Leo Varadkar’s infamous Pancake Tuesday offering crucified online as nation refuses to forget

Leo Varadkar celebrates Pancake Tuesday in 2018

It’s Pancake Tuesday which means many households across Ireland will be tucking into a tasty tower of pancakes.

While opinions vary on how to cook them, or what toppings to go for – almost everyone is in agreement about Leo Varadkar’s infamous offering from six years ago.

On Pancake Tuesday in 2018, the Taoiseach took to social media to share a picture of a rather pitiful looking pancake as he spoke of his “last treat before the Lenten fast” and how he was “looking forward to an uber healthy 40 days”.

The post quickly prompted a culinary storm as hundreds of people took to the comments to share their candid thoughts on the pancake, which appeared to be so thin that it was literally transparent.

This year, once again, the internet has refused to forget. Lovin Dublin resurrected the original photo, which sparked responses like “LMAO thank you for not letting us forget this” and “Happy Pancake Tuesday; may we never forget Leo Varadkar’s s**ty excuse for a crepe on this blessed day”.

Other colourful comments included comparisons like “It’s like what you peel off after getting sunburnt”, “Thinner than tracing paper”, “You could spit through that pancake” and “That’s just the memory of a pancake”.

One commenter humorously asked: “And is the pancake in the room with us?”

However, not everyone was critical, as one person chimed in with a simple “Looks yummy.”

It’s not the first time the Fine Gael leader’s social media posts about food have caused controversy.

In October 2022, he admitted he was “in trouble” with his partner Matt after he posted a photograph of the inside of their kitchen fridge. The 45-year-old took to Instagram to praise his partner Matt for doing meal prep for the week.

He shared a picture of the couple’s kitchen fridge full of prepared food in lunch boxes, writing: “Matt has the meal prep done for the week. Fair play.”

But people were confused by what kind of food was inside the lunch boxes, which also appeared to be left open without a lid.

“I genuinely cannot identify a single thing in that inexplicably lidless Tupperware,” one person commented.

A second said: “The lack of lids on the food is what bothers me most. After two days it’ll be totally desiccated and even more unappetising than it looks in the photo.”

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland even got involved, warning that pre-cooked meals should be kept covered when stored in the fridge.

Varadkar took to the social media platform again to apologise to his partner and share another picture showing a fridge full of pre-prepared meals in containers with lids.

“I am in trouble with Matt for not doing justice to his meal prep efforts with my photo. For everyone asking, yes we do use lids and have vegetables. Sorry Matt!,” he wrote.

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.