Top Chef's Alex: I Didn't Steal Ed's Pea Puree—and I Don't Do Drugs or Hookers!

Reality cooking show contestant has some explaining to do

In this season of Top Chef, contestant Alex Reznik comes off as a cheating inexperienced chef who enjoys eight-balls and hookers.

However, the Los Angeles chef insists nothing could be further from the truth. "Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a good guy," he told me this morning. "I'm a gentle soul."

Yeah, but what about stealing Ed's pea puree? Read on for his side of the story…

This week's eliminated contestant told me what went on behind the scenes:

How hard was it to watch and hear what the others were saying about you? Some of it was pretty brutal.
"Some" is an understatement. It was difficult. It was very unexpected. I felt bad for my parents and my friends who were watching it...I can't say why people said what they said or did what they did, but I never go negative like that. I felt bad because my family was like, "Fight back. Do something." But I didn't know that was going on, because in the house it was all amicable.

Now, about the pea puree...
I put a lot of passion into my food. That's why I do it. I love food. But at no point did I ever think people seriously [believe] I would ever contemplate stealing somebody else's food! Obviously, I didn't steal the puree. I made my own food. I never lied. I never cheated. It's not in my character. The show portrayed me in a certain way and that's a shame.

What about the comment about getting an eight-ball and a hooker if you won that quickfire?
I made the comment off-camera and was cracking people up. That's what I do. I make jokes. They said, "Can you say that on camera?" I was like, "Yeah. I can do that." Obviously, I don't do drugs. And I have this great girl who's with me and I would never contemplate a hooker!