★★★★★ 0/5

Brits complain about ‘our’ MasterChef format

It started in the UK, but now that MasterChef has borrowed format ideas from the Aussie version, the Brits aren't too happy.

22
Leave a comment

The BBC has responded to complaints about format changes that have been made to MasterChef -many of them copying the Australian series.

In its seventh series the BBC One show has a new set and other format changes, inspired by the roaring success of the Aussie version under Fremantlemedia Australia.

The UK show hosted by judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode now has cooking auditions in front judges of instead of the weekly heats, but the move has triggered complaints. A guest appearance by Matt Preston also got mixed reviews.

In a statement the BBC said, “The MasterChef team have been making the series since it started again in 2005 with John and Gregg and hoped viewers would enjoy the new energy they’d given the show by dropping the heat.

“The level of cooking on MasterChef has increased phenomenally over the years and the new format will give more people the chance to cook their own food individually for John and Gregg from the outset, and presenting a bigger challenge.”

The final 20 will all go into the new MasterChef HQ where “there will be plenty of familiar territory, tests and challenges as some extraordinary cooks begin their long and quite amazing journey.”

Source: Digital Spy

22 Responses

  5. I have to agree with Col, Lola and Dave. MasterChef UK is essentially understated observational reality with a competitive element at heart and while you learn about the contestants, the focus is on the food and what they do with it.

    MasterChef Aus really goes for the competitive reality show feel. I’m not a fan of the “let me tell you what’s about to happen & what I think about it, now watch it actually happen, now let me tell you some more about what you just saw” format employed in the Australian version. I don’t need the extraneous commentary. If the contestants and their cooking are interesting enough, they’ll speak for themselves.

  7. I’ve watched the UK version many a time on Lifestyle Food and it really is very average television – the AU version is so much more interesting and well produced. I’m not surprised that the Brits finally caught on and copied us.

  8. I haven’t seen any of the new UK Masterchef, but I can certainly attest that the old UK series were much, Much better than ‘our’ version. I definitely agree with Col’s comments earlier in the thread.

  9. @Col … I did see early episodes of the UK Masterchef. It was dark and dingy. It looked like it was filmed in someone’s garage. The judges were good but some of the contestants could barely string together a sentence. Sometimes complaints are made before something new is given a chance. If it’s on TV it has to look good. Not dark and stodgy like most Engish food.

  10. Typical whinging poms if they want there series to be as boring as bat sh#t then let them have it That way the reason why the aussie version dose so well is because of the way that they tweaked the format

  11. @ col Well there is always something wrong with a reality TV show and I think for MasterChef it was always the strong emphasis on elimination and the contestants. But to call the Australian version ‘crap’ is a very stupid opinion indeed. Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion; but there has been no critically successful shows like MasterChef; and I would have to say more than 95% of critics and fans would disagree with you. I don’t watch MasterChef, but I do find it easy to watch when I do get a glimpse of it and at times I admit, find it interesting. I can see why you may see the series as ‘different to the UK format’ or ‘not to your taste’, but to call it crap is ridiculous.

    What you described the Australian format is; ‘stopping every minute to have an inner thought about there lives or what they forgot to do or could have done.’ you may find that if this was not included into the Australian show; it wouldn’t have had the success it now enjoys. You have to realise that shows have to adapt to the culture of the country. In saying that; I do realise that flaw that this move in MasterChef UK has and can see why people would complain about it; but again, that doesn’t make our version ‘crap’; it makes it unique and offers a viewing experience somewhat familiar with Australian audiences.

  13. MasterChef UK was a sleeper hit, successful primarily because it wasn’t seen as a “reality show” as such. Moving from BBC2 to the main channel BBC1, it smashed ratings, and in the UK it’s now a case of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

    In a market overloaded with reality shows, the reformatting of MasterChef in an “X factor style” doesn’t necessarily fit.

    Much like the X factor being a phenomenal hit in the UK, but not working as well here….

    Having said that they are still in the audition stages, it’s not got to the real action in the kitchen, and Season 1 of MasterChef Australia didn’t find it’s stride until mid first season….

  14. I guess I won’t be watching the UK version this year.

    Why have they messed with a strong format? It was perfect. It was all about the food, not those making it.

  15. @David: There’s a Guardian article covering Masterchef: UK that references Australian Masterchef called “Has Masterchef lost its X-Factor?”

    Its a very funny article, they don’t like Matt Preston much.

  17. To all the 5 commemts below me and many more , if you watched the early series of UK Master Chef , you will see that it was a superior show to the crap that is on channel 10 , it has been dumbed down for morons and simpletons alike.The UK was a show about chefs and cooking , not stopping every minute to have an inner thought about there lives or what they forgot to do or could have done.If you get a chance go back and watch it , you may learn about cooking.

Leave a Reply