Ex MasterChef contestant Poh Ling Yeow has been tipped to take on the role of judge next season after last week’s shock departure of George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Meagan, and on Monday she finally addressed the rumours.
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“I saw [my name] was out there and I was like, ‘wow I haven’t been told,” the TV chef, who was runner up on season one of the show, explained to The Herald Sun.
While other big names doing the rounds include Curtis Stone, Maggie Beer and Kylie Kwong, Poh maintains she hasn’t been given any info on who will replace the ousted judges next year.
“I have nothing to tell you,’’ she told the publication.
“It’s very flattering to be considered but I don’t like to count my chickens.
“There’s a rumour that a lot of people are pressuring for two females to be on it so it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.”
Poh, who was beaten in the final of season one by the show’s first winner, Julie Goodwin, said she can’t imagine MasterChef without George, Matt and Gary at the helm.
“I’ve been pretty traumatised actually by the judges leaving,’’ she said.
“MasterChef as we know it has changed without them at the helm.”
Rumours have been swirling about what caused the departure since Channel Ten announced that the judges, who have been on the show since 2009, wouldn’t be returning next season.
With talk that they were looking for a 40 percent pay increase still unconfirmed, the judges have already begun lining up their next gigs.
Just two days after leaving MasterChef over the row about contracts, Matt Preston announced his next role.
“Looking forward to guesting on ABC Melbourne’s breakfast show next week with Jacinta Parsons. We’ll be on air from 5.30am, Monday-Friday,” he captioned a shot of himself and Jacinta on Instagram.
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