By Simone Fox Koob
A MasterChef contestant who suddenly left the popular cooking show after he was charged with the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl has indicated he will defend himself against the charges.
Ben Ungermann left the latest season of MasterChef with little explanation, leaving viewers puzzled about his sudden departure.
Ben Ungermann left MasterChef mid-season.Credit: Scenic Rim Eat Local/Heather Wehl
On Tuesday night, Mr Ungermann shared a screenshot on his Instagram page of a tweet from his lawyer Adam Houda.
"I act for Ben Ungermann," Mr Houda wrote. "Allegations against my client are vehemently denied and will be defended."
On Tuesday, Victoria Police confirmed Mr Ungermann was charged with two counts of sexual assault on March 6.
A police spokesman said the alleged victim in the case was a 16-year-old girl.
The charges, laid by the Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team, followed an investigation into an alleged sexual assault on February 23 in Docklands, in the city's inner-west.
"A 36-year-old Queensland man has been charged with two counts of sexual assault," the police spokesman said.
"He has been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on June 25."
MasterChef: Back to Win, which features contestants from past seasons, has been filming in Melbourne since January and has continued during lockdown with safety measures in place.
In an episode which aired on Sunday, host Jock Zonfrillo told the other MasterChef contestants that the chef had left due to a "personal matter".
"Ben has had to leave the competition and he will not be returning," he said.
Mr Ungermann was runner-up in season nine in 2017.
With his brother, he founded gourmet Ipswich ice-cream parlour The Ungermann Brothers.
He announced he was returning to MasterChef on February 25, two days after the alleged offending took place.
Most recently he has been working at the Woodlands of Marburg in Queensland.
The venue shared a picture on Instagram of Mr Ungermann six days ago, saying he was their new "gourmet chef".
A spokeswoman from production company Endemol Shine Australia said: "We can confirm Ben Ungermann has left the MasterChef Australia competition. As this is a police matter, we will not be making further comment".
Mr Ungermann has been approached for comment.