For as long as television has existed, cooking shows and competitions have been an integral part of it. In that regard, the Masterchef franchise has been one of the most famous ones of the past decade and a half. Over the past decade or so, Masterchef Australia became the most famous show from the Masterchef stable, and much of its popularity throughout the world was due to its three hosts. Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan had become household names throughout the last 11 seasons of Masterchef Australia.
However, just when it seemed that the show would go on for many more years, the three of them dropped the bombshell. They announced that they were quitting the show and needless to say, the decision was met with shock by millions of fans of the show spread across the world. However, it seems that all might not be over, and it is possible that the three could not be seen in a cooking show in a popular online streaming platform. Considering the sheer popularity of the trio, it is not a surprise that Amazon and streaming giant Netflix are now in talks with them, to create a brand new cooking show. According to reports, they are now in talks over a multi-million dollar deal with both Netflix and Amazon. In this regard, it is also important to note that the three have opened up their own production company named GGM Pty Ltd as well.
The reason for their exit from Masterchef Australia is apparently due to a dispute over pay. Each of the three hosts was paid in excess of $1 million, but the network was not prepared to raise their salaries by more than 40%. Eventually, it led to their decision to quit. Despite these reports, Gary Mehigan has staunchly denied that their decision to quite was down to issues with money and more about the possibility of exploring new opportunities. In his Instagram feed, Mehigan had written,
It was time to move on, have more free time to explore our own creativity. It was never about the money and never will be about the money. We couldn’t agree on the term of the new contract for 2020 and season 12.
