‘Needles schmeedles’: Sam Kekovich says avoiding strawberries is un-Australian

There’s nothing more un-Australian than not eating lamb on Australia Day, right? Wrong – as Sam Kekovich has thrown his weight behind a brand new ad campaign to promote the nation’s strawberries following the recent fruit contamination crisis.

The 68-year-old sports commentator filmed the hilarious video for Channel Ten’s The Project, which replicated the well-known format of his annual iconic Australia Day lamb adverts, and says “being a patriot has never tasted sweeter”.

The footage begins with him tucking into a lamb chop as he walks and talks to the camera, saying: “There’s nothing I enjoy more than burying my ruggedly handsome face into a plate of succulent Australian lamb. But I’m equally partial to also burying my ruggedly handsome face into a bowl of juicy Australian strawberries.”

“If there’s one thing I hate or intensely dislike, it’s the Australian farmer being screwed over,” he then says. “The strawberry farmer is the nipple that’s nurtured our nation. Which is why I’m going to be eating them until the cows come home.”

Read more: Foodie shares clever kitchen hack to check for needles in strawberries.

There’s nothing worse than being un-Australian and Sam Kekovich should know! Be a true blue Aussie, do the right thing and #SmashAStrawb! 🍓 #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/QmvdCaKSBn

— The Project (@theprojecttv) September 20, 2018

The video is in support of the #SmashAStrawb campaign, which has erupted on social media over the past week, following the recent fruit contamination problem that saw metal objects, including sewing needles being discovered in fruit, including strawberries, bananas and apples.

Defiant Aussies have taken to social media to show they aren’t afraid of the needle contamination impacting the country’s produce, launching the online movement to support farmers and ensure perfectly edible fruit doesn’t needlessly go to waste.

The message behind #SmashAStrawb is simple – instead of throwing away strawberries, simply cut them up and turn them into tasty creations.

And the patriotic campaign has taken the nation by storm, with people all across the country sharing their quirky strawberry creations with others. One woman simply shared a strawberry jam recipe from the 1960s with her Twitter followers as a way of using strawberries, while others shared recipes for pies and pavlovas.

Kekovich’s iconic lamb adverts have become an annual symbol synonymous with Australia Day, as the media personality records a new one every year without fail. The first one aired in 2005 and ruffled plenty of feathers as he labelled vegetarians as “un-Australian” for not eating the red meat.

He continued to poke fun at non-meat eaters in the latest clip too, describing vegans as “vegan weirdos” before saying that strawberries were finally something they could agree on.

What do you think of Sam Kekovich’s latest video? Are you still eating strawberries?