HE MIGHT have a reputation for being honest with his contestants, but when it comes to being brutal Matt Preston reckons there are far worse critics out there than him.
The Australian MasterChef judge, currently filming season seven of the Australian series, appears alongside his Italian counterparts in an episode which goes to air today local time.
And if there’s one thing he learned, it was that his approach, along with that of fellow judges George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan, to judging contestants’ food is far nicer than the criticism his Italian counterparts dish up.
Matt Preston appears alongside MasterChef Italy judges Bruno Barbieri, Carlo Cracco and Joe Bastianich. Source: Supplied
Speaking to news.com.au about his time in Italy, Preston said appearing on the show there was like stepping through a glass in a parallel universe where “everything is similar but different”.
And he said while he and his Australian judges often took a softer approach to criticism, the Italian judges were far more brutal.
“They are very hard on their contestants,” he said admitting some cried when criticised.
“I approached it from the Australian perspective and was encouraging and suddenly you get tears coming the other way.”
Preston knows all too well how one bad look or word can be perceived and how one action can’t be taken back.
In 2010 Preston sparked collective gasps of horror in loungerooms across Australia when he dropped a plate of food prepared by MasterChef contestant Arron Harvie.
Harvie had cooked up a dish he thought was pretty good, but Preston’s initial reaction left him thinking twice.
Preston dropped the plate on the floor and told him it was “disgusting” — and that was the promo Australia saw until the full episode went to air and revealed what happened next.
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Preston goes on to say it was “disgustingly brilliant”.
But he said the time between the promo airing and the show were long and he wished he hadn’t done it.
“I meant it as a positive thing, but ended up looking mean, especially as that was the promo was up for four days before the episode aired.
“We work hard not to mislead the audience, we try and be as transparent as possible.”
So was the plate dropping his only regret?
“I’ve certainly regretted some of my suits, especially after my mother noticed.”
But he certainly doesn’t regret going to Italy and seeing how the show works there, along with how contestants adapt to the universal challenge of cooking something simple well.
In MasterChef Italy, contestants had to cook a classic Italian dish, something Preston said was not as easy as it sounded.
Matt Preston's introduction on MasterChef Italia 0:17
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Matt Preston has received a warm welcome as a guest judge on MasterChef Italia.
- news.com.au
- 16 Jan 2015
- Entertainment
He said going on the Italian show reinforced that the Australian show had it all right and the Italians were more limited in their food approach because they were bound by culture.
Preston also said the Australian version of the show remained popular there and he was recognised several times while there for filming.
“I love Italy, simplicity hardest thing to do well, there’s nowhere to hide with Italian food,” he said.
Aaron Harvie was a finalist during Masterchef 2010. Source: News Limited
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