For millions of Americans, Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is a comfort show. With over 500 episodes produced and aired over nearly two decades, it serves as a Food Network staple that runs in nine-hour blocks, with Fieri himself—peroxide blond Mayor of Flavortown—a reassuringly familiar and upbeat guide to the nation’s mainstream cuisines.

But what if the pleasure Fieri apparently takes in sampling all those burgers and tacos is a deception? Could it be that each declaration of “That’s money!” or “I’d eat that off a flip-flop!” isn’t totally sincere?

The contention comes from a video creator known as Doctor Spaghetti, who has gone viral with an explosive claim: Fieri never swallows the food he eats on the show. The conspiracy theory has gained surprising traction across social media, even as chefs and television industry professionals who say they’ve worked with Fieri dismissed it as ridiculous.

In a series of videos that have collectively amassed about a million likes on Instagram, Doctor Spaghetti showcases various kitchen scenes in which Fieri is tasting a dish but is not shown swallowing. He argues the cuts are suspicious and even noticed a moment when Fieri’s eldest son, Hunter Fieri, can be seen swallowing.

The debate over whether Guy Fieri really eats his way through the country remains unresolved. Critics of the conspiracy theory were quick to point out that some of this is to be expected in the production of DDD, and chefs who have worked with him deny the claim.