LS Exclusive: Man vs booze speaks out

A leading medic has expressed her ‘deepest concern’ for the Leeds University student behind the ‘Man vs. Booze’ videos.

The 21-year-old art student, who has become an instant YouTube sensation after posting nine videos of himself completing various “alcohol challenges,” could end up causing “irreversible liver damage” if he carries on with his boozing ways, according to a medical professional.

Speaking to Leeds Student, medical specialist Catherine Walsh warned that the man “clearly hasn’t a clue about the ramifications of what he is doing.”

The student is believed to have already drunk close to 160 units of alcohol on screen in the last two weeks; almost four times the maximum suggested amount for that period of time.

Walsh said the “liver damage may not be irreversible, yet he’s clearly not aware of the other damage the alcohol will have done and will be doing. Also, has he not realised how this could be viewed by a future employer? He needs to be very careful.”

Asked if she’d ever seen something like something this before, the specialist responded: “No, never and I’m amazed he hasn’t ended up in hospital yet”. According to one insider, the student forces himself to throw up straight after every recording.

The second-year first made waves when he posted a video of himself, wearing a balaclava to hide his identity, appearing to down a litre bottle of Bacardi Breezer and a bottle of squash within a minute.

Since then the rugby player, who this paper is unable to name under Leeds University Union (LUU) policy, has successfully drank a pint of vodka in seven seconds, three bottles of wine (red, white and rose) in a minute, five pints of Guinness, a pint of gin and a pint of flaming sambuca.

The online following for the booze binger continues to grow, with 2,500 fans on Facebook at present.

Leeds Student has been unable to verify any of the videos, however sources close to the student claim they are legitimate.

The student starts most of his videos by breaking the seal of the drink, something clearly audible on all the recordings when he twists the seal.

In one video, ‘the sambuca challenge’, he even sets the drink alight before drinking it: proof, he claims, that the see-through liquid is either sambuca or paraffin.

One of the second-year’s pals, who has asked to remain anonymous, said he feared it could all go too far: “In real life he’s a real cheeky chappy, well mannered, a bit of a joker and not outwardly attention seeking but I am kind of worried he’s going to end up doing himself some harm.”

The friend also noted that the second-year had good form for pulling stunts – in his first year, the art student is said to have handed in five blank canvases that he entitled ‘Polar bear in a blizzard’.

Leeds Student was able to track down the student earlier in the week to ask him whether he was worried about the long-term implications of the ‘Man vs. Booze’ series, but the student said he had just one concern: “I’m worried all this attention is getting to my head”.

Reaction to the online series has been mixed so far. One YouTube user, ‘theleeroy56’, attracted over 70 ‘likes’ for his comment under one of the videos writing, “before this my Dad was my role model.” However other users have expressed disdain, one clamining: “Guys like this should be refused NHS treatment”.

The student’s most recent video, uploaded on Wednesday night, in which he drinks a pint of gin from a bin (naturally), had already attracted over 2,700 views before Leeds Student went to print.

The drinker is also believed to be taking suggestions from YouTube users for future challenges.

LUU Welfare Officer, Harriet Rankin, said she did not condone the behaviour in anyway and urged all students who have watched the video not to try anything similar.