Leaked call from MasterChef original judges sends fans wild

The original MasterChef judges sent fans into a frenzy of speculation after video of a leaked Zoom call. Watch the footage.

A video call between the three original MasterChef Australia judges sent fans wild after a clip posted online hinted at a “special project”.

Footage of the Zoom call, filmed off a laptop screen, was posted by George Calombaris as he spoke to his OG judges, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan.

“Some serious food talk for a very special project,” Calombaris captioned the Instagram video. “But majority a lot of shots and giggles.”

The trio were the original judges on the first 11 seasons of MasterChef Australia from 2009 to 2019. They were replaced for the 12th season in 2020 by Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, and Jock Zonfrillo, who was found dead on the same day the latest season of the show was set to begin in May.

Since posting on Instagram last Tuesday night, the video has been liked more than 3000 times and hundreds of commenters began to speculate what the three would be working on next.

“The OG’s cookin up something?” asked actor, Steve Bastoni.

Artist Vidya Jain said the three were her “favourite team”, while Food Network presenter Siba Mtongana chimed in: “Miss you guys!!”

“Omggggggg pls come back to TV!”, wrote Rhea Mathew.

Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston were the original MasterChef Australia judges for a decade. Picture: Supplied by Channel 10.

Since stepping away from the series, the three former MasterChef judges have continued in hybrid roles of TV stars and celebrity chefs.

Preston, who recently quit Dancing with the Stars after suffering an ankle injury, admitted the Stellar Magazine he became “a bit of a dickhead” after his rise to MasterChef fame.

In an Instagram post in July, Mehigan opened up about leaving the show in 2019 to move on and explore their creativity, while also not agreeing to new contract terms for 2020. The UK-born restaurateur went on to join Preston with a new show on the Seven Network, Plate of Origin.

Calombaris, meanwhile, opened the Melbourne restaurant Hellenic House Project after his hospitality group was ordered in 2019 to pay back $7.8 million after failing to give penalty rates for years.