The landscape of Australian cooking shows is as follows: you’ve got the ultra ~serious~ one with three acclaimed chefs and v. talented contenders (Masterchef, Channel 10) then you’ve got the trashfire with controversial judges and catty contestants who are clearly chosen based on entertainment value rather than actual culinary skills (My Kitchen Rules, Channel 7).
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While the contestants are obvs the focus of both shows, it’s the judges who anchor and set the tone of the series so one can’t help but wonder how different things would’ve been had, say, Manu Feildel been a judge on Masterchef rather than MKR.
Well according to the French cook, that very well almost could have been.
Speaking to news.com.au, Manu revealed that he made it through to the final auditions to become a Masterchef judge but ultimately lost the prized role due to his unmissable accent.
“At the time to miss out on MasterChef was very disappointing,” he told the outlet.
“They had invited every chef on the planet and I got so far and got to the last audition,” he claims. “My French accent had been a good thing until that day. [It was] devastating.”
The role was ultimately nabbed by cravat connoisseur Matt Preston who is very much a focal part of the Channel 10 series.
One year later, 10’s rival channel, 7 hired Feildel to be a judge on their cooking series alongside Pete Evans.
The shock revelation comes as Woman’s Day reported that Manu might be quitting the show as he’s expecting a bb with wife, Clarissa Weerasena.
“A lot of contestants kept asking him whether or not he was going to have another baby. Babies were a hot topic around the table,” the source told the publication.
“Manu wouldn’t give a definitive no, which got everyone convinced a new baby could be on the way,” the insider adds. “Manu is always gushing about his wife and kids. He’s a real family man.”
MKR is currently in its 10th year so if the rumours are true and he does end up leaving, I wonder if they’ll press on with just Evans, recast the judge or can the series altogether.
