Channel 10 has announced that all three members of the MasterChef judging panel will leave the show after contractual negotiations dissolved.
Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and noted wage thief George Calombaris have been with the show for 11 seasons, but no more! According to the network, an entire new panel of judges will be chosen for the next season, which is still going ahead.
Network 10 chief executive officer said in a slightly beleaguered statement:
Despite months of negotiation, 10 has not been able to reach a commercial agreement that was satisfactory to Matt, Gary and George.
Across 11 sensational seasons, MasterChef Australia has established itself as one of the most popular and respected cooking television series around the world. For more than a decade, the iconic series has shaped and driven the Australian public’s passion for food and cooking, delivered iconic television moments, and made the culinary dreams of everyday home cooks come true.
We would like to thank Gary, George and Matt for their contribution over the past 11 years.
Australia is full of remarkable cooking talent and we can’t wait to introduce another group – and the next generation of exceptional judges – in season 12 of MasterChef Australia next year.
Obviously this news comes amid the revelation that George Calombaris owes the staff at his many restaurants nearly $8 million, because he is a wage thief who would be thrown in jail had he stolen anything other than money from his hardworking staff’s pockets. As it is he’s just been fined $200,000 by the Fair Work Ombudsman, which I think we can all agree is MasterShit.
News that he’s left the show after “contractual negotiations broke down” – code for “they wouldn’t pay him enough money” – has many people feeling a weird combination of rage and glee.
George steals millions of $$ of wages from his employees & couldn’t get enough to continue & quits… what a wanker. #MasterTheft https://t.co/Xa3Lp6DQ47
— Sam 🌈🍫🍰🍦 (@WittySam) July 23, 2019
Can’t make this up. Calombaris and pals leaving cos Ten won’t pay them enough pic.twitter.com/IDlaRngwjN
— Michael Bodey (@michaelbodey) July 23, 2019
‘Despite months of negotiation, 10 has not been able to reach a commercial agreement that was satisfactory to Matt, Gary, and George’
Lol sounds like while #MasterTheft George is happy to underpay his own staff, he doesn’t accept less than his idea of worth as the payee. https://t.co/jIrCYuMxvc
— Dr Amy Thunig (@AmyThunig) July 23, 2019
Here’s hoping the next panel of judges doesn’t feature a bloke willing to ride roughshod over the livelihoods of the people who made his business empire. A woman would be nice too, but let’s not get our hopes up too bloody high.
