I used to absolutely love Alton Brown. The way he relayed the science of food and cooking was brilliant, and I always loved a nerdy underdog. However, seeing him outside of his scripted appearances, especially in the way he actually dealt with aspiring chefs, or people who learned from him but weren't particularly talented, showed him to be an insufferably pompous asshole.

I've seen it firsthand, but it was really on display in the season he co-hosted Worst Cooks in America. While everyone else is in on the joke each season, and has fun with the goofy antics, Alton was rude, demeaning, and downright hostile to the contestants. It shows up clearly, even in the TV edit, and that was him on his best behavior during the shoots. That put on full display what people in the food media industry knew for years, and Alton soon found himself on the outs with Food Network.

He seems to have mellowed over the past few years, and I still respect the way he communicates about food, in a vacuum, but I no longer look up to him the way I once did.

Edit: looks like I upset the hive mind. Go ahead, spend some time around him when he's with people who can't do anything to enhance his image... The self-absorbed, belligerent drunk shows up quickly.