A Bolton mum is said to have been left “traumatised” after a microwave poaching hack backfired and she’s vowed never to eat an egg again.
25-year-old Chantelle Conway was left with horrific facial burns after her attempt to poach an egg in the microwave went wrong and left screaming in agony.
Using the same tried-and-tested method she’s “always” done to poach eggs, Chantelle boiled the kettle and filled a cup before cracking a raw egg into the water and putting it in the microwave for ten seconds – but when she then put a cold spoon into the boiling water to remove the poached egg, the reaction sent the piping hot water shooting straight into her face as she stood over the cup.
Chantelle claims that she has been poaching eggs in the microwave for the last two years before it went wrong earlier this month.
She was so rocked by the incident that she was convinced she’d “burnt her face off”.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I’ve always done poached eggs that way because it was just a quicker and easier way of doing them,” said Chantelle, from Farnworth in Bolton.
“When I took it out of the microwave, I put a metal spoon in to turn the egg and check if it was cooked but as soon as the spoon touched the water it shot out.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It wasn’t the egg that blew up [as] that landed on my kitchen side, it was the water that went everywhere – all over my face and neck and I’m sure it even hit the ceiling because there’s a mark above where I was standing.
“It was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
Chantelle claims that she has been poaching eggs in the microwave for the last two years / Credit: Flickr
Describing the pain as feeling like “someone had a blowtorch on my face constantly”, Chantelle said she was “really lucky” that she managed to shut her eyes in time and wasn’t blinded, but admits that here eyelids were “badly burnt”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chantelle was at home with her 18-month-old daughter and was on FaceTime with her cousin Stephanie at the time of the horrific accident, who listened in horror to Chantelle’s screams as the water scalded her face.
Relaying the traumatic incident, Stephanie said: “We FaceTime every day and she puts the phone on the tea and sugar pots while she makes a brew [but] all of a sudden I saw lots of stuff flying up in the air and she was screaming and couldn’t even talk to tell me what had happened so I thought the kettle had blown up in her face.
“I was in Manchester at the time [so I was] too far away to nip round.
“I just felt helpless and was panicking trying to call someone nearby to go help her.”
“I’ll never have an egg again because I’m so traumatised.” / Credit: Kennedy News & Media
After her partner Mark came home to take her to A&E at Royal Bolton Hospital, Chantelle revealed that hospital staff said her quick reaction of continuously pouring cold water over her face meant she was very lucky to have not sustained third-degree burns.
ADVERTISEMENT
Following the life-changing incident, Chantelle has shared photos of her excruciating facial burns to warn others against the ‘hack’ – which she has seen people doing on TikTok – and also shared her burn recovery experience to raise awareness and warn others on the social media platform.
“I do take full responsibility for what happened,” Chantelle admits.
“It was silly of me to do it and I just want more people to know what can happen so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“I’ll never have an egg again because I’m so traumatised.”
Featured Image – Kennedy News and Media
Trending
Beyond The Music moves to MediaCity for the first-time ever
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
You’ll have to wait a little while longer for a full live music lineup, but watch this space…
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.”
Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE. Roll on an even more extensive festival season than ever.
Sportsbet.io Tour Championship 2026: Manchester welcomes some of snooker’s best
Danny Jones
This Monday marks the start of the World Snooker Tour’s 2026 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, which is back in Manchester once again– and there are some big names on show.
Returning to our city for a third consecutive time, this year’s Tour Championships began at 1pm, with the likes of world number one Judd Trump playing some of the opening frames against Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, along with Barry Hawkins taking on 2026 World Open winner, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
These are just the first two opening fixtures in what is set to be an eventful week-long tournament that will span a total of 19 matches, concluding in the final on Sunday, 5 April.
Hosted once again over at Manchester Central, this elite field of in-form players is basically only missing Ronnie O’Sullivan, who the aforementioned Thai tour start beat in last week’s final.
Only the top 12 players from this season’s highly competitive rankings earned a place in the draw, so all pretty much all the greats and the next generation are shooting for the title.
Defending champions John Higgins – a four-time world champion – will be breaking off against Mark Williams on Tuesday, 31 March.
Meanwhile, other names on the schedule of play include World Champion Zhao Xintong, Mark Selby (who Higgins beat in Manchester last year), Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Mark Allen.
Put simply, this isn’t just another big sporting event landing in our city centre, but a showcase of some of the very best talent in the discipline.
With tickets starting from just £25, these games are also some of the most affordable premium sports you can enjoy in central Manchester.
Better still, it’s also worth noting that the official Fanzone over in the foyer of the venue is open to all, even without a ticket.
There’s completely free coaching for players of all ages, interactive games, and even the chance to try a proper full-sized professional table – a perfect day out for the Easter school holidays.
The event itself is being aired on Channel 5, but if you’re interested in going along to see the action up close and personal, you can grab your seats right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
13th July 2021 
