Well, sh*t. Disgraced former MasterChef Australia judge George Calombaris is returning to our screens, and surely, there is ANYONE else?!
Channel 10 — who have had several rating disasters this year with The Traitors and The Real Love Boat — have decided it was a good idea to bring back the chef, who infamously underpaid his staff at the Press Club in Melbourne.
George will be heading up a new series called Hungry alongside MasterChef alum Sarah Todd — and what are they hungry for? Fame? Money? REDEMPTION?
The new series will be a “gritty food journey that isn’t afraid to tap into the stories that matter”. Yeah, like paying your staff properly…
According to an official statement from the network: “Hungry will show viewers how our diverse population innovates and ignites the culinary movement in Australia; it will tap into the nostalgia that makes soul food taste so good, and it tackles how to solve food wastage issues through simple sustainability cooking hacks.”
A pilot for the series was shot in late 2021, with George saying: “Hungry has heart and soul, and it’ll make you want to get out and meet the people who are making these dishes come alive.”
For fans of MasterChef, you’ll know Sarah as a trained Le Cordon Bleu chef who competed three times in 2014, 2021 and 2022.
Former MasterChef Australia Judge George Colambaris’ Fall from Grace
In 2015, the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) warned Made Establishment that an employee at its Melbourne establishment had complained of being underpaid.
Then, the group self-reported that they had paid a whopping $2.6 million back to its employees; however, after an investigation by the FWO, in 2017, Made was then forced to pay back 515 current or former employees $7.8 million. HOLY SH*TBALLS.
The company was also fined $200,000 and collapsed under financial pressure.
After the highly-publicised fall from grace, George lost his coveted MasterChef role alongside Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston, who were also sacked.
Since then, George made a very sh*t cameo on The Masked Singer Australia 2022, and fans were VERY unhappy.
So, obviously, we can only imagine what will happen when he’s back for this new show.
Yeah, good move, Ten!
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