Ten slams “misleading” Masterchef rumours
Channel 10 have put an end to rumours surrounding the next season of Masterchef Australia, in the wake of false reports circling that they were on the hunt for a new judge.
In the wake of chef Jock Zonfrillo’s passing, rumours have circulated that the network was looking for a replacement. And according to a report from the Daily Mail, they even had a few frontrunners in mind.
The publication claimed that no well-known chef was off the cards, and that while it was a “sombre” affair, an insider had informed them that conversations had begun, despite their ongoing grieving process.
Their insider reportedly stated that the final decision would come down to on-screen chemistry, not existing popularity, as “that really earned Jock the position originally”.
They suggested that Zonfrillo had been “a dark horse”, but that his chemistry with fellow judges Melissa Leong and Andy Allen had been what won everyone over, and that “the new host will need that more than anything”.
The Daily Mail went on to list their reported shortlist of contenders for the position, from the likes of former Masterchef stars Dan Churchill and Hayden Quinn, author Danielle Alvarez, Hugh Allen, Josh Niland, Joel Bickford, Alessandro Pavoni, and Jordan Toft.
Their most notable, however, was Poh Ling Yeow, who had made a return to the series a few nights prior.
However, as Channel 10 have informed news.com.au, none of this is true.
“Casting for the next season of Masterchef Australia has not commenced,” a spokesperson for the network declared. “To suggest otherwise is completely false and misleading.”
Zonfrillo, as well as Leong and Allen, had only joined the cast of Masterchef in 2019. Their line-up marked a significant change for the series, with former longtime judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris, and Gary Mehigan exiting the hit cooking competition after nearly a decade at the helm.
And although they hadn’t possessed the same public profile as the former batch, Zonfrillo and his fellow judges had proven a major success with viewers, with the show powering on in the ratings realm.
The 2023 season - Zonfrillo’s last - had welcomed strong viewership for the network as well, and while many may continue to speculate about the following season, Channel 10 remain firm that pre-production will not get underway until much later in 2023.
Images: Masterchef Australia / Ten