Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan – the three Masterchef judges who’ve driven the series for 11 seasons – have stepped away from the stove.
But the kitchen is far from closed, amid rumours 2014 finalist Sarah Todd is stepping up to face the heat when the show returns in a reimagined format in 2020.
“I feel very thankful about being on the show,” the model-slash-restaurateur-slash-chef told Confidential recently.
“If there was any opportunity to be a part of it (in 2020, of course, I would say yes),” she continued
“That said, I’m still learning and working hard on my own projects.”
One of those projects is a coveted spot in the all-female line-up for the Australian Open Chef Series – an event that brings together top-rated chefs from around the world to host bespoke dining experiences.
But while there are plenty of new opportunities on the horizon, it’s been a rocky year for the mum, author and former model – who shocked fans when she was eliminated during the MasterChef finals after serving up raw chicken.
“This is the elimination no on wanted to see,” said judge Matt at the time.
In January, Sarah’s beachside restaurant in Goa, India tragically burned down. “The restaurant was my great pride,” she told WHO after the devastating incident. “It took four years to build up, and just a few minutes to turn to ash.”
“I’ve been crying non-stop. But I try not to do so near the staff; they’re looking to me to show leadership at this sad time.”
As we wait to hear confirmation of Sarah’s new role on the beloved cooking show, another former contestant, Poh Ling Yeow, has said that she will not be stepping into a judging role when the new series begins.
“I’ve been pretty traumatised actually by the judges leaving. MasterChef as we know it has changed without them at the helm,” the 47-year-old told The Herald Sun. “I don’t know what to make of it.”
Fans, too, were astonished to hear news that the three stalwarts of the show had been sacked after contract negotiations failed.
Despite first saying they had chosen to leave, Matt later claimed he had learnt on social media that he had been fired.
“We were happy with what was being offered, in fact we had accepted Ten’s financial offer to make the next series of MasterChef,” Matt told The Daily Telegraph.
“We just failed to agree on the other terms.”
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