Kevin O'Leary spits out milk on 'Shark Tank' — compares taste to 'pig s**t' and refuses to invest
'Shark Tank' viewers may be used to Kevin O’Leary’s sharp financial critiques, but the episode of March 21, 2025, turned out to be less about numbers and more about taste buds. As entrepreneur Paige Hansen walked into the 'Tank' with a mission: to change how America drinks milk. She pitched for a product, BAM Buckwheat Milk, which is a plant-based alternative derived from the environmentally regenerative crop, buckwheat. "Sharks, soil is a very precious resource. But intensive, monoculture farming is depleting it, stripping its nutrients and biodiversity along the way." Hansen started with a very promising pitch.
She explained how increasing the demand for soil-friendly crops can help sustain the quality of soil. She sought $250,000 for 10% of the company, but even before she could dive into the sustainable aspects of buckwheat, things went south for the budding entrepreneur, who faced backlash when the Sharks tasted the product. As the sharks cautiously sipped the chilled samples of "Original, Hint of Vanilla, and Extra Creamy," the camera caught O'Leary's expression, who immediately pushed his cup away. He said, "Now Paige, don't take this the wrong way," before adding, "I'm a member of the Chevier Test, and we look for what's called the 'Barnyard nose,' which translates to pig shit," then, without hesitation, he blurted out, "And in this I am getting a little bit of Barnyard nose."
However, Hansen stood strong in her defense and added that "everyone has different palates." She explained further how BAM drink differs from other alt milks, which mostly have oil in them, promising that she has "worked hard to keep the product super clean." Although the rest of the sharks, Daymond John, Lori Greiner, and Mark Cuban, liked the taste, Hansen left the 'Tank' without any deal—but not without the buzz. As soon as the episode dropped, fans flooded the YouTube comments section. One 'Shark Tank' viewer pointed out, "Kevin looks worried." Praising Hansen's confidence, another viewer said, "They were so unnecessarily harsh to her; she held it together very well. I wish her success, can’t wait to try this milk." Noting that O’Leary has previously stomached weird things on the show, a netizen wrote, "Kevin didn't like that, out of all the stuff they throw at him lol."
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Hansen later revealed on the website of Cornell CALS (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), which supported her product’s development and launch, that just six weeks after BAM Buckwheat Milk hit shelves in Southern California in November 2023, she received a surprising email from 'Shark Tank' producers inviting her to apply. Though initially Hansen feared that her business was too new, she took a leap of faith. "I thought, you know, at the very least, if I were lucky enough to get a shot to air, it would be a great opportunity to talk about this incredible crop, buckwheat, and this incredible ingredient. And so I went for it," Hansen shared.
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Despite going back empty-handed from the show, Hansen remained hopeful. "I do think that this has accomplished something for me, which is now a lot of people are talking about buckwheat,” she added, “and I think my opportunity is to just continue the education and to improve upon the product and to just keep going." In the Naturally San Diego 4th Annual Pitch Slam, Hansen again pitched her company’s vision to various industry experts, proving once again that she is unstoppable. Hansen emphasized that, while many things have changed since BAM's debut on 'Shark Tank,' the dedication to agriculture and sustainability remains the constant driving force behind the brand, as reported by Shark Tank Recap.
