Channel 10 say they are surprised they could not reach a contract agreement with MasterChef judges George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Garry Mehigan, after the network offered them a very generous $9.00 per-hour package, cash in hand.
A spokesperson for the network said the contract offer was very much within the normal industry range, and included substantial benefits such as 4-minute meal breaks and a personal bench to sleep on between shifts.
“The hours are great too,” the spokesperson said. “Just 40 hours per week, with the odd extra 40 hours or so in unpaid overtime. So the work-life balance is great”.
She said the judges would be paid a little less than the legal wage requirements and wouldn’t get superannuation or sick pay, but that was offset by a great working culture.
“MasterChef is all about recreating the environment of a professional kitchen, so I am a little surprised that George, Matt and Garry didn’t jump at this offer”.