MasterChef Australia is known for its wholesome take on competitive cooking.
But it appears there is a lot more drama going on behind the scenes that viewers are not made aware of.
From shock arrests to diva demands, here are the secrets and scandals Channel 10 doesn’t want you to know about.
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Diva demands, shock salaries, police arrests and stone cold dishes: The biggest secrets and scandals of MasterChef Australia’s 2020 season that will NEVER air
MasterChef: Back to Win follows 24 past contestants as they compete for ultimate redemption and a cash prize of $250,000.
The biggest scandal this season occurred when fan favourite Ben Ungermann was arrested over a ‘personal matter’ during filming.
Executives called the show’s editors into an ’emergency meeting’ last month and told them to ‘cut him out the best you can’, according to New Idea.
Ben himself has acknowledged his infrequent appearances on screen, saying ‘it’s up to MasterChef’ what happens to him in the editing suite.
The incident apparently came as a shock to network bosses, with a source saying: ‘No one could have imagined something like that would ever happen.’
Unexpected: Returning star Ben Ungermann’s (pictured) arrest apparently came as a shock to MasterChef brass, with a source telling New Idea no one was prepared for it
Edited out: Ben himself has acknowledged his infrequent appearances on screen, saying ‘it’s up to MasterChef’ what happens in the editing suite. Pictured left in a trailer for MasterChef
In terms of editing, a production insider also claimed that some competitors made diva demands when it came to how they portrayed.
‘Many of them know how the industry works, so they have no problem in making demands around filming,’ the source said.
In addition to making special requests, asking for better hotel rooms and requesting time off, the cast also worked together to get better salaries.
‘They have no problem in making demands around filming’: The ‘insider’ also claimed returning stars made diva demands when it came to how they were edited, how much they were getting paid and special requests like hotel rooms, etc
Big money: Season one runner-up Poh Ling Yeow (left) and season three fan favourite Hayden Quinn (right) were reportedly both paid $40,000, according to New Idea
New Idea’s insider also lifted the lid on the salaries of the hosts, guest judges and contestants.
According to the magazine, the returning competitors were able to negotiate deals worth tens of thousands of dollars each.
Season one runner-up Poh Ling Yeow and season three fan favourite Hayden Quinn were reportedly both paid $40,000.
The biggest payday was reportedly reserved for celebrity guest judge Katy Perry, who secured an estimated $100,000 for her brief appearance.
Not bad for a day’s work! The biggest payday was reportedly reserved for celebrity guest judge Katy Perry, who is believed to have secured an estimated $100,000 for her appearance. Pictured: hosts Andy Allen (left), Melissa Leong (centre right) and Jock Zonfrillo (right) with celebrity guest judge Katy Perry (centre left) in March
Gone! MasterChef Australia’s long-running hosts Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris, left the show last year after a decade of fronting the popular cooking program
‘It has always been cold and it always will be cold’: Former judge George Calombaris said in 2015 that dishes being judged are actually served to them cold, and they taste things hot off camera at the contestants’ benches. Pictured: New 2020 judges with Gordon Ramsay
While MasterChef has been a ratings hit for for more than a decade, there are still some secrets of the popular franchise that even longtime fans may not know.
Former MasterChef judge George Calombaris revealed some of these ‘tricks of the trade’ in an interview with Daily Mail Australia in 2015.
He said that it takes many hours to film the judges’ feedback, which means the dishes are usually stone cold when it’s time to taste them.
‘It looks sexy on TV but it takes time to film’: Calombaris said that as the judges taste the contestants’ food while it’s fresh and hot – they have time to decide a winner early. Pictured: 2020 judge Melissa Leong
‘It has always been cold and it always will be cold, but we taste everything hot off camera,’ George said at the time.
‘So at the end of the cook, [viewers] don’t see that – no one sees that apart from the three of us and the executive producer. We will go around the room and the three of us will taste everything hot out of the contestants’ pots first.’
He added: ‘It looks sexy on TV, but it takes time to film. So when you see us tasting at the end, it’s cold. But I’ve already made the decision. I know what it tastes like.’
MasterChef Australia continues Monday at 7:30pm on Channel 10
Tune in! MasterChef Australia: Back To Win continues Tuesday from 7:30pm on Channel 10