'It smelled like pain and regret': inside the world of competitive hot chilli eaters

The pandemic has driven chilliheads online, where some have built impressive followings for their hot sauce reviews and daring feats of strength

Behind his calm, methodical approach to every hot chilli eating and super spicy food challenge, Dustin Atomik Menace" Johnson is enduring a kind of physical pain and mental anguish beyond what most will ever experience in a lifetime.

In one of his most-watched YouTube livestreams, the 31-year-old Las Vegas resident downs 122 super-spicy Carolina Reapers, the Guinness World Record holder for hottest pepper, while fans watch and cheer him on. While there are clues that he's struggling - his face turns a deep red color and shines with perspiration, and in the latter half in particular, he takes breaks - his low-key demeanor has made the growing chillihead community question whether he's built like an average human, or if he's human at all.