Judge Andy Allen has quickly earned the title as this season’s MasterChef ‘tough judge’. But is the former contestant’s intense dish critiques actually just staged?
WATCH: MasterChef’s Jock Zonfrillo reveals thoughts on Indigenous food
Speaking to New Idea, contestant Khanh Ong admitted he and his fellow contenders found it suspicious Andy, 32, was “always the one” who consistently received a problematic dish.
“He’s the one that finds things in everything. Andy is always the one that finds a bone on his plate. Or finds a poop shoot in a prawn or says that something has grit in it,” Khanh, 28, explained, adding contestants were worried.

“At one point we were all like, ‘Is he just putting bones in our dishes?!’. He was the only one finding fish bones or grit,” he added.
Khanh recently addressed more swirling rumours around Poh Ling Yeow allegedly receiving preferential treatment on this season of MasterChef Australia: Back to Win.
But despite the speculation, Khanh was adamant that he never witnessed “any favourable treatment” towards the beloved food personality.

However, he told New Idea he understands fan gripes – and offered an explanation.
“I get that people are saying, ‘Oh there’s a lot of Poh!’” Khanh admitted.
“But there’s a lot of Poh because she finds herself in jeopardy a lot… She likes to do things right down to the last second.

“Whatever happens in that episode that makes good TV, that gets air time,” he added.
“I think if I had of cooked like that, I would have gotten the same amount of air time.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea. On sale now!
