Betting plunge on MasterChef finale apparently based on inside knowledge

The result of Ten’s MasterChef finale may have been compromised, amid claims of a suspicious betting plunge in May.

Masterchef Australia 2021 judge Melissa Leong. Picture: Network Ten

The result of Tuesday night’s MasterChef finale on Channel 10 may have been compromised, amid claims of a suspicious betting plunge in May that appears to have been based on inside information about the show’s winner.

The evidence lies in the timing of a remarkable turnaround in betting markets. The Australian understands that the betting plunge occurred almost immediately after the marathon filming of the finale of MasterChef, which production sources have revealed took place on Wednesday May 12 and into the early morning of May 13.

Within a few hours of the end of the filming, youth pastor Justin Narayan, previously one of the outsiders to win, was suddenly backed into a short-priced $1.08 favourite with Tabcorp, and a $1.50 favourite with Sportsbet, to win the competition.

Meanwhile, the previously prohibitive favourite to win the contest, tattoo artist Pete Campbell, drifted in markets from between $2.25 and $2.75 to win the contest on May 12, to a $6 outsider on May 13.

Even in the world of betting, it is unusual to see such a huge swing in odds in such a short space of time.

Justin Narayan of Western Australia.

Thoroughbred racing sources have told The Australian that if such a dramatic change in betting odds had happened at the races, it would result “in an immediate stewards’ inquiry into suspicious betting activity, with trainers, jockeys and owners all being interviewed”.

But on Sunday, nearly two months on from the filming of the MasterChef finale, Narayan had been backed further into $1.25 with Sportsbet and into $1.07 with Tabcorp, as more punters jumped on his bandwagon. Campbell remained a $6-$6.50 outsider.

What makes the betting plunge more suspicious is that production sources have told The Australian that unlike in previous years, when two alternative endings were filmed to prevent the result from being compromised, just one ending was filmed in 2021.

The reason for the decision to stop filming alternative endings this year has been to avoid “torturing” the runner-up with the false hope that they had won.

But after the events of May 12, The Australian is told the show’s producers, Endemol Shine Australia, will understandably return in 2022 to filming alternative endings for the final two contestants in MasterChef.

The wild swings in odds on the MasterChef finale have led to comparisons with a similarly suspicious move with betting agencies over one of the bets offered for the NRL’s 2019 Dally M Awards.

Pete Campbell of NSW.

Two software developers with inside information were convicted last year and placed on good behaviour bonds, after bets were placed on Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy (at that point a rank outsider in betting markets) to win Coach of the Year.

One of the men convicted, Benjamin Trevisiol, was at the time the managing director of Stat Edge, the company which was being used by the NRL to tally the votes for the Dally M Awards.

Trevisiol used his inside information to win money after placing bets on Bellamy to win the category. He pocketed $950 after betting on two separate dates in September 2019. He leaked the inside information to his business partner Joshua Wilson, who in turn passed it on to his mates at a pub in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Those friends also placed bets, helping to trigger the betting plunge that prompted bookmakers to inform the NRL integrity unit.

Of the MasterChef betting, a Sportsbet spokesman confirmed there had been “a lot of cash coming for Justin”. Meanwhile, it is understood that there have been discussions within the production, attempting to get to the bottom of the unusual betting activity.

A spokesman for 10 on Sunday said: “All will be revealed when the 2021 MasterChef Australia winner is crowned during the finale on Tuesday night.”