‘Never meet your heroes!’ Salt Bae fan SLUDGES on ‘bad guy’ as viral star ‘hurts’ and followers twitch

A Salt Bae mega-fan has slammed the internet sensation and “bad guy” after he was “shrugged off his shoulders” in a recent encounter.

The Turkish butcher, 39, real name Nusret Gökçe, appeared to brush aside the TikToker after pouring out his heart on his “inspiration”.

In the video, the devotee – who goes by the nickname Masala Bae – says to Salt Bae in one of his Nusr-Et restaurants, “I’m literally trying to be just like you.

‘Never meet your heroes!’ A Salt Bae mega-fan has slammed the internet sensation and “bad guy” after he was “shrugged off his shoulders” in a recent encounter

“I learned everything from you, I make my own videos just like you because you are my inspiration. They helped me to build my own business.’

Despite the heartfelt words, the restaurateur just claps his hands and replies, “Enjoy your meal, go” before turning away.

In a teaser clip ahead of the footage’s release, the fan wrote, “Never meet your heroes. You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain.”

And alongside the shocking video, he wrote: “Full conversation with Saltbae. He hurt me [crying emoji] no longer my hero #saltbae #saltlife #foodtok #tiktoksouthafrica #villain #masalabae #food #nustret.’

Ouch: The Turkish butcher, 39, real name Nusret Gökçe, appeared to brush aside the TikToker after pouring out his heart on his “inspiration”.

It comes after Salt Bae was slammed by the same fan for chatting on his AirPods while serving customers at his exorbitant restaurant, as the influencer continued to face backlash after his World Cup appearance.

Ehtisham Aziz paid £500 to have Nusret have a steak carved and served at his family’s table in Doha, Qatar.

But he was less than impressed after the star left his AirPods in the entire time and appeared to be talking to someone on the phone.

Restaurant patrons called him “super disrespectful” and said the quality of the food was also poor.

Big moment: In the video, the devotee – who goes by the nickname Masala Bae – says to Salt Bae in one of his Nusr-Et restaurants, “I’m literally trying to be just like you.”

Tragic: Alongside the shocking video, he wrote: ‘Full conversation with Saltbae. He hurt me [crying emoji] no longer my hero

Aziz gave the experience a minus 20 out of 10, saying, “He made us pay $600 (£500) to cut the steak at the table.

“He was talking to someone at our table on their AirPods, super disrespectful.”

Aziz then claimed his cousin asked Salt Bae to autograph his football, but the internet celebrity threw it away instead.

In summary, the customer said: “I would not recommend it. Waste of money and extremely rude staff.’

Salt Bae shot to overnight fame in 2017 when footage of him sprinkling salt over a meat platter earned him internet stardom.

He has opened over 22 restaurants in the US, UK, Greece and Dubai which have been hailed as overpriced by critics but seem to be a hit with the public.

He sparked outrage last week when he appeared on the pitch after the World Cup final, celebrating with Lionel Messi and his teammates and even holding the iconic trophy.

FIFA is now investigating how he was allowed to break tournament rules, leaving a bitter taste in football fans around the world.

“Following an investigation, FIFA has identified individuals gaining unauthorized access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium on December 18. Appropriate internal measures will be taken,” a spokesman told SportsMail.

Nusret was born in August 1983 and was one of five children. His father Faik Gökçe worked as a miner and had to spend months at a time away from the family home in an impoverished suburb east of Istanbul.

Unprofessional: It comes after Salt Bae was slammed for chatting on his AirPods while serving a customer at his exorbitant restaurant

Speaking to The Times in 2019, Nusret explained how he often went to school with shoes and shirts that didn’t fit because his parents could afford to buy him something else.

Nusret claims he left school at the age of 12 and started as an apprentice butcher to help his father with the family’s finances.

He recalled: “I woke up at 6am, 2 hours commute on the train and 30 minutes after the train on the bus. Then stand and work all day. No day off and no vacation.’

While working at Turkish steakhouses, the aspiring chef had to work his way up from the bottom, and his duties reportedly included washing dishes.

Unfazed: Aziz gave the experience a minus 20 out of 10, saying: “He made us pay $600 (£500) to have the steak cut at the table

Speaking to NBC in 2017, Nusret explained, “Since I was 14, I’ve been working 13+ hour days as a kitchen hand for a butcher. I always wanted and always wanted to open a restaurant.’

After completing his military service at 20, Nusret managed to persuade a bank to loan him £2,500 to visit Argentina to learn more about the meat industry.

He opened his first restaurant in Istanbul at 27 and claims to have made £4,500 on day one. With the help of Turkish businessman Ferit Sahenk, Nusret later opened branches in Ankara, Dubai and Doha.

However, he always aspired to one day conquering America and applied for visas three times before making his first successful application in 2009.

Eek! Salt Bae recently broke FIFA rules for the trophy with his post-final antics

Despite making his name in the restaurant business, Nesrut’s life changed overnight in 2017 when he shared a video on Instagram of himself preparing an Ottoman steak in his signature style.

The video, which has amassed over 17 million views, shows the butcher sprinkling salt on the meat with his hand shaped “like a cobra”.

Dressed in a white tee and slim-fitting black jeans, the “sensuous” step earned Nusret the title of “sexiest butcher on Instagram.”

“All my feelings come from within the flesh,” he told NBC. “Until I put the salt on the meat.”

Following the video’s success, Nusret introduced his famous gold-plated steak at his restaurants – which over the years has attracted the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, David Beckham, Usher and Kylian Mbappe.

In 2019, the Instagram star poured £36million into the luxurious Macka Palace hotel in Istanbul – where he opened another of his restaurants.

Nusret announced the milestone on Instagram, writing, “I had a dream, which is to have my own restaurant in my own hotel. Thank God one of my biggest dreams will come true on Friday. See you at Nusr Et Macka Palace.”

Nesrut is said to own properties in the US and UK in addition to his penthouse apartment in the “Palace,” and frequently posts pictures of a private pool in Beverly Hills.

Controversy: Salt Bae was able to take the field after the final and held the World Cup