Dave Hughes and George Calombaris come face-to-face after Logies joke

THE MasterChef star came face-to-face with Dave Hughes for the first time since the comedian skewered him at the Logies.

GEORGE Calombaris yesterday came face-to-face with Dave Hughes for the first time since the comedian skewered him in his opening monologue at the Logies.

On Aussie TV’s night of nights, Hughes joked about the MasterChef judge being caught up in a recent pay bungle where his restaurant staff were underpaid by up to $2.6 million.

“George said he was devastated to find out,” Hughes joked on stage.

“He was devastated when he found out. If he hadn’t found out, he wouldn’t have been devastated. But in his defence, he said he’s a chef, not an accountant. Apparently that’s why he cooked the books.”

Dave Hughes hosting the Logies.

Backstage at the Logies, Hughes told news.com.au that he was encouraged to make controversial jokes by the producers.

“They told me to go for it and be edgy,” he said.

“I actually felt pressure to be even more edgy. You just hope no one hates you but I’m trying to get selfies with everyone in the room who I made jokes about. I’ve got a few so far. I haven’t seen George Calombaris yet but he’ll be fine (laughs).”

But Hughes wasn’t able to clear the air with Calombaris on the night.

Instead, the chef dropped into KIIS FM’s studios yesterday for a sit down interview with Hughes and his co-host Kate Langbroek.

And he revealed to the radio stars that he was aware the joke was coming on the night.

“I knew all about it,” Calombaris told them.

“I think the better thing would have been not to know about it, I think.”

Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris at the Logies. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

Calombaris was given a heads up about the joke by the MasterChef publicist who heard about it from someone watching Hughes practice the gag before the Logies broadcast begun.

“Anthony [the MasterChef publicist] said to me, ‘please George, don’t stick your finger up!’” Calombaris revealed.

“I was a gentleman and I smiled and I took it on the chin. It was a weird feeling, that’s for sure.”

Hughesy & Kate can be heard from 4 — 6pm on the national KIIS Network