"swedish chef" news and stories

Swedish chef Lars Kuprik Bäckman. Photo: Courtesy Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman

Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman of Rättvik, Sweden, is again asserting his claim that he inspired the goofy Swenglish-speaking Swedish Chef character from Jim Henson's "The Muppet Show." He tells ABC News that a horrific cooking-show appearance on a morning talk show some 40 years ago is proof.

"I was live on TV in America, and I was paralyzed. I couldn't speak! I couldn't remember any English or any Swedish. But I knew the show had to go on, so I started talking, but the only thing that came out were these guttural sounds," Bäckman tells ABC News. "It was unintelligible, and I was still holding that silly pastry bag, shaking with fear. The only thing I wanted right then was to go home to my mother in Sweden."

But not everyone buys the story.

There are certain times when I'm very grateful for the internet, and this is one of them. Swedish Chef TV has collected almost 20 episodes of everyone's favorite Muppet. Yep, there are lobster banditos and "chicky basky," but unfortunately, the hot dog video seems not to work. Fortunately, it's also available on Google Video. Broken link aside, who can really complain? A rather extensive Wikipedia page on the Swedish Chef also notes that he appeared with Wyclef Jean on the MTV Europe Music Awards. Der what deh hay?