“Masterchef Australia” Judges are Leaving the Show

By
Sasha S
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Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris at the 7th AACTA Awards, Sydney, Dec 2017. Photo by Steven Markham/Shutterstock (9263149j)

Let’s be honest, part of the joy of watching Masterchef Australia is the food; the other part is the judges.

George Calombaris, Matt Preston, and Gary Mehigan have been a part of the series since its inception in 2009 and have gained quite a following for their warmth, humor, and cooking expertise.

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🤓🤓🤓 GC 🧿 xxx

A post shared by George Calombaris (@gcalombaris) on

However, they will not be a part of the show going forward.

With the 11th season of Masterchef Australia coming to an end, Network 10 announced that the trio would not be back for season 12.

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Thank you so very much for supporting @masterchefau over the last 11 years. We have loved every single moment. It is however with a heavy heart that I can confirm that season 11 was our last. We were really keen to continue but we were unable to agree to all terms for the new contract. We have enjoyed 11 wonderful years on Masterchef Australia with Network Ten, and I want to take this opportunity to thank Ten for this amazing opportunity and for Network Ten’s backing of this very special show. We have met some beautiful people, discovered and guided some of the brightest up-and-comers in the Australian food scene, worked with the best chefs in the world in front of the camera, and with the TV industry’s finest professionals behind the scenes. And of course, we three judges have formed a lifelong friendship that will live on far beyond the show. I want to take this opportunity to thank you and everyone who has shared our amazing journey with us – especially all those fantastic contestants. I look forward to sharing many more adventures with you in the future. And finally I wish the new judges all the best with the show that we love so much. Thank you all. I don’t want to take any gloss off tonight’s well deserved winner so I will not be making any further comment. Love Matt.

A post shared by Matt Preston (@mattscravat) on

“Despite months of negotiation, [Network] 10 has not been able to reach a commercial agreement that was satisfactory to Matt, Gary, and George,” said Network 10’s chief executive, Paul Anderson. “We would like to thank Gary, George and Matt for their contribution over the past 11 years.”

All three judges confirmed the news on social media.

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To all of our fans ‘thank you’ To the team that makes MasterChef ‘thank you’ and to all of the contestants that we know and love, we are all part of a very exclusive club and what a journey what an experience. To explain: ‘It was time to move on, have more free time to explore our own creativity’ It was never about the money and never will be about the money. We couldn’t agree on the term of the new contract for 2020 and season 12. Something we felt very strongly about. The opportunity to work with Matt and George has been a blessing and something I cherish. Working together will continue to be the most important thing for us…..the three musketeers…….🤗 @mattscravat @gcalombaris @masterchefau #masterchefau #foodies #foodiesofinstagram #homecooks #homecooking #masterchef

A post shared by Gary Mehigan (@garymehigan) on

Sadly, it appears the judges are the ones going home.