Yet another Grindr user has been banned from the gay dating/hookup app. But this time, the user was accused of catfishing… as himself.
If you’re a fan of cooking shows, reality tv, and pleasant programming, you’ve probably heard of The Great British Bake Off (known as The Great British Baking Show in the U.S.). And if you know that show, you might know Michael Chakraverty. Chakraverty was a contestant on the series’ 10th season. He also made it to the seventh episode, in the ten-episode season, before getting eliminated.
But we’re not talking about Chakraverty today because of his tv history. We’re talking about him because Grindr kicked him off their program.
Michael Chakraverty posted a screenshot to Twitter on Monday night. The photo shows the Grindr logo with the words, “Account suspended: Impersonation” hanging underneath it. The image also shows the text, “Your account has been reported as impersonating someone else. To continue using Grindr, please verify your account.”
sigh. pic.twitter.com/lT0W8oIo2O
— michael chakraverty (@mschakraverty) August 16, 2021
Read More: Why Are Men Getting Banned From This Gay HookUp App?
The Bake Off alum then poked fun at Grindr by saying in a follow-up tweet, “New drag queen name, Cat Fisher x.”
new drag queen name, Cat Fisher x https://t.co/HBZzjHFS7W
— michael chakraverty (@mschakraverty) August 17, 2021
Chkraverty’s fans also joined in on making jokes.
Verify this man @Grindr , he just trying to get that vitamin D 🧍🏻♀️
— andromeda 🪐 (@atreidesmoon) August 16, 2021
It’s really simple Michael, stop impersonating stars from baking programmes
— Ross Macdonald (@rossmacdonald12) August 16, 2021
— michael chakraverty (@mschakraverty) August 16, 2021
Chkraverty isn’t the first celebrity to get banned for impersonation. Bob The Drag Queen previously said he was banned from Grindr for impersonation. Andy Cohen then said the same thing when talking to Ellen DeGeneres in 2018.
“There is a gay dating app that I’m on — cough…Grindr…cough — that I keep getting kicked off of because they think I’m impersonating Andy Cohen, and they’re like, ‘Your photos don’t meet our guidelines,’ and I keep trying to [say]: ‘No! It is me!’” he told DeGeneres.
But Chakraverty’s tweets also carry a second set of news and gossip. In 2019, it was rumored that Chakraverty was dating fellow Bake Off contestant Henry Bird. The two posted photos of each other on social media. And fellow former contestant Alice Fevronia has posted pictures of the two baking together, cuddling, and kissing on the cheek. But, Bird has been absent from Chakvarety’s social media posts for several months now.
Does this Grindr news mean the two truly weren’t seeing each other or that they broke up? In the end, we don’t know and we won’t pry. All we do know is Grindr is messing up yet again. But, what else is new?
He’s adorable.