Some contestants have claimed that at times on the show they felt like prison inmates - paid a pittance, overworked, under stress, and cut off from the outside world.
The reality inside the hit reality cooking show is making some question whether the costs of changing our kitchen habits forever could be too high.
Sydney Morning Herald columnist Paul Sheehan has said he can't believe contestants put themselves through the Masterchef ‘experience’ for a weekly pay packet of $500.
More stories from Today Tonight“They flog them to the point of tears. They burn themselves, cut themselves, they’re in a panic. They put impossible deadlines on them – there is a dark side to this show,” Sheehan said.
Careers and families are put on hold for $100 less than the minimum wage, and a small shot at stardom.
“They are making tens of millions of dollars out of this - the owners, the broadcasters, the judges, and the producers. Yet they’re paying peanuts to the contestants. It’s nothing without the contestants, and the flog them hard.”
Branding expert Simon Hammond believes contestants should stop looking at shows like Masterchef through rose coloured glasses.
“What they've got to do is use it as a stepping stone, not to expect the magic bullet, and that a sudden fame means success. It's doesn't. It just means fame."
Television writer Grant Jones knows this reality firsthand, having entered the competition himself, to see what it was really like.
“They know what they are getting themselves in for, and they sign documentation. They’ve seen the show beforehand, and they know exactly what it involves,” he said.
“It takes a lot of guts to go on a show like that. I think we should congratulate these people for taking the time out of their lives to have a crack at a new career."
Some contestants do get their wish tough, and their dreams do come true, if they're happy to wear a little abuse and some pain along the way.
Last year’s winner Skye Craig is a Masterchef success story. “I’ve got an amazing new life. I’m working with food every day, and I’ve got a great new dessert business called Wild Sugar which I absolutely love.”
Supermarket giant Coles is another show lover - reaping the rewards from its partnership with Masterchef, as are cookware companies, with the popularity of home cooking blasting off.
Stuart White from the Australian Association of Food Professionals has seen sales skyrocket, not just in foods, but also appliances, thanks to cooking shows.
“The biggest winners would be cooking schools, retailers, specialist gourmet suppliers, and of course cookbooks,” he said.
“Online retailer eBay says (blowtorches) have had something like a 745 per cent increase in sales since Masterchef's been there. Then there's pasta makers, pressure cooks, and slow cookers. There's designer pans, knife ware, all the accruements that go towards making a meal."
Coles pantry manager Jai di Marco has seen fresh produce sales soar, not just for staples, but also the unusual items featured in cooking shows - ingredients people would not have tried before.
“Shows like Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules have got Australia excited about cooking,” he said.
Just take a look at some of these massive sales jumps:
- Sales of Pistachio nuts, used to crust lamb, have jumped 125 per cent
- Diced Pork sales have risen 480 per cent
- Red Cabbage, never a child's favourite, is up 89 per cent
- Salmon Fillets have risen 89 per cent
- Pink Ling Fillets are up an incredible 1400 per cent
For one chef, winning means cash, and possibly a brand new career. It might not be fun getting there, but according to the experts, the long term effects are worth it.
“When the cooking shows dissipate and come to an end, they will leave a legacy – a cultural legacy that will have people cooking more, and being more aware of what they eat, and what they use in their cooking. They will be aware of the different cultural flavours and cuisines that they have been working with, and ultimately it’s a benefit to the whole community,” White concluded.Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
