Could we be seeing a lot more of British superchef Heston Blumenthal on MasterChef Australia in the future?
The 51-year-old – who’s a guest judge this week – says he’s open to becoming a permanent fixture on the show.
“I’d love to be transferred onto the show as a permanent guest,” Heston says, adding he loves working on the show and spending time with judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris.
“We’ve spent week or two-week blocks together and we’ve grown together,” he explains. “There’s camaraderie on set – it’s like family.”
As for the contestants, Heston, who travelled with them to rural Australia for a challenge this season, says they’re better than ever.
“You think the level of contestants can’t get any higher, but I can’t believe the standard [this season],” he reveals. “It’s gone up so much.”
Heston with MasterChef judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston.
Heston’s girlfriend, Stephanie Gouveia, joined him on the MasterChef road trip.
“She loved it and she’s got a good connection with the crew,” he adds.
A divorced father-of-three, Heston laughs when asked if he and Stephanie would consider getting married in the future.
“I’ve never been happier in my life,” he says, adding he hopes to bring his children – Jack, 24, Jessie, 21, and Joy, 19 – with him next time he’s down under.
“They’ve heard enough about it from their dad and they’ve been big fans of MasterChef Australia since season one,” Heston says.
“They haven’t been able to get time to come out, but next year I’ll plan it so they can come along.”
