In addition, Preston won the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent for his work on the program. MasterChef won the award for Most Popular Reality Program at the 2010 Logie Awards.
Its headquarters has since moved to Melbourne, with locations varying throughout the show.
CHANNEL 10 MASTERCHEF THE PROFESSIONALS SERIES
The first series of MasterChef was broadcast between April 27 and July 19, 2009, with the majority of it filmed in Sydney. He said the underpayment was an oversight and his employees "are everything to us". "We went to Fair Work, we owned up, and two years ago we paid back everyone." "We're the ones that went, 'Hang on, we've made a mistake here. "The thing that I need to say is, 2017, we found the problem, we self-reported," he said. I apologise to them," he said.Ĭalombaris conceded his company made a "terrible mistake" which it had since "owned up" to. "I want to apologise to all my team, both past and present, for the effect I've had on them, we've had on them. Weeks after stepping down, Calombaris told 7.30's Leigh Sales he was "gutted" when he realised he had underpaid staff at a number of his restaurants. "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." "Across 11 sensational seasons, MasterChef Australia has established itself as one of the most popular and respected cooking television series around the world," he said. Hours ahead of the season 11 finale, network chief executive Paul Anderson said the parties could not reach a deal "despite months of negotiation". He eventually relocated to Adelaide and remains the owner and chef of Bistro Blackwood and Orana restaurants, his first solo ventures.įormer MasterChef judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris hosted the show over 11 seasons. In 2000, Zonfrillo moved to Australia to work as the head chef of Restaurant 41. Scottish-born Zonfrillo moved to London as a young chef and worked with a number of internationally renowned chefs across the UK, including Marco Pierre White. A former media consultant, she co-hosts The Chefs' Line - a cooking series on SBS with Dan Hong and Mark Olive - and is also a regular guest on Everyday Gourmet and The Cook's Pantry. The new host is no stranger to television either.
Leong is a first generation Singaporean-Australian and has co-authored six cookbooks including The Great Australian Cookbook and Mr Hong. "Thank you to everyone for their belief and support and a huge HELLO to those of you I am yet to know! Goodbyes are hard, and greeting new people isn't always easy, but bringing everything I have to the table is a promise I make to you, and one I plan to keep." Who is Melissa Leong?Ī freelance food and travel writer, Leong's website proclaims she will "eat anything once".
"I could never have dreamed that I would be asked to be part of the next chapter of this great Australian legacy, and it is with deep respect and appreciation for everything that has come before, that we take our first steps into the new," she said. Leong described the announcement as "the biggest news" of her career to date.