Ten reveals new Masterchef judges: Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen
The replacements for Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston have been revealed, with next year’s season of Masterchef on Ten to be fronted by Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen.
The trio of Mehigan, Calombaris and Preston was ditched earlier this year, when contract negotiations with Ten broke down.
There were rumours of the trio demanding astronomical pay rises, and that they were seeking more freedom to pursue other projects. The shake-up also came at a time that Calombaris was facing heat in the media and hospitality industries over underpaying workers.
The new trio will front Masterchef from next year, along with a best-of season: Masterchef Australia – Back to Win. The Back to Win iteration of the show, will feature “the best of the best from the past 11 seasons”, Ten said.
Zonfrillo owns the three-hatted Restaurant Orana and Bistro Blackwood in Adelaide, while Leong is a food and travel writer, radio broadcaster, television presenter and cookbook editor. Allen won Masterchef in 2012.
Network Ten’s chief content officer Beverley McGarvey said she was thrilled to welcome all three personalities to the fold.
“Their combined culinary credentials, coupled with their passion and sheer joy for food, and their relentless enthusiasm to explore ingredients, preparation and cooking methods ensures we are in for a real treat,” she said.
Zonfrillo, who has already hosted Nomad Chef, Restaurant Revolution and Chef Exchange, said he was looking forward to discovering new talented cooks with fresh ideas and creativity.
“There hasn’t been a season yet where I haven’t been surprised by just how talented some of the undiscovered cooks are, so much so, that many of them have worked in my kitchen over the years,” he said. “I can’t wait to get in that kitchen.”
Leong said she was surprised to get the call up.
“It goes without saying, that it is an honour to be passed the baton and asked to help bring the next chapter to life on a show like Masterchef Australia.
“It came as a huge surprise for me, and is, without a doubt, the opportunity of a lifetime. I am really looking forward to getting stuck in.”
In addition to his Masterchef season four win, Allen is the co-owner of the Three Blue Ducks and the head chef at its Rosebery operation. He said his new role sees him come full circle.
“I entered this competition as a contestant in 2012, somehow I won it, and then I went out into the big, bad wide world of hospitality. To be asked to be a judge – and to come full circle back to Masterchef Australia – is really flattering and really special,” he said.
“I’m stoked because it means that I’ve done the hard work to be here. You don’t ask Joe Blow to be a judge on Masterchef Australia.”
The returning contestants for Back to Win are yet to be announced.
This year’s winner announcement screened to 992,000 overnight metro viewers, down from 1.309m the year prior. It had premiered to 715,000 metro viewers.
With the exception of Zonfrillo, the team seems to lack the gravitas that pegs them as experts in their field. It looks like the criteria were looks / photogenic quality firstly, and their competence and skills second.
Perhaps I’ll be proven wrong by the great filter of ratings, but this feels like a step backward for the Masterchef brand.
User ID not verified.
This will go down like a plate of kale.
User ID not verified.
Mike I disagree. Both Andy and Mel have hosted successful shows with Food Network Australia and SBS Food and have had solid careers in the food space for the better part of a decade. It’s about time there was more diversity and fresh perspectives on our screens.
User ID not verified.
Nup.
Very little gravitas – all much of a muchness.
Where’s the oldie?
And winning the show doesn’t make you an expert.
It just makes you the winner of the show.
User ID not verified.
Hoorah! A woman on the panel at last – and a woman who knows what she’s about as well. Had given up on Masterchef but now the underpaying patriarchy has been replaced by fresh, enthusiastic faces will start watching again.
User ID not verified.
What was great about Masterchef to me was that the judges were kind of a bit daggy. They had funny spongy faces and hadn’t spent a day in the gyms in their lives. In my opinion – THAT is diversity. When you look at the over-styled, over-dressed and super slim talent that most judges / comperes on Australian TV conform to, it was refreshing to have someone on screen that was relatable in that way.
I have seen Andy and Mel before – and we differ on opinion about their levels of food-competence / gravitas. Personally I find them a bit lightweight compared to the other food talent on offer in this country. You may disagree with that, and that’s cool.
Like I said, I might be proven wrong by ratings. But my spidey-sense is tingling about this line-up. That’s all I’m saying.
User ID not verified.
Outside of the hospitality industry and close followers of it, no one knew who Gary, George or Matt were before the program started, so the gravitas concerns are nonsense.
User ID not verified.
Mike – you can’t possibly know what you’re talking about. Who outside Melbourne, outside of The Age food pages readers, knew Matt Preston?
User ID not verified.
I love Masterchef, watch it religiously and I look forward to the 2020 season. I will be like many other Australians. I will tune to the first show next year and make my mind up in about ten minutes as to whether I will stay tuned or be distracted by the internet, Foxtel, Netflix or the other free-to-airs.
The first show that goes to air is going to be massively important.
User ID not verified.
When it comes to food, Melbourne is all that matters
User ID not verified.
The gravitas point matters for this reason:
New show, new presenters, no expectations, no problem
Well established (and quite credible) show, unknown presenters, big expectations, big problem – the gap between the “gravitas” of the show itself and the presenters.
Solution – a big refresh of the format, along with a big refresh of the talent
User ID not verified.