I think his is one of those oddities of speaking a second language…there’s an L there, so it must be pronounced, is the assumption.
Pepin has lives in the US for decades but still has a pronounced accent. You can hear him here: https://youtu.be/sA77WFfB9O8
I have German friends who struggle with a few words…Know is always pronounced k’no…because you always pronounce K, and naked always sounds like baked.
I pronounce it sammon,by the way.
