‘No decision made’: Casting still open for new MasterChef judges
Curtis Stone, Maggie Beer and Poh Ling Yeow are merely rumoured picks to be 2020’s new MasterChef judges — no final decision has been made, a Network 10 spokesman has said.
Network 10 has smacked down rumours that Curtis Stone, Maggie Beer and Poh Ling Yeow have been lined up to take over as MasterChef judges.
A spokesman for the network said the theory was only a rumour and no decision had been made.
“Maggie, Curtis and Poh are loved members of the MasterChef family. We are currently casting the judges for 2020 and no decision has been made.”
MORE NEWS
Deadly: $1m worth of liquid ice found in snow globes
‘It could happen’: Lucy Lawless hopeful of Xena reboot
Texan murder suspect snuck into Canada before Aussie killing
Former industry executive and editor of TV Blackblox Rob McKnight said how the public perceive the new judges would be immediately obvious.
“Next year going to be defining moment in MasterChef history,” he said.
“If they get the casting right, happy days. If they get it wrong, that’s effectively the end of MasterChef.
“The year after majorly determines future of show. Most TV shows only go one more year or so after a cast change — That 70s Show, Two and a Half Men, X-Files to name a few.”
Celebrity chef Matt Moran, who was a judge in season two, three and four, said he had not been offered the job but would be very unlikely to accept if it came his way.
“I don’t think so, I did it for a few years … but the whole thing has been a shock,” he said.
“I’ve got a lot going on.”
Earlier this week it was announced this season’s hosts had negotiated themselves out of MasterChef — reportedly after demanding a 40 per cent pay rise and a slice of international profits.
George Calombaris — who a week again was fined for underpaying his restaurant staff almost $8 million — and fellow hosts Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan are now believed to be eyeing a multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix or Amazon Prime.
It comes after the trio formed their own production company, GGM Pty Ltd, to sell themselves to Ten as a package deal.
It had made contract talks “difficult,” Ten’s chief executive Paul Anderson said, denying the network had sought to dump Calombaris after the wages scandal.
The three judges are understood to have wanted more time off to pursue other projects, while almost doubling their TV earnings, estimated to currently be about $400,000 to $600,000 per judge each season.
Mehigan on Tuesday night said the contract dispute “was never about the money and never will be about the money” but rather having “more free time to explore our own creativity”.
“The opportunity to work with Matt and George has been a blessing and something I cherish,” he said.
“Working together will continue to be the most important thing for us … the three musketeers.”
Calombaris added “the dates just didn’t align” for a new deal, while Preston said he was leaving “with a heavy heart” because “we were really keen to continue but we were unable to agree to all terms for the new contract”.
The announcement of their departure from the reality cooking show after 11 years overshadowed Tuesday night’s crowning of its youngest winner, 23-year-old Larissa Takchi from Sydney.
In a pre-recorded final, Ms Takchi beat Simon Toohey and Tessa Boersma to the $250,000 prize.
She credited helping her mother Jeannette run Wild Pear cafe in Dural with training her to win.
“It’s a super busy cafe and being the front of house manager I had to deal with a lot of situations where it was quick thinking, under pressure, go-go-go,” she said.
There had been calls for Ten to sack Calombaris after he was fined $200,000 by the Fair Work Ombudsman last week for underpaying staff of his MaDE Establishment almost $8 million.
He had also pleaded guilty to assault in 2017 after he was filmed shoving a 19-year-old at an A-League match.
But Mr Anderson on Monday night said all three judges were leaving the show after failed contract negotiations.
While thanking the judges for their work, he said their departure was “a real opportunity” to “refresh” — and that the network was committed to “another 10 years of MasterChef”.
He said then that Ten would look to sign some of the show’s favourites, such as Curtis Stone, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay.
“There’s a long list of people keen to be part of the franchise,” Mr Anderson said.
$14k a clip: NSW YouTube stars making more than you
YouTube stars in NSW are raking in thousands of dollars per video but it’s what they do in their clips that will drive traditional workers mad. Check out the rich list.
Glamming it up for a return to the racecourse
The first official racing carnival featuring the new $46.6m WINX stand at Randwick Racecourse is kicking off, with model and new mum Ksenija Lukich among those dressing up for the occasion.