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Matt Preston says he found out he was fired from MasterChef via Instagram

He's setting the record straight. - by Madi Spira
  • 29 Jul 2019

Despite originally claiming he and his former co-stars Gary Mehgian and George Calombaris quit MasterChef Australia after they were “unable to agree to all terms for the new contract," Matt Preston has since revealed that he and his comrades were fired... and he found out about the sacking via social media. 

WATCH: Matt Preston has a meltdown and snaps over a 'horrible' tasting coffee

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Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the English born food critic, 57— who was doing press rounds when the news was announced— said he discovered he wouldn't be returning to the cooking series after an Instagram user claimed Network Ten had walked away from contract negotiations. Contrary to popular belief, a very salty Preston also revealed he was, in fact, happy with the salary that was offered, but it was Ten who decided to walk away from the mega-deal. 

"We were happy with what was being offered, in fact we had accepted Ten’s financial offer to make the next series of MasterChef,” Preston told the publication. “We just failed to agree on the other terms," he added before admitting he could "say no more" about the issue as he remains under contract with the network.  

mattscravat View Profile
34.9k likes - View Post on Instagram
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.

Last week, Ten’s CEO Paul Anderson announced that the famous judges wouldn't be returning to next season, blaming a contractual disagreement for their departure.  The Sydney Morning Herald claims that the trio— each on salaries in excess of $1 million— walked after Ten refused to up their pay by more than 40 per cent. 

"Across 11 sensational seasons, MasterChef Australia has established itself as one of the most popular and respected cooking television series around the world," the chief executive said in a statement. "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."

Despite their departure, the cooking reality show— once the highest rating program in the country— will return. And WHO can exclusively reveal that Poh Ling Yeow, Maggie Beer and Curtis Stone are set to take over hosting duties. 

pohlingyeow View Profile
5,351 likes - View Post on Instagram
Adios amigos😥. To my 3 food dads @garymehigan @mattscravat @gcalombaris what a wild ride it's been for all of us. You will be sorely missed the world over. Sending you the biggest bear hugs and wish you all the very best for the next chapter of your lives. Also, in keeping with my promise I have not congratulated Season 11 winner so as not to spoil things for @masterchefau 's OS fans but BIG CONGRATS to you, special un-named person! What an amazing achievement 🥳🎈

Following news of their departure from the MasterChef Australia kitchen, a former Channel Ten executive producer has since come out of the woodwork claiming fellow judge George Calombaris was extremely rude to his staff before appearing on Studio 10's breakfast program. 

Speaking on his TV Blackbox podcast, Rob McKnight alleged the celebrity chef once lost his patience with a female producer backstage, sensationally revealing the 40-year-old restaurateur "abused" and "screamed" at the young lady. 

"He came out and abused a young 22-year-old for 10 minutes— just screamed at her," McKnight recalled of the confrontation. 

LISTEN: Rob McKnight slams George Calombaris for being rude to female producer

Calombaris' blow up was so intense, McKnight's colleagues were moved to contact their him while he was on a holiday.

Following the scary confrontation with the young producer, McKnight revealed the incident was such a "big deal", Calombaris' fellow MasterChef Australia judges, Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan, intentionally boycotted the breakfast show for a number of years. 

"No judge from MasterChef appeared on Studio 10 for two years [after the incident] as a sign of solidarity with his perceived issues with the show," McKnight declared. 

His jaw-dropping claims follow Calombaris’ run-in with the law. The popular television personality was recently accused of underpaying his workers. The Fair Work Commission later fined Calombaris $200,000 for underpaying 515 staff to the tune of $7.83 million between 2011 and 2017. 

After news broke of the scandal, Orlaith Belfrage, a former waitress at Calombaris’ Hellenic Republic told The Project that the amount the TV star owes is actually a lot more, and she personally is still owed “anywhere between three and four thousand dollars”. Belfrage explained that during her period working for Calombaris she was incorrectly labelled as a casual worker, therefore missing out on overtime wages that a full-time worker should be paid. 

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Ten

“For my overtime, it was just explained that that was just how it is, and I can just suck it up and work the job, or leave,” she told the panel. “And I definitely think that this is systemic across the entire industry.”

She continued: “I completely believe there's more to come. I personally have money owing to me. There's a group of people I used to work with that I'm in contact with still that haven't been contacted by this second or third wave of media around the MAdE establishment wage saga." 

Although reports claim his staff have been repaid, the scandal lingers with the embattled chef not only out of his WA tourism gig, but now out of TV as well.

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