After weeks of speculation about the new line-up of MasterChef Australia judges, the show’s producers have confirmed all four of the current stars will return for next season’s panel.
Addressing rumours that at least one of the presenters was set to get the chop, a spokesperson tells Woman’s Day, “There is absolutely no truth to this… Judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli will all be returning to the MasterChef kitchen in 2025. They’re set to serve up another delicious season of Australia’s favourite cooking show.”
The announcement comes just a week after former judges Gary Mehigan, 57, George Calombaris, 45, and Matt Preston, 62, staged a reunion in Melbourne. The reunion prompted rumours they’d be brought back to the series due to disappointing ratings.
In 2019, the trio left the show after 11 seasons amid rumours of stalled contract negotiations. Fans have long called for their return. One posted last week, “MasterChef was crap when those three went.”
George did nothing to dampen the speculation of his and his former co-stars’ return. He gushed about their reunion, “It’s really nice, like riding a bike with these guys. We have some great memories together. It’s nice to have the gang back together again.”
The trio recently filmed a cooking show in India, where they are still huge names. An insider says, “They treasure the opportunity to get back together and do projects with each other.”
Andy, 36, Poh, 50, Sofia, 34, and Jean-Christophe, 63, have all been officially named for the next season of MasterChef. However, we hear contract and pay negotiations are still underway. Here’s hoping the show’s ratings heat up in the meantime!
