Joe Wicks admits his ‘dangerous’ protein bar has ’caused a lot of controversy’

Fitness expert Joe Wicks has admitted that his “dangerous” Killer protein bar, aimed at shining a light on the “ultra-processed food system”, has “caused a lot of controversy”.

Wicks, 40, who made a name for himself with his online PE workouts during the Covid-19 lockdown, features in a new Channel 4 documentary where he creates the UK’s “most dangerous health bar” to “highlight the potentially harmful ingredients permitted by food regulators to be sold on our shelves”.

Joe Wicks: Licensed To Kill, also featuring TV doctor Chris van Tulleken, has caused a stir online, with doctor Professor Tim Spector accusing the “Body Coach” of “scaremongering”.

Wicks told ITV show Loose Women: “This has caused a lot of controversy. It’s quite provocative, isn’t it?

“So a lot of people, obviously, they think it’s just about protein bars.

“The documentary really, is about the ultra-processed food system. This is like a vehicle to talk about it, discuss it.

“I could have done children’s cereal, children’s breakfast, you know, lunchbox snacks, anything, but I’m in the fitness space so wanted to focus on this.

“And obviously this is an example of a product that can be manufactured basically with loads of additive chemicals, sweeteners and ingredients that aren’t really whole foods, but label it as a health food.

“And so we’ve been tricked into thinking that, you know, this is better than a chocolate bar, but you know, what I really want is just honest labelling.

“So the whole documentary is about putting pressure on the Government to be clear about this.”

The documentary is also a publicity stunt that sees Wicks launch the Killer bar to the general public, despite Channel 4 saying the product contains “ingredients linked to cancer, diarrhoea, stroke and early death, all of which are entirely legal in the UK”.

The idea behind the stunt was “to convince the Government into changing our food laws for good”, the broadcaster added.

Wicks said: “It’s not like we’re selling thousands of these bars. This is about creating awareness and people that are buying it. It’s more like a piece of art, it’s something … it does say ‘do not eat this bar’.”

He added: “It’s not about blaming or putting pressure on the consumer. It’s about the Government and the food companies that are manufacturing, let’s be honest about the ingredients.”

He continued: “I know it’s very emotive, it’s triggering, it’s quite hard to talk about foods, and accept that the diet we’re eating could increase the risk of cancers and stroke and dementia. No one wants to hear that.”