A former executive at Channel 10 has accused MasterChef‘s George Calombaris of being rude to staff on the Studio 10 breakfast show.
On his TV Blackbox podcast, Rob McKnight (a former executive at Studio 10) stated that George lost his patience with a female producer backstage.
WATCH: Rob McKnight calls out George Calombaris for being rude to female producer
George’s blowup was significant enough that McKnight’s colleagues were moved to contact their boss while he was on a holiday.
In addition to this, the entire team of MasterChef judges boycotted the Studio 10 breakfast show after the incident, igniting a feud between the programs.
“No judge from MasterChef appeared on Studio 10 for two years [after the incident] as a sign of solidarity with his perceived issues with the show,” the former executive stated on TV Blackbox.
Earlier this month, the Melbourne restaurateur faced a $200,000 fine after underpaying restaurant staff nearly $8million between 2011 and 2017.
According to the Daily Mail, the discovery resulted from an investigation into George’s company, MAdE Establishment.
In other recent news, MasterChef Australia announced that judges Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris would not be on the series anymore.
“After 11 sensational seasons, we bid a fond farewell to our judges – Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris,” the show tweeted.
‘Thank you for being a part of this remarkable #MasterChefAU legacy and helping make the culinary dreams of everyday home cooks come true!’
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, George, Matt and Gary were expecting a 40 per cent pay rise as well as a stake in international profits.
It is believed that Channel Ten have enlisted Poh Ling Yeow, Maggie Beer and Curtis Stone to take over the judging spots.