He’s faced a slew of bad press after being found to have underpaid restaurant staff and getting charged with assault.
And a fresh report in Woman’s Day this week claimed Network Ten are ‘seriously weighing up their options’ on whether to keep the cooking talent on MasterChef.
But Network Ten has rubbished the report, telling Daily Mail Australia on Monday: ‘All of the MasterChef Australia judges including George Calombaris will return in 2018.’
‘George Calombaris will return in 2018’: Channel Ten DENIES troubled star is being dumped from MasterChef … after report claimed network was ‘seriously weighing up their options’
Earlier this month George appeared in court to plead guilty to assaulting a teenager at the A-League grand final earlier this year.
In April, the celebrity chef’s restaurants were found to have underpaid $2.6 million in wages to staff.
Poster have since been circulating through Melbourne’s CBD plastered with George’s face and ‘offering advice on how to recoup wages’, Woman’s Day claimed.
The publication also alleged Network Ten was ‘weighing up their options’ over whether to include George on MasterChef in 2018.
‘MasterChef prides itself on being a feelgood family show,’ a ‘source’ told the magazine.
‘There’s no denying George’s negative PR will impact the brand. They’re seriously weighing up their options.’
But a Network Ten spokesperson rubbished the report and said George would absolutely be coming back for a second season.
‘All of the MasterChef Australia judges including George Calombaris will return in 2018,’ the spokesperson said.
‘With MasterChef Australia celebrating its 10th anniversary next year – a remarkable achievement for any television series – the cooking program that led a cultural phenomenon and changed the landscape of Australian television is ready for its biggest series yet.’