinity, 8, an English Bullterrier from Isipingo. Image: Supplied Danger, 6, is a Rottweiler from Merebank. Image: Supplied Lulu, 18 months, is a Boston Terrier from Reservoir Hills. Image: Supplied Skylar, 1, is an African Grey parrot from Malvern. Image: Supplied Bella, an 8-year-old cross breed from Phoenix. Image: supplied Lola, 7 months, cross between Boer bull and Husky, Phoenix Image: supplied Codi, 8, Cross Boerbul and Labrador, Durban North Image: Supplied
IOL News
07-07-2025
- IOL News
Cable car dreams: how an AI hoax led an elderly couple on a wild goose chase in Malaysia
An elderly couple left the city lights of Kuala Lumpur behind them to take a ride on a cable car that does not even exist. Image: Unsplash There can be nothing nicer than going on a road trip, especially if it includes visiting a new tourist attraction that everyone seems to be talking about. But for an elderly Malaysian couple who travelled almost 400km from Kuala Lumpur to take a ride on a cable car they'd seen online, the trip was a waste of time - the cable car does not even exist. The Independent reports that the couple had been duped by a video that was generated by artificial intelligence (AI), raising questions about how easily people can be taken for a ride, literally. The publication said the couple travelled to Pengkalan Hulu last month after seeing the video, complete with a "reporter" interviewing excited tourists who'd come to ride the cable car, which featured prominently in the background. But their excitement turned to disappointment when a staffer at a local hotel told them bluntly that she'd never been to the attraction at Kuak Hulu, because it did not actually exist. This was after the couple told her they'd seen the video featured during a news segment on a local channel. "I was so shocked ... I explained to the auntie that the video was (made by AI) and not real,' the hotel worker wrote in a post. 'The auntie then asked 'Why would anyone want to lie? There was even a reporter (in the video)',' the employee added. The dejected traveller said she did not see any comments under the video indicating that it was fake; otherwise, she would have been more cautious. When she told the staffer she had a good mind to sue the "reporter", it was pointed out to her that she, too, did not exist. The story was also covered by the "Sinar Harian" newspaper, which quoted an official saying: 'Of course, it doesn't exist ... but I admit, it was exciting to watch. We were entertained, even if it was just AI-generated content." Acting district police chief Ammad Salimi Md Ali was quoted in the Malay Mail urging the public not to share social media content before verifying it. 'To date, we have not received any reports involving losses, fraud or public concern related to the viral AI-generated video. 'Checks conducted in both Baling and Pengkalan Hulu have confirmed that no such cable car project exists,' he said. Police said action could be taken under existing laws if such content caused public alarm or disrupted order, he added. But the couple got no sympathy on social media, with many saying they could have done some research before embarking on their ill-fated sightseeing trip. Kai Sosceles wrote: "'Vulnerable to AI scams' is the same thing as 'Didn't take 2 minutes to verify facts'. And that has been going on for far longer than computers have existed, and is always a skill that people need to learn." Jeanne Griffin posted: "Boomers can't tell the difference between reality and AI. AI needs to go away forever."
IOL News
06-07-2025
- IOL News
Lipstick artist paints his way out of hunger
Ricollin Moodley has painted many of the Springboks and their pictures are displayed on the walls of his home. Image: Supplied RICOLLIN Moodley, 24, is a makeup artist, but not the usual kind. While most people use lipstick to colour their lips, Moodley uses it to paint incredible portraits. From shiny to matte and even smudge-proof, he uses all brands to further his craft and has made a name for himself as 'the lipstick artist'. This week he told the Independent on Saturday that his art didn't start in a studio, instead it began on a beach in 2017 with nothing but borrowed pages and a growling tummy. 'We didn't have food for days. My dad was traveling 200 kilometers to work, and my mom wasn't well. I was just sitting there, thinking, 'What can I do? How do I get us food?' I just wanted to do something.' Ricollin the lipstick artist has painted more than a thousand portraits with lipstick, paint, coffee and anything else he can find when he doesn't have art supplies. He says his art is as unique as his heritage. Image: Supplied. The 16-year-old teen felt a sudden urge to draw and went to the library to ask for paper. 'I didn't do art at school, no one taught me. But I just had this urge. The desperation to find a way to put food on the table pushed me.' While sketching on the beach in Port Edward, a German tourist walked past and was so impressed that he asked Moddley to draw a picture of his grandchild from a picture on the phone. 'Without even thinking, I said yes. That's how it started.' The tourist was stunned when Moodley told him what he wanted in return. 'I said, 'just groceries, bread and juice, something to eat.' An hour later, the man returned with groceries, a phone, and an envelope of cash. He also had some stern words for the youngster. 'He told me never to underestimate my value. Where he comes from, art means something. That's when I knew I could put food on the table with my art.' Ricollin used Grammy award-winning singer, Tyla, as his muse. Here he recreated the sand dress which she wore to her first MET gala in 2024. Image: Supplied. Ricollin Moodley with Springbok captain Siya Kolisi. He also painted a portrait of Kolisi which the captain loved. Image: Supplied. Ricollin Moodley with a self-portrait and the make-up he uses for his art. Image: Supplied. Moodley's mom began sharing his sketches on Facebook and there was huge interest. People sent him art supplies but it was still not enough and it forced him to become creative. He turned to coffee, food colouring, and later makeup for his portraits. In 2021, things got worse. Moodley's dad was promised a job but it went to someone else. The family became homeless and had no option but to live in a tent. 'We sold everything and came here for that job. But it wasn't there. We slept in a campsite which cost R400 a night and worried about what to do next. Moodley approached malls to set up a table and sketch portraits and because the locals knew him, they let him work there. 'That's how we raised rent money and moved into our flat. My dad got a job after that, but food was still tight.' They didn't have any family to turn to because they disapproved of his parent's marriage. His mom is Indian, his dad Xhosa. 'Neither of our families helped us because of who we are. It's been hard, but it made us stronger and closer,' he said. In 2023, while digging in a bin behind a mall, Ricollin found a box of lipstick and other makeup. 'I started painting with makeup, nail polish and lipsticks. I just kept trying. I wanted to stand out. And it worked.' His lipstick paintings caught people's attention and when the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup that year, he painted captain Siya Kolisi and recorded himself doing it. That video went viral. 'People talked because I was painting 'manly' men with lipstick; mixing sports, art, and makeup.' Despite his talent, many people, including his Grade 11 teachers, discouraged him from continuing with his art. 'They said I must be realistic because art is not going to pay the bills.' Despite this, he persevered. 'Because I knew nothing about art, I had to find that strength to still do it, regardless. It was putting food on the table,' he said. His mom Evelyn Moodley says he is a blessing. 'He gives us hope in our darkest days. Every month, he adds his money to my husband's salary for food and medicine. He even homeschools his sister.' His dad Sibuyile Masola agrees. 'Without Ricollin we wouldn't have survived. My salary isn't enough, but he covers everything. We're so proud of him.' However, Moodley almost died at birth. His mom was shot in the stomach during a break-in while she was pregnant with twins. Moodley was born almost three months early but his twin sister died as a result of the attack. 'Doctors told us he wouldn't survive. They wanted to switch off the machines, but we said no. By God's grace, he's healthy now, just sometimes he has breathing problems,' said his mother. Moodley says there's only one other artist who paints with lipstick and her technique is very different from his. 'People might try, but no one puts in this much detail. I even made my own formula to seal the paintings so they don't smudge. It makes them unique,' he said. Despite the widespread publicity and even securing some opportunities to promote products like sunglasses, Moodley says it's still a daily struggle. Many people expect him to sell his work for next to nothing, or they want to bargain. But he says painting with lipstick, coffee and other makeup is expensive and they should respect his art. 'A customer once told me, 'I thought you had a professional gallery. I didn't expect you to be doing this from your house.' People think that just because I'm working from home, it lowers the value of my work.'
