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Celebrity chef Curtis Stone knocked back an offer to be a judge on MasterChef

''They reached out early on and asked if I wanted to come on...''
Curtis Stone on Lindsay Price
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When George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston were dropped from the MasterChef line up in July this year, it didnโ€™t take long for rumours to start about who would replace them.

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Speculation about who would take over the coveted roles was at an all-time high, with names like Poh Ling Yeow and Curtis Stone being thrown around from pillar to post.

But when the new line-up was unveiled in October as Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen, fans were shocked that they werenโ€™t able to pick even one judge.

Now, according to a new interview, Curtis actually was approached to be a judge, however, had to turn the coveted role down.

โ€œIโ€™ve had a long relationship with those guys and they reached out early on and asked if I wanted to come on and be a part of it,โ€ the celebrity chef told News.com.au, before adding that โ€œintenseโ€ work commitments back home in the US and his young family were major factors in his decision to reject the role.

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โ€œIโ€™ve got two kids and a wife and a couple of restaurants,โ€ he said. โ€œThey film that show for a very long time so I wouldnโ€™t be able to do that.โ€

READ NEXT: MasterChef Australiaโ€™s Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan move to Channel Seven with new reality series

Curtis Stone turned down a role as judge on MasterChef!

(Source: Getty Images)

Curtis, who owns two restaurants in Los Angeles, also said he was shocked that the three original judges were not returning and said it would be really โ€œinterestingโ€ to watch next year.

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โ€œI was surprised!โ€ he told the outlet.

โ€œI think they have been super integral parts of that show and I think they all do an incredible job. Itโ€™s a great format but it was also hosted by three really talented people.โ€

As for his own role on the show, the 43-year-old will be returning in the same capacity has he has done previously โ€“ as a guest judge a couple of episodes.

Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston wonโ€™t be returning to MasterChef next year.

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As for Matt, Gary and George, it wasnโ€™t long before a rival network snapped up two of the three.

Channel Seven has today confirmed that former judges Matt and Gary will be joining the network with a new reality cooking show.

The exciting new reality series is called Plate of Origin, and โ€œreplacingโ€ George in the line-up is none other than everyoneโ€™s favourite French chef, Manu Feildel.

WATCH NEXT: Donna Hay makes a baked cheesecake on MasterChef. Story continuesโ€ฆ

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Donna Hay makes a baked cheesecake on MasterChef Season Three
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The new international cooking competition will be โ€œon a scale that Australia has never seen beforeโ€ reaching the far corners of Australia, and also overseas.

As the showโ€™s name suggests, the series will showcase teams of diverse cultural backgrounds who are passionate about their unique cuisine. Described as the โ€œOlympics of cookingโ€ the teams will face off in the kitchen as they pit their different cuisines against one another.

Plate Of Origin will launch โ€œwith the power of the 2020 Olympic Games,โ€ which we can only assume means after theyโ€™ve wrapped up in August.

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