The time has come and it’s out with the old and in with the new for MasterChef Australia’s season 12. Former judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris are goners with the show, with successors Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo getting mixed reaction in their first season.
It’s a good thing that there is a female judge now. The panel was arguably too dominated by males in the past. This won’t necessarily please everyone, but it’s a hit with many so far. Not that the judging needs a softer edge, but Leong certainly brings this.
Calombaris’ absence is certainly being felt. He offered a human edge to a lot of the episodes and pretty much tempered the thoughts of Preston and Mehigan. Zonfrillo and Allen might want to try and replicate this edge going forward or, yes, just be themselves.
Preston’s knowledge of the food industry came across as near unsurpassed on the show. He gained a definitive rapport with contestants and fans because of this. The show is obviously missing this, leaving Zonfrillo and colleagues with proverbial big boots to fill.
Viewers are largely still waiting on Allen and others to really ‘bring it’. While impressing the audience is rightly left to the contestant cooks themselves, there is a lot to be said for the judges impressing the viewers. Remember those brilliant master classes? Here’s to more of those…
Time will tell if others of repute in the culinary and broadcast industry approve or disapprove of the MasterChef changes. The tweaks were met with some surprise – and expectation – when they happened. The proof will be in the pudding in the months ahead. Just imagine what it will be like if Gordon Ramsey aired his thoughts on this all…
Significantly more people in Australia, England and other parts of the world are in front of their televisions nowadays than in the past due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. So the new version of MasterChef Australia will be afforded a bit more time than its previous editions to gauge perception and sentiment from the public.