NewsBite

Ex-MasterChef star Gary Mehigan calls new judges ‘slim, gorgeous and well dressed’

When Gary Mehigan and his longtime MasterChef co-stars swiftly departed the blockbuster franchise, it sparked one of TV’s biggest surprise replacements. Now, he’s finally given the new hosts his full review.

New MasterChef judges announced

Gary Mehigan says the new MasterChef judges are slim, gorgeous, well-dressed — and what Channel 10 should have ordered in the first place.

But Mehigan, who helmed the show with Matt Preston and George Calombaris for 11 seasons, said he hasn’t watched the new series with new judges Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong.

“I look at the three MasterChef judges now and I go ‘You see? That’s what they should have got.’ They are slim and they are gorgeous, they are well dressed,” Mehigan told the Food Bytes podcast with Sarah Patterson, available online on Wednesday.

“If you look at the pictures from when we first started, I mean, that was ridiculous casting … we were kind of the unlikely trio.”

Former MasterChef Judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris. Picture: Lachie Millard
Former MasterChef Judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris. Picture: Lachie Millard


Mehigan isn’t watching the new season of MasterChef, featuring past contestants having another shot at the title, because he was there the first time.

“I’m really excited about the new phase of my life,” Mehigan said. “We had one off, once-in-a-lifetime experiences with those contestants. I don’t need to see them have another go.”

Mehigan, Preston and My Kitchen Rules judge Manu Feildel will feature on the new Channel 7 cooking show, Plate Of Origin. Mehigan said the planned 30-episode series was slashed to 10 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show is a competition between world cuisines.

“For me, it’s like a rewind of MasterChef, back to home cooking … that pride of being really good at what you do, whether that’s old family recipes or discovering a whole new cuisine.

I love the stories that are attached to it.”

Mehigan said he, Preston and Feildel “got on like a house on fire,” adding: “It just felt beautiful.”

MORE CONFIDENTIAL

AUSSIE MODEL SAYS LIVING HOMELESS FOR 10 DAYS WAS A HELL HOLE

FREE TV RATINGS SWELL THANKS TO A KEY DEMOGRAPHIC

SHANE CRAWFORD ALL SET TO KICK OFF NEW FOOTY SHOW FULL TIME

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/exmasterchef-star-gary-mehigan-calls-new-judges-are-slim-gorgeous-and-well-dressed/news-story/b487da5423b7e53bec10fd508a2c98b4