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Gary Mehigan defends tough-love MasterChef

MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan has responded to criticism of the show, claiming the mentoring is deliberately tough.

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MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan has responded to criticism of the show via an editorial contribution for News Limited today.

It follows growing criticism this year of the way contestants have been managed, including comments made by former contestants.

“A lot has been made of our treatment of contestants this year, from Adam Bowen’s exit to psychologists saying we don’t care about them,” he writes.

“Well, I don’t buy into that.”

He says the mentoring is designed to toughen up contestants for their future role.

“I look at these guys and think there are a million people out there who would kill to come in every day and do what they love.

“Don’t get me wrong, his (Adam’s) decision to quit wasn’t about giving up. What I think was fabulous was that he thought he was pursuing a dream, but he was already living his dream (as a diving operator).

“I think in life most of us amble through it, wondering if we did something else we’d be happier.”

But absent in the article is any mention of the reported exit by Mat Beyer and talk of him being “holed-up’ in a motel. Confirmed? Denied? No and no. In the MasterChef world nothing happens officially until it’s happened on screen.

Instead the focus is on Adam Bowen who told the judges he was quitting because being he didn’t have a burning desire to win the title.

“The fact he said he wants to leave is about realising he was in his dream job already and that’s a great thing. But I always think, though, leave with dignity,” Mehigan writes.

16 Responses

  1. Hi I used enjoy Master Chef but i feel the constant calling out has and can cause contestants to have accidents.the pressure of trying to cook dishes in an impossible time limit ,in my opinion can be dangerous.Would love to Gary ,Geroge and Matt under that pressure.Also expecting contestants to cook a better dish than some top Chefs signature dish.We all know what the out come is going to be,OK we have has two actually get a pin ,but then that was on the cards !!!

  2. This is actually the first season of MC (or any reality show) that I’ve followed because I could never stand the overdramatisation that is reality TV. I still don’t that aspect of it – the constant drawn out psychoanalysing of the contestants and repetitiveness – but I’ve quite liked most of the contestants. For the most part, they actually seem to get along and seem like a group of decent people which is probably why they’re coming off as uninteresting. I found Rachel to be the most fun to watch but she’s gone.

  3. Without doubt, MC is a relative dud this year. Gary can defend it till the cows come home, but several things have gone against it this year.

    1. Poor casting of contestants. None have had the personality, group dynamic or likeability of contestants in the previous two seasons. They have been particularly difficult to warm to this year. This criticism has been made since the start of the Top 24 by numerous people, so I’m not imagining it.

    2. Ludicrous, unfair challenges. The ‘beat the clock’, maximum stress out challenges are starting to get really old. I would prefer to see food cooked well under fairer time frames rather than flustered, stressed contestants whinging about how behind they are, how they are not handling it, etc. This emphasis on making them suffer has stopped being entertaining.

    3. At the start of this season, we were told that the tears and bathos were not going to feature this year. Guess what? There have been more tears and moments of sickly bathos than the previous two seasons combined. This does not make me happy.

  4. I am boycotting Masterchef since at the end of last week until they lift their game by making challenges fairer, stop putting repeated contestants on the firing line (as people may think it is rigged) and also no more publicity stunts. I do not want to hear any more fake spoilers after last week’s Matt Preston’s Facebook post, and poor Ellie, she’s already endured five eliminations, hasn’t she have enough?

  6. @ndro777 & Michael K, I don’t really think it’s a case of tall poppy syndrome. People, myself included, are just disappointed with the show this season, compared to the previous two seasons. Matt Preston did an interview before the season started and said there would be no tears or drama this season, yet there has been more tears and drama than ever. Also the publicity stunts, and over the top motel lockdown have completely ruined it for me. MKR is a far superior show and I can’t wait until it returns.

  7. Lop those tall poppies people! Ndro777, I was half way through drafting a response when I saw yours and noted mine was identical. Further to your comments though, I think this show still proves to be very interesting, and the production (particularly the editing) is just outstanding. And this is from someone who hates to cook but happily enjoys good food.

  8. I still enjoy it 😀

    But I think they need to lessen on the drama. It’s about the food!

    I think they should start judging on the contestants competition history aswell like Ellie should be gone right now if they judged that way…Same with the “Eliminator” Jonathon last year.
    Contestants who cooked great food in the past and 1 bad day like Marion and their out if they made one mistake…

    But atleast I can’t really guess who wins this year! 😀 Probably Hayden….

    The media will forever pick on Masterchef until they magically get it cancelled…

  9. I still enjoy it. Yes there could be some tweeking (especially with the way the foos is judged) but it’s still fun, and “light entertainment” for the early evening.

  11. I agree ndro777. I’ve never missed an ep in all 3 seasons and although there are some ‘roll your eyes’ moments, and stuff like George’s scripted one liners drive me a bit crazy, I still find the show entertaining and it’s a nice escape from my hectic life as a busy mum. I just take it for what it is, a bit of light entertainment in the evenings.

  13. Face it. No matter what Ten or MasterChef do from now on, they’ll be victim of tall poppy syndrome. Asutralians love to cut down those who succeed.

    Personally, to me MC is still enjoyable viewing most nights. Better than most reality shows anyway.

  14. I don’t think you need to learn how to harden up if you’re going to work in a commercial kitchen. Gary should’ve made what he was saying clearer by explaining if contestants want a cooking and tv career, then you have to have thick skin.

    Julie, Poh, Justine and Marion have active tv careers and if contestants want something similar then i think it’s the judges role to show the bad as well as the good. Just look at what happened to Peter from Ready Steady Cook and let’s not forget about Ms Wilson who was not asked to come back and host after season one of MasterChef.

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