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Re-plating right of reply

Gary Mehigan responds to the 'replating' scandal but then says Callum Hann had "not a chance" against a celebrity chef.

TEN had always said The 7PM Project could be used as a network “right of reply” and last night it took opportunity to respond to media criticism over MasterChef’s replating of dishes.

Judge Gary Mehigan said replating occurs on rare occasions, and it happened with 20yo Callum Hann last week because a dessert was melting under the heat of television lights.

“Callum and (Celebrity chef) Phillippa Sibley had to take the top off the little square of parfait, pop it in the freezer, because it takes -and this guys is the reality of television- about an hour before we reposition all the cameras and get onto the tasting table.”

Mehigan said the judges have a vested interest in the integrity of  the show.

But he made a surprising statement about the challenge between Callum and the seasoned celebrity chef.

“You know what, Callum had not a chance, honestly, competing against Phillippa. She’s got 25 years experience in pastry and her desserts are absolutely gorgeous.”

So if the contestants have no chance…. why are they being given impossible challenges?

Meanwhile A Current Affair took opportunity to try and target the controversy, interviewing Sunday Telegraph critic Richard Clune, who wrote the ‘re-plating’ article and veteran TV chef Peter Russell-Clarke.

At the end of the story Tracy Grimshaw said a statement from “MasterChef Australia, Network TEN and FremantleMedia Australia do not respond to erroneous and unsubstantiated comments made anonymously on websites and emails.”

17 Responses

  1. Oh my goodness do you all believe reality tv is actually real. If you pulled apart Survivor, Top Model, Idol and Think you Can Dance don’t you think you’d be able to make a scandal about at least one thing they do on their shows. Tv is meant to be entertainment, an escape from our stressful reality when we need it. If you enjoy some good cooking, people surviving in remote areas, pretty good singing and entertaining dancing then keep watching reality shows for enterrtainment. If you can’t view tv that way then you’re the ones that need a bit of reality – turn the shows off and watch something less “scandalous”!!!

  2. It is no different from shows like Survivor re-filming non face shots with extras and scenery shots to fill in the gaps in order to give fluency in the final product.

    This sort of thing occurs in every single reality TV show … and most people realise this. We love reality TV based on what we get to view… It is the end product that we view, the minor details that do not in any way alter the outcome are insignificant.

    Yet again this is nothing more than a ratings grab by trashy, exploitative programs such as ACA and TT.

  3. when will a crappy affair and trash tonight realize that by attacking MC it dose nothing except improve MC ratings therefore decreasing there own ratings

  4. If they couldn’t maintain continuity, they should have chosen a different dish that could be stored wholly in the freezer, fridge, thermal shelves or under heat lamps for the duration of production. To their detriment, the reputation of the show has taken a pounding with MasterChef having to get on the defensive. Luckily for them, the show is very entertaining, it won’t do too much damage in terms of ratings.

  5. This really is ridiculous!

    It is television and it is something that would melt. It seems the celeb chef got to re-plate also and if you saw the episode, she was shaking like a leaf, so I’m sure both plates looked better.

    Tall. Poppy. Syndrome.

  6. Wasn’t it that he had “no chance” because he hadn’t completed the Whole dish? Replating in this instance would have made no difference!

    Sure, it’s like me telling Master 6 there’s no Santa – a little bit of the magic has been revealed. But did it alter the result?

  7. This makes me think that last years winners of these challenges were rigged? Sure credit goes to them but still that is ridiculous. I love the show but watching it now is like going oh which re-plated dish is the best here?

  8. Why are they being given impossible challenges? Because what if it wasn’t Callum who had won, but someone else who is more experienced or has just the right touch? Last year two of the contestants beat a Celebrity Chef Challenge, so it can happen.

    1. Yes I remember celeb chefs being beaten last year. Maybe those ones had a degree of chance. Mehigan indicates there was no degree of chance here. Clumsy wording or the truth slipping out? Hard to know…

  9. If anyone actually knows how a TV show is made then they would know that this is what needs to happen. You can’t plate some ice cream, place it under some hot lights and expect that it’s not going to melt!

    I’m surprised this is even an issue after the judges responded to several articles late last year and explained that most of the food hot food that is placed in front of them for judging is cold by the time they judge it, hence why they walk around tasting dishes as they’re being made.

    Did someone say tall poppy?

  10. i didnt think there was any need for Peter Russell Clarke to call Shannon a “w*nker” either…I think ACA could have edited that bit out….Sorry PRC i thought you dropped dead years ago!!

  11. Other networks are really scrapping the barrel with this one. Its a non issue, it didn’t cost him elimination or bottom three etc.

  12. Gary Mehigan could easily be the next Prime Minister! How about the deflection away from Masterchef to the tanker spilling oil! We have a new king of spin!

  13. This is the silliest controversy to come along in a long while. They’re allowed to do as much tinkering as they like, it is a television show after all and not the Federal election.

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