Celebrity chef Curtis Stone has defended his recent stint as guest judge on MasterChef Australia after coming under fire from fans.
The 48-year-old restaurateur copped flack from viewers this season for being ‘too harsh’ and ‘unpleasant’ with the contestants.
However, Curtis has now defended his tactics and told how his tough love was designed to push the competitors to showcase their talents.
Curtis told Yahoo Lifestyle how his judging style changed as they got closer to the final and insisted the contestants appreciated his ‘tough’ criticism.
‘So I always think as the chef, you have to be a good mentor, and you have to feel out your team, you have to understand where they’re at and know how much pressure, how much to push,’ he said.
‘And last season, I had a group of guys that were really wanting it, really wanting it a lot.
‘So I gave it to them, and I pushed them, and I made them extend themselves, and I think that, you know, they were really grateful for it at the end of it, and it was really, really fun.’
His comments come after fans took issue with Curtis over the way he dished out his feedback during the 2024 season of MasterChef.
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone has defended his recent stint as guest judge on MasterChef Australia after coming under fire from fans
The 48-year-old restaurateur (centre right) copped flack from viewers this season for being ‘too harsh’ and ‘unpleasant’ with the contestants
One viewer even compared the Australian foodie to the notoriously hot-tempered celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
Curtis was front and centre for two major challenges across two episodes in one week – and fans were not happy with the way the Coles food ambassador handled the judging.
‘…Curtis Stone is a bit of a d***,’ wrote one disappointed viewer on X, previously known as Twitter.
Another fan agreed with a cheeky meme featuring actress Jodie Foster mouthing the word ‘true’.
Others made unflattering comparisons between former MasterChef judge Jamie Oliver – who also featured on the Aussie show – and Curtis.
‘Curtis is a lot more harsh than Jamie was…,’ one viewer said.
‘Somehow I don’t like this “tough love” Curtis Stone,’ added another to the thread.
‘At least Jamie Oliver helps and answers questions.’
‘Maybe Curtis is trying to edge into Gordon Ramsay’s territory,’ said one person.
Meanwhile, another viewer threw shade on Curtis’ appearance by suggesting he was only judging on the show as part of his commercial obligations.
However, Curtis has now defended his tactics and told how his tough love was designed to push the competitors to showcase their talents
‘I’m betting Curtis has to do this as part of his deal with Coles. Doesn’t look happy to be here at all.’
Despite some backlash, other viewers were excited to see Curtis on the show.
‘Star to Curtis!!!’ one said while another commented: ‘Fabulous!!!! excellent!!! fantastic!!!’
Curtis made his debut on MasterChef in 2012 during an episode of MasterChef Australia All-Stars and has frequently appeared on the competition ever since.
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