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MasterChef turns to sex appeal

Cooking? What cooking? Under ratings pressure, TEN says "See Hayden get his gear off tonight."

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Even on a cooking reality show, television can focus on your sex-appeal.

In tonight’s episode of MasterChef teams compete in a cooking challenge at Cronulla beach where they are required to make enough sausages and gelato to feed over 500 hungry nippers and their families.

The two teams have to raise the most money for the Cronulla Surf Club and escape elimination.

Under the competition pressure blonde lifeguard Hayden Quinn resorts to surfer tactics with a quick change that made it into the network promo.

Quinn has already become the golden boy of the series with his good looks and an Immunity pin to back up his skills.

After last night’s whipping from Australia’s Got Talent (1.81m to just under 1.3m), TEN has now issued a plug to media that ends with the words: “See Hayden get his gear off tonight – 7.30pm Wednesday 25 May on TEN.”

Reality contestants leaning upon their sex appeal to avoid elimination is nothing new (we’re looking at you Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother) and TEN is right to include it as part of the episode storytelling.

But is it too soon for MasterChef to shift focus from cooking with such blatant lines as “See Hayden get his gear off”?

48 Responses

  3. I know I’ll be watching… as well as using the hell out of the slow motion button! Masterchef meets Baywatch? Bring it on!

    I think alot of naysayers are over reacting to decline in numbers. Tuesday’s episode is always the least interesting, which is why it’s only 30 minutes. It’s numbers are always lower, as they will be tonight due to State of Origin.

  4. My two cents – there are still too many people and IMO Tuesday & Friday eps are a bit of a let down.

    Hayden is not my type and speedo’s are definitley not my type so I am not fussed.

  9. Who didn’t see this coming?? Blonde, surfer dude. Let’s use him as eye candy.

    Up until this year I have loved MC. Can’t get into it this year at all. I haven’t watched an entire episode yet. …managed 5 minutes last night, then thought, “I’ve seen it all before” and instead checked out shows taped but not watched on the IQ.

  10. Finally! I don’t watch Masterchef for the skills or the cooking talent. I watch it for attractive people dripping food on themselves and getting the others to assist them with it. This season has been very lacklustre when it comes to attractive people. Eamon Sullivan set the Gold Standard for sexy Masterchef.

    Saying that, Hayden would be more attractive if he took off that stupid hat.

  11. Haha! I’ll watch Masterchef no matter what …. but its always nice to see some eye candy.

    In all seriousness. Masterchef is a strong performer for TEN. No need to panic. I think AGT just pulls a wider audience then what some people may just see Masterchef as a “cooking show”.

  13. Yeah, who cares about the cooking! I’m very much interested in seeing Hayden in speedos. He’s in good shape, but I don’t think he has visible ripping ‘abs’ – contrary to what TV Week has said.

  15. This would have been all staged!
    ‘Oh where are we going? I might wear my cronulla swimmers in case we do a beach challenge’

    Masterchef is pretty bad this season. The food is quite w*nky too. Give me a good hearty hamburger or steak minus the bearnaise… anyday.

  16. @philm, whether the numbers are still good or not a 500k drop in figures is still saying something, probably about viewer attitude, if i were ten i’d be in panic mode, this is a major long term investment for them.

    i’m surprised no one has brought up a conspiracy that fremantle is sabotaging masterchef knowing it will become their rivals (shine’s) property from next year. and at the same time giving AGT (fremantles new biggest show) a leg up.

  18. Perhaps putting it in the promo is new, but even last year they would show clips of contestants in “the house” exercising, swimming, “waking up”, etc in little clothing, I assume for the same purposes– a hot cast sells a show, and how else do you do that on a cooking show? Unless the come up with some kind of “strip-pressure test” or “nude mystery box” challenge! 😉

  20. Yeah this might just work,a little nakedness never hurts. But my interest in Masterchef this year is way down. None of the contestants are that great. Don’t love any, don’t hate any. They had great contestants like John, and Nick was a favourite too. Nice guys, great cooks, John especially got a lot of exposure, but they didn’t get through. And i just can’t be bothered watching it as much as i used to. Sorry Ten. I like MKR more now.

  21. Its probable that Masterchef is under pressure to perform again considering everyone is on its tail and so it no longer has confidence in its own product anymore so they decide to inject some sex appeal. Well you know what they say sex sells, iam pretty sure that masterchef and Ten will be praying that it stays true.

  23. I’ve been finding this season that contestants are eliminated more on personality than on cooking skills. And you can tell who the producers want to win by the way they focus on certain contestants. Hayden being a big favorite.

    That said I find myself often turned off by the show’s arrogance, I get the feeling the judges think that being a good cook is more important than being a doctor. If they want to get back into the ratings they should make less of an attempt at sex appeal and playing favorites, tone down the arrogance and make the show more accessible to the average Joe viewer.

  25. While Masterchef is doing brilliantly I would say Ten are at very minor panic stations. They should not be worried cos it doing great numbers but no one would ever think that Masterchef would drop below 1.2 million (I know I didn’t). The format seems to be that little be stale to me this year. I have only been catching an episode or 2 per week.

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