MasterChef Australia: New judges will leave fans hungry for more
Signing lesser known judges was really the only choice Channel 10 had to move forward with MasterChef, writes Jonathon Moran.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SIGNING lesser known judges was really the only choice Channel 10 had to move forward with MasterChef.
After 11 years, George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan jumped from the reality TV juggernaut to make way for newbies Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen.
With Calombaris’ ongoing wage scandal overshadowing his presence on the show and at risk of seriously damaging the format, he had to go. And when Calombaris, along with Preston and Mehigan, requested a 40 per cent increase in salary from their already $1 million plus earnings, things needed to change.
Full disclosure here, I am not a diehard MasterChef fan but I have covered the show since its beginning. I have been on set and have had a good working relationship with the judges, particularly Preston, who is a top bloke.
That said, such a large pay rise request didn’t play well for the guys at a time when many Australians are struggling to pay their mortgages or rent. I thought it looked bad, as did many others on social media in a move that came off as greedy. Nobody feels sorry for anyone working long hours when they earn more than a million bucks for what is essentially a four month stint each year.
It showed the guys were out of touch with the show and their viewers.
That is why Ten needed to bring the attention back to the real hero of the show, which has always been and always will be the MasterChef brand and the contestants themselves.
That’s why bringing in Leong, Zonfrillo and Allen is a good idea.
They are fresh and young, excited and eager to be a part of the brand and they aren’t tainted by the bright lights, knowing well MasterChef is bigger than them.
They’ve been labelled unknowns today despite the fact each is successful in their field.
Lets not forget Preston, Colombaris and Mehigan were relative unknowns when they first launched MasterChef.
Launching the new judges into an all star season is a smart move too because it means there will be lots of familiar faces on the show.
And as in the past but perhaps more important this next season, they will be supported by a rotating roster of high profile chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Curtis Stone and Heston Blumenthal.
Now from their first outing at Ten’s 2020 programming launch, Leong, Zonfrillo and Allen came off a bit stiff, making it clear they need to work on their chemistry.
They have plenty of time though and I think Australia will enjoy some fresh faces. God knows we’ve got too many shows hosted by the same few people as it is.