ITV racing presenter downs stranger's pint and says 'I'm going home' live on air

presenter Luke Harvey grabbed a stranger's pint and downed it live on air while covering Thursday's racing at York. The bizarre incident took place between races, when Harvey was sampling chicken wings from a nearby food stall. He was totally unable to cope with the heat and caused a scene as he tried to find relief.

Harvey was offered two chicken wings, which the seller described as potentially the hottest in the whole of Britain. The presenter was even offered rubber gloves, which hinted at just how spicy the wings would be. He chose not to wear them in the end, but was made to look silly regardless when he took his first mouthful.

Just seconds after biting into the spicy chicken wing, Harvey was taken aback by the level of heat and his composure went out of the window. He immediately doubled over and gagged before spitting his food into a napkin and walking away from the scene.

The former jockey stumbled into a nearby drinking area, where punters were chatting to each other while sipping beer and wine. He rushed up to a table of young men and attempted to snatch a pint from one of the punters, shouting: "Oi, give me that."

The man looked puzzled and initially held onto his drink with a firm grip, asking Harvey: "What are you doing?" while giving him a furious glare. The pint was eventually wrestled from his grasp and the man watched in disbelief as Harvey began to drink it.

Harvey took several gulps before putting it back on the table, leaving it half full, before wandering off once again. He approached a group of women at a different table and said: "They [the wings] are hot. They are really hot, I'm telling you."

Having suitably embarrassed himself while still in considerable pain, Harvey turned to the camera and said: "I'm going home." He took a moment to compose his thoughts, leaning over a railing and catching his breath, before walking away out of shot.

Some fans were left shocked by Harvey's behaviour and felt sorry for the man who had his pint snatched away. @LeesBetting wrote: "I hope he bought him another beer. I would have thrown it on him."

"Hope he didn't dodge his round on the Guinness," added @timboweebler, while @aaron53218049 said: "The bloke looked like he was about to kick off until he saw the camera."

@AjB2786 noted: "It will be eight quid a pint and a 10 minute queue, no wonder he didn't want to part with it." @aa1le1ab1 was also less than impressed, commenting: "The whole programme is embarrassing and not for actual punters."

Others thought it was great entertainment, with @stestatter writing: "Absolutely brilliant TV, can't stop laughing." @1callpat, meanwhile, added: "What an entertainer. Luke has taken over Derek Thompson's niche as the man of all the people."