If you’ve missed the original MasterChef Australia trio, then you might be in luck, as they are in talks for a major television comeback.
Industry sources tell New Idea that Network 10 has offered Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan, and George Calombaris the chance to return to screens on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.
It is a far cry from the kitchen, but the offer is said to be part of broader conversations to rebuild their relationship with Network Ten, after they all left MasterChef due to failed contract negotiations.
“It’s been positioned as a reset,” one insider explains. “A chance to reintroduce themselves to audiences in a new light and reconnect with the network.”
The offer has been described as a “jungle lifeline” to give the beloved trio an unexpected but strategic pathway back to Network 10 after several years away from the channel.
Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan, and George Calombaris have been offered the chance to return to Network 10. (Credit: Getty)
The judges fronted MasterChef Australia from its 2009 launch and helped turn it into one of Australia’s biggest TV successes, but shocked viewers when they departed the series in 2019.
Since then, their careers have taken different directions, but insiders say the prospect of a TV reset has been warmly received by the trio.
“All three were sounded out,” a production source confirms. “There’s genuine interest but also a lot to weigh up. It’s a very exposing show, and they’re all at different stages of life and career.”
According to well-placed insiders, one of the former judges is understood to have accepted the jungle offer, meaning they could be back on screens in a matter of weeks when I’m A Celebrity launches in January.
However, New Idea understands that network executives are keen to keep identities under wraps, not wanting to concern their current judging line-up on MasterChef.
The last thing they want is for Andy Allen or Jean-Christophe Novelli to feel like their jobs are threatened if the former judges return to Network 10.
“They don’t want it to look like a stunt or a takeover bid,” one source says. “This is about rebuilding relationships, not rewriting history.”
The trio left MasterChef in 2019 following failed contract negotiations. (Credit: Channel 10)
For Ten, insiders say the move is part of a broader strategy to celebrate legacy talent while future-proofing key franchises, with viewers remaining fond of the original MasterChef team.
“There’s huge nostalgia there,” one executive-level insider shares. “But this isn’t just about looking backwards, it’s about seeing if there’s a place for them in Ten’s future.”
Whether the jungle stint becomes a one-off adventure or the first step toward something bigger remains to be seen, but TV insiders say nothing has been ruled out.
“Doors have definitely been reopened,” a source says. “And on television, once a conversation starts, it rarely ends where you expect.”
For now, fans will be watching closely as one very familiar face prepares to swap fine dining for camp rations. It’s surely proof that in show business, second chances sometimes arrive wearing khaki.
