Former MasterChef judge Matt Preston’s cheeky jab at former network

Former MasterChef judge Matt Preston couldn’t resist a cheeky swipe at his former network while appearing on The Project tonight.

Matt Preston managed to sneak in a subtle dig at his former network during an interview on The Project tonight.

Speaking on the program to spruik his new cookbook, More, the former MasterChef judge was asked about his iconic “disgustingly delicious” line in season two, whereby he dropped a plate on the ground to dramatise his glowing critique of contestant Arron Harvie’s dish.

It was an unforgettable moment of Australian television.

RELATED: Matt Preston on the moment he found out he’d been dropped by Ten

RELATED: MasterChef’s Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan to team up with MKR rival

Joking that he’s never used the term “disgustingly delicious” again since the episode, Tommy Little then asked whether the scene was shot in one take, and if not, how many plates were smashed in the process.

Preston, who defected from Channel 10 to Channel 7 earlier this year after his contract wasn’t renewed amid a rumoured pay dispute, grinned as he dropped another doozy of a line.

“It’s Channel 10. One plate.”

The Project panel couldn’t help but crack up after the cheeky dig. Picture: Channel 10.

His cheeky response elicited an uproar of laughter from the studio audience and panel, with Peter Helliar joking; “He’s going swinging on the way out, isn’t he?” while Tommy Little added that he was “going over to plate central”.

Tommy joked that he was going over to “plate cental”, otherwise known as Channel 7. Picture: Channel 10.

Preston, twisting the knife, added; “No … I’m referencing (the network being) fiscally responsible,” before the conversation moved swiftly on.

Preston opened up earlier this year about the brutal way he discovered he and his MasterChef co-hosts had been dumped from the program after a decade at the helm.

Speaking on ABC radio in July, he explained that he was unaware of the program’s shake-up until he read about it on social media.

“It would probably have felt worse if I was by myself, but the fact I was with one of the publicists with Ten who had no idea and who was just aghast by the situation, especially about to go and do a national radio show, it was a bit of a shock,” he said on ABC’s Melbourne breakfast show with Jacinta Parsons.

Matt Preston joked his former network was “fiscally responsible” tonight on The Project. Picture: Channel 10.

His revelation came after a Network Ten press release claimed they were all dropped after they were “unable to reach a satisfactory commercial agreement.”

The three judges had reportedly demanded a 40 per cent pay rise, guaranteeing them $1.5 million each for season 12 of the show.

But Preston denied that was the case and said the trio of judges and Network Ten had agreed on money.

“We’d agreed on the offer with Ten,” he said on the ABC. “We’d sent a note back to their offer, we’d agreed to the financial terms. We’d agreed to make the next series of MasterChef, and it was the other terms that fell down.”

The three musketeers are officially no more. Picture: Instagram.

Ten’s decision not to renew the judges’ contracts for season 12 of MasterChef came less than a week after it was revealed George Calombaris had been slapped with a $200,000 fine after admitting to underpaying staff at his Melbourne restaurants $7.83 million.

“Ten have been very clear on a couple of occasions that it played no part in their contract negotiations,” Preston said of the controversy.

“No one said it’s George’s fault. I’m sure it had nothing to do with it, there’s a much bigger picture at play here.”

It’s onwards and upwards for the TV personality, however, with Preston and fellow former MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan having officially secured a new hosting gig on Seven.

The national foodie icons will embark on a new project called Plate of Origin with long-running rival Manu Feildel, of My Kitchen Rules, leaving embattled former teammate George Calombaris behind.