WATCH: George Calombaris breaks down with Leigh Sales over wage theft scandal
The former Masterchef judge was fighting back tears
- by
Milly Haddrick
Celebrity chef George Calombaris will break his silence following the recent wage theft scandal court verdict, on ABC's 7:30 report.
In the emotional promo, the former Masterchef judge fights back tears over the revelation that his 'mistake' left his staff underpaid by $7.8 million, and his reputation in tatters.
WATCH: George Calombaris fights back tears over wage thief scandal
Following the scandal, George Calombaris - who owns prestigious Melbourne resteruant The Press Club - lost his sponsorship deal with WA Australia, as well as rumours the scandal contributed to Channel Ten dumping the chef as a judge on hugely successful cooking show, Masterchef.
Sitting down with Leigh Sales, George opeend uo about his mistakes in a tearful dsiplay.
“It takes a long time to build a reputation, in your case 25 years of work, and you can lose it in a week,” host Leigh Sales says to the troubled restauranter. “What has been the toll of that on you?”
Staring at the ground for a long period of time, a tearful George finally looks up and says: “I love this industry, I really do, and I love every opportunity that it’s given me."
ABC
ABC
George's interview comes after former Masterchef winner Adam Liaw slammed his mentor, stating that those who don't pay their workers properly should go to jail.
“People should be paid the legal wage to which they’re entitled,” Liaw said on Q&A.
“Increasing penalties and putting people in prison for doing large-scale systemic wage theft is certainly something that should be on the table.”
“Should some of these chefs be locked up?” guest host Fran Kelly asked.
“I cannot comment,” Liaw diplomatically said, adding: "Let’s not get giddy about celebrity chefs being thrown in prison because I don’t think we’re quite at the point yet.”
Milly HaddrickMilly is a journalist who passionately devours all the latest and juiciest news. A devout tea enthusiast who's a firm believer in quality downtime, Milly's weekends are usually spent relaxing with a big plate of food, a nice cuppa and the crossword.