MasterChef Australia celebrated the launch of its 10th season with a glittering party in Melbourne last night at the studios where the Channel 10 show is filmed.
Hosted by Studio 10‘s Angela Bishop, judges and hosts George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan were like proud parents toasting the long-running cooking show, which changed the TV landscape in Australia when it started back in 2009.
As well as the judges, previous contestants from the last nine series including high profile names such as Poh Ling Yoew and Justine Schofield from season one, Hayden Quinn from season three, Reynold Poernomo from season seven, and Diana Chan from season nine were all at the Melbourne Showgrounds to celebrate the huge milestone.
There were also a number of high profile Channel 10 names including The Project‘s Carrie Bickmore, Neighbours star Stefan Dennis and Janine Allis from Shark Tank in the crowd.
Gary, George and Matt can’t wait for the new season to air!
Matt Preston told TV WEEK that the best thing about the 10 years of the show, is the calibre of talent they have found across the board.
“It’s more than a launch tonight,’ he says.
“It’s a celebration of this amazing television show.
“What we love is that there are so many ex-contestants that are doing so many brilliant and amazing things.
‘We love that 10 years of the show has given us these amazing people, who are now all working in the industry.”
The MasterChef judges also celebrated with an exclusive TV WEEK photoshoot.
George made a quip during the speeches on the night in relation to his high profile battle with a Toorak neighbour this week, after she complained about a back yard gym he has built in the plush Melbourne suburb.
“It doesn’t matter if you come from Central Australia or the tough town of Toorak, everyone loves MasterChef,” he told the crowd.
Former contestants all praised the show for giving them an amazing platform, including Hayden Quinn who has become a huge name because of MasterChef, including as a judge on Channel 9’s Family Food Fight.
“It changed my life in a massive way,” he says.
“I was on seven years ago so it feels like a life time ago, and this show has allowed me to continue to do the things I love, food, lifestyle, cooking and eating.”
The cast of Neighbours show their support for the TV juggernaut.
The current season of MasterChef Australia is still filming, and has some huge high profile celebrity guest judges including Prince Charles, Gordon Ramsay, and Nigella Lawson.
Hayden says he wouldn’t have made it through the competition in 2017, as the talent is so strong.
“These day you look at the calibre of people on the show, it’s amazing,” he says.
“If I went on this year, I wouldn’t even make it through the first selection process. It’s incredible.”
Former MasterChef contestant Hayden Quinn reunites with judge George.
Gary Mehigan says back in 2009 when the show first aired on Channel 10, no one thought it was going to last.
“We thought considering it was a prime time food show, it was going to be a disaster, it may last one or two seasons, so we are pretty happy,” he says.
“It is all very clichéd, but we do kick ourselves and remind ourselves how lucky we are all the time.”
MasterChef Australia starts on Channel 10 on Monday.
