TV foodies rejoice!
MasterChef Australia is back with an all-new judging panel as the Channel 10 show returns for a 12th season in 2020.
Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen enter the kitchen following the shock departure in July of George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston.
MasterChef Australia – Back To Win will feature several familiar faces, with past contestants and winners hoping to show they’ve still got what it takes and impress the new judges.
There will also be high-profile guests along the way, including Heston Blumenthal, Curtis Stone and Gordon Ramsay.
Champion of the fourth season (and youngest ever at the time), Allen has made the incredible journey from contestant to judge.
He told 10Daily, “I’ve been there and I know it’s very stressful and people get wrapped up in. I feel like I was successful in the show because I didn’t take it too seriously.”
Network 10 chief content officer Beverley McGarvey said: “In a nation obsessed with food, we are thrilled to welcome Jock, Melissa and Andy as judges to MasterChef Australia.
“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.”
Endemol Shine Australia CEO Carl Fennessy said: “We are thrilled to welcome Jock, Melissa and Andy to the MasterChef Australia family. Jock’s culinary resume across Australia and the United Kingdom puts him in the very elite of contemporary chefs.
“Melissa’s diverse palate and incredible food knowledge will test our contestants in every way, and Andy brings with him a wealth of experience as a MasterChef Australia winner who’s become one of Australia’s hottest chefs.
“We’re excited to welcome this new generation of judges to the MasterChef kitchen.”
But it doesn’t seem that we’ve seen the back of Preston, Mehigan or Calombaris. They are rumoured to be reuniting for a big-money collaboration with the likes of Amazon Prime or Netflix.
