Spoiler: TEN silent on ‘MasterChef scandal’
Spoiler: Nobody is confirming or denying a media report which suggests a MasterChef contestant has caused Producers significant headaches.
- Published by David Knox
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Spoiler: Both Network TEN and FremantleMedia Australia are refusing to confirm or deny a story in today’s Herald Sun which claims a contestant has been kicked off MasterChef Australia.
The report claims Mat Beyer, 24, has been sent packing amid speculation he used a smartphone during his time on the show.
Under the show’s Big Brother-style rules, contestants are denied access to phones, computers, television, newspapers and family to avoid them gaining information and an advantage over their rivals. Using a phone such as an iPhone would enable a contestant to access recipes. The Herald Sun suggests he may have been using one for up to six weeks, but at this stage Beyer is denied the chance to defend himself.
Beyer is believed to have been booted off just days before a trip to New York, with a previous evictee invited back to the fold.
But it creates headaches for the show given it is filmed weeks ahead of it airing. TEN’s silence (which in media circles usually means there is some truth to it), is most likely to avoid hinting at the length of Beyer’s stay in the show, especially where it would impact on him in upcoming elimination challenges. But it also isn’t a great look for Producers.
Yet it will undoubtedly provide the show with great drama when it all unravels on screen, and based on what we know thus far, it sounds like the show has done the right thing to remain fair to all.
This will be the second time this year a contestant has been replaced, following one of the Top 24 declining at the last minute due to work commitments.
Last year both TEN and FremantleMedia were faced with a similar dilemma when a Biggest Loser contestant was facing police charges shortly before the season debut. It resulted in frantic re-editing and several lost storylines.
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- Tagged with Big Brother, MasterChef Australia
40 Responses
Simply nothing more than a storm in a hotpot…
maybe he will have time now to shampoo his hair
I hope its Cleo, she was unfairly eliminated. Please don’t bring Jay back.
The only fair way to replace him is with the person who was eliminated directly before him, meaning none of those we have seen cut thus far.
Oohh, love a scandal! Especially if it sends Mat home.
@ David from Melbourne – I totally agree that Cleo deserves a second shot (George wasn’t clear about her having to restart that element from scratch), and I hope it isn’t Jay as he was just too full of himself.
Why are newspapers banned from a cooking show??
This ‘scandal’ has about as much interest for me as a Pauline Hanson court case.
Saw this on Sunrise this morning.
Do they need the publicity?
I hope Kate comes back. But I reckon it will be Jay or seeing as apparently Matt is on for another month they may just bring back the contestant who was eliminated the week before.
Wayne I dont think they were expecting this. So its only fair someone comes back.
Marion said this morning its impossible to sneak anything in so he must have done a good job sneaking it in.
I think the point is it happened when the recipe books were taken out of the house for a week probably to see how they go with just using there heads and he was busted looking at recipes on thew smart phone. Ironic its called a smart phone, used by a not very smart person.
@David Knox, Johnson: Maybe the newspapers are now ‘censored’ (like cutting out any MC articles) before contestants are allowed to read them? 🙂
@ Wayne – yes but circumstances have obviously changed by having a contestant be a cheater and because the series is scheduled to run for a certain amount of time the only option would be to bring someone back.
Some of you are such sticklers, everything is not black and white in life but many shades of grey.
“I’m wondering why he didn’t google the recipe for Yorkshire Puddings” umm, maybe because he did not know beforehand that he was cooking them and maybe because he couldn’t really whip out his phone on camera!! sheesh.
“Using a phone such as an iPhone would enable a contestant to access recipes.”
Don’t they have access to recipe books? I can recall on a few occasions where the contestants talk about having read a few different recipes the night before ect ect
Oh well he was still one of the weakest contestants so i don’t think the Iphone did a good job of giving him an advantage.
With him booted off, they should have a ‘triple-elimination’ week in the week he’s been eliminated, where instead of two eliminating each week, with his removal another contestant should go home as normal in an elimination challenge, not having eliminated contestants back as earlier in the season the judges said there won’t be any second chances if a person was eliminated. It will work much better than having contestants back.
Hope it’s true as I can’t stand this bloke. Next to Jay, he is my least favourite contestant. Will be a very bad look for producers to invite someone back to take his place, as they have been so adamant that no-one will be invited back. This season of the show has been horrible, I can’t really get into it at all.
At the beginning of the top 24 stage they were told that no one will be given a second chance and no eliminated contestants will return.
@ Moog – I agree. I cannot stand watching this guy’s sweat fall into his food.
They get one day off a week, in which I believe they can visit family. Newspapers were totally banned last year. An interview I did with Marion indicated such. Maybe they buckled on that one this year.
Let’s hope it is Cleo that is given a second chance. Definitely don’t want Jay back.
“Under the show’s Big Brother-style rules, contestants are denied access to phones, computers, television, newspapers and family to avoid them gaining information and an advantage over their rivals.” That is slightly incorrect. Contestants can call their families once per week, and have access to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph every morning in their Sydney residence (You can actually see several contestants reading papers at the start of some episodes). And for this season, contestants can watch Foxtel (but not free-to-air channels) in the house.
Ooohh… how juicy! This sounds like a legit scandal, not like those terrible things Ninemsn tries to stir up once in a while.
If it’s true, then I’m happy to see Mat go (don’t like him), but I don’t think that’s the best way to get rid of him. It’s a cooking competition. I understand he broke some rules, but he should get kicked out for a serving up a bad dish.
Also on the FB page a comment noted they had seen Matt at a railway station recently. So could be truth in the rumour. I’m wondering why he didn’t google the recipe for Yorkshire Puddings. FYI this Year’s show is definitely lacking good cooks and the only reason why I’m watching it is because I know one of the contestants. Go Alana !!
Are they really denied access to newspapers? I’m sure I’ve seen people reading them in shots of the breakfast table at the house.
sounds intresting cant wait untill we see what happens i am also really looking forward to the new york challenge
The real scandal is that this bloke doesn’t wear a hairnet/sweatband when cooking.
hm…. I wonder who would be coming back?
This is what has been posted on the MasterChef Facebook page:
“Hey everyone, as most of you have probably heard this morning, there has been numerous news stories about what is happening on MasterChef. As you all know, twists and turns are all part of the show and this may or may not be one of them – stay tuned over the coming weeks to find out… :-)”
Interesting…