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Vegan actor Woody Harrelson swapped chicken wings for cauliflower on Hot Ones.
Harrelson, an outspoken animal advocate as well as an actor, has been vegan for more than 30 years. He has previously praised the benefits of eating a mostly raw, whole food plant-based diet, saying that the lifestyle gives him energy.
Read more: Jeff Goldblum Is Planning A Vegetarian Christmas After Making ‘Wicked: For Good’
Hot Ones is an American YouTube talk show that involves a celebrity guest eating 10 chicken wings made with increasingly spicy hot sauces alongside host Sean Evans.
In a recent episode, Harrelson appears to be eating cooked, seasoned, but unbattered cauliflower instead of a fried option. Evans told the actor that his dietary restrictions have been noted and that the team has adjusted “the lineup accordingly.”
Hot Ones has featured a meat-free or plant-based option of some kind since at least 2016, and some guests have opted for vegan alternatives like seitan, tempeh, and cauliflower. Last year, actor Paul Rudd guested on the show and chose to complete his challenge with battered and fried cauliflower-based wings.
‘Are you kidding me?’
Harrelson visibly struggled with some of the spicier wings, and just over halfway through the challenge, he asked Evans, “How do people do this shit? Are you kidding me?” He then added, “I’m starting to leave words out of sentences. It ain’t no thing.”
Guests can opt for a glass of non-dairy milk, and celebrities such as Ariana Grande and Fred Durst chose almond milk as their drink of choice. Despite the heat, Harrelson finished the challenge and ended the episode by performing a magic trick.
Harrelson stars as magician and hypnotist Merritt McKinney in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which is out now at cinemas in the UK and US.
Read more: Is Woody Harrelson Vegan? Everything He’s Said About The Lifestyle
‘Just do the vegan ones’
In addition to Harrelson, several non-vegan guests have also opted for plant-based wings on Hot Ones, including Lady Gaga, John Oliver, Lizzo, and Florence Pugh. In his 2024 appearance on the show, race car driver Lewis Hamilton told Evans that he should “just do the vegan ones,” as it would save “so many chickens.”
Earlier this year, animal rights charity PETA also urged Evans to adopt an all-vegan menu for the show, and offered to name two rescued chickens after him if he agreed.
Read more: Lady Gaga Says Plant-Based Wings Are ‘Very Good’ On Hot Ones
