Was Julia Bindel actually watching the same show ?
To start with, the main judge was Marcus Wareing. Michel Roux Junior has been the other main judge. John Torode judges on the regular MasterChef and not the professionals version.
But none of these judges are “foghorns” (though Julia Bindel might well be). They are unfilingly polite and constructive. That’s part of the appeal of this show for me – it’s about building people up and not knocking them down. It is also that rare thing on TV – a show for ordinary – even ugly – people unlike most of the airbrushed dross we’re served up in the name of “reality TV”. The whole appeal of the program for me is that it is not pretentious.
And then this: “Contestants behave as though they are ending child poverty or curing cancer”.
Really ? I’ve never seen or heard that. Contestants don’t get to say much at all. What they do do is gracefully accept the verdit of the judges and respect the other contestants.
But I still enjoyed Julie’s writing here.
The American version is kind of short on “ordinary” people, unless those with tats on their necks, fishing tackle piercing their jowls, tie-dyed hair, and proclamations of “intersectionality” are ordinary now.
Perhaps they are.
Give her a break! ‘A mouth so wide you could reverse a Cortina into it’. Hilarious. This light hearted article brightened up a boring bus journey and made me smile.
The article’s about MasterChef, only the picture is of the ‘Pro’ version, and that’s not Ms B’s fault :).
JW
Jacqueline Walker
4 months ago
I just hate this show so much I never watch it though I have seen it. I agree with Alphonse, it’s a dreadful work environment (like every student I was a waitress once and we had the alcoholics and crazy fly into a rage nut jobs in our modest kitchen too). I think it’s the breathless commentary I cannot bear as much as anything over something so trivial as dreaming up a dessert made from 15 different ingredients tortured and forced together for a tiny puddle of what looks like spittle on the plate with bits floating in it.
AP
Alphonse Pfarti
4 months ago
The original version, presented by a pre-cooking sauce Lloyd Grossman, was indeed a far gentler affair. The prize was some kind words from Lloydie, a round of applause from the other contestants and a cut glass fruit bowl.
Setting aside bear pit judging and the twin fog-horns of Wallace and Torode, what I fail to understand about the re-boot is why people with often well paid jobs compete to win the prize of a catering career. I can only assume that they don’t appreciate that they will work from dawn till midnight six days a week in sweltering conditions, in the company of alcoholics, drug addicts and psychopaths, in an industry where many businesses fail due to the wafer thin margins. Mind you, watching the poor fools face their first service in a real kitchen is usually worth tuning in for. Perhaps they read Kitchen Confidential and, as some do, got sucked in by the adrenaline rush. This is fun when you’re 20, but the novelty soon wears off.
MH
M Harries
4 months ago
Curious piece. Is it somehow a slow news day?
”Why do we love to hate MasterChef?”
> Who is ‘we’? I LOVE Masterchef the Professionals and don’t know anyone who hates it. At most, I suppose there may be an indifference.
WC
William Cameron
4 months ago
Why do the TV employ Wallace ? I have never met anyone who doesnt turn him off when he appears on a screen.
See my comment above – I agree with you; everyone I have every spoken to on the subject dislikes his presenting style. I have also heard from those in the business (so third-hand etc and only, of course allegedly) that he is Not Safe In Taxis, as one used to say, if you know what I mean.
He truly is completely insufferable. His own number one fan. I’ll never forget the “my hols” interview with him in the Sunday Times, when the only thing he had to say about a trip to Paris was whatever luxury tat he bought. A monumental, self-obsessed philistine.
TP
Tony Price
4 months ago
I suggested to my mate, who doesn’t usually watch the show, that he should watch the one in Denmark as it must be the most pretentiously arsey ridiculous restaurant in the world and he immediately replied “the trouble is that there are only two people in the world whose face I would like to smash in”. We are both very mild, non-violent chaps so I immediately replied “would that be George Osborne and Gregg Wallace?”. Answer: “yup”!
AT
Anne Torr
4 months ago
I find Wallace’s constant gurning puts me off the food. I have no idea what he adds to either the professional or celebrity programmes.
The show is pure escapism, and there is NOTHING wrong with that. A bit like dreaming of owning a supercar..many of us would love to do that, just as many of us would love to be able to cook (and eat) food to the level of the finalists in each Master Chief!
We enjoy good food, and cooking. We don’t take ourselves seriously: the world takes far too much far too seriously…chill out and enjoy life.
We will be watching the next series…
DG
David Ginsberg
4 months ago
I really like the Professionals version when Michel Roux was the joint presenter as he bought a real touch of class to the programme. When he fell out with the BBC over his potato endorsements and they replaced him with the dull Marcus Waering it lost me.
DU
Dougie Undersub
4 months ago
Mrs U is friends with a MasterChef finalist from the Grossman era. In fact she’s coming to lunch on Monday. No pressure then!
Agree completely. Love/hate for me as well. Hard to.pull yourself away from it when you get sucked in. Was compulsive viewing during covid when we had time to watch, to.shop and to cook.
UnHerd Reader
4 months ago
Oh, I didn’t know anyone did watch it. Each to his own I suppose
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Was Julia Bindel actually watching the same show ?
To start with, the main judge was Marcus Wareing. Michel Roux Junior has been the other main judge. John Torode judges on the regular MasterChef and not the professionals version.
But none of these judges are “foghorns” (though Julia Bindel might well be). They are unfilingly polite and constructive. That’s part of the appeal of this show for me – it’s about building people up and not knocking them down. It is also that rare thing on TV – a show for ordinary – even ugly – people unlike most of the airbrushed dross we’re served up in the name of “reality TV”. The whole appeal of the program for me is that it is not pretentious.
And then this: “Contestants behave as though they are ending child poverty or curing cancer”.
Really ? I’ve never seen or heard that. Contestants don’t get to say much at all. What they do do is gracefully accept the verdit of the judges and respect the other contestants.
But I still enjoyed Julie’s writing here.
The American version is kind of short on “ordinary” people, unless those with tats on their necks, fishing tackle piercing their jowls, tie-dyed hair, and proclamations of “intersectionality” are ordinary now.
Perhaps they are.
Give her a break! ‘A mouth so wide you could reverse a Cortina into it’. Hilarious. This light hearted article brightened up a boring bus journey and made me smile.
That’s one of the reasons why I enjoyed reading it.
The article’s about MasterChef, only the picture is of the ‘Pro’ version, and that’s not Ms B’s fault :).
I just hate this show so much I never watch it though I have seen it. I agree with Alphonse, it’s a dreadful work environment (like every student I was a waitress once and we had the alcoholics and crazy fly into a rage nut jobs in our modest kitchen too). I think it’s the breathless commentary I cannot bear as much as anything over something so trivial as dreaming up a dessert made from 15 different ingredients tortured and forced together for a tiny puddle of what looks like spittle on the plate with bits floating in it.
The original version, presented by a pre-cooking sauce Lloyd Grossman, was indeed a far gentler affair. The prize was some kind words from Lloydie, a round of applause from the other contestants and a cut glass fruit bowl.
Setting aside bear pit judging and the twin fog-horns of Wallace and Torode, what I fail to understand about the re-boot is why people with often well paid jobs compete to win the prize of a catering career. I can only assume that they don’t appreciate that they will work from dawn till midnight six days a week in sweltering conditions, in the company of alcoholics, drug addicts and psychopaths, in an industry where many businesses fail due to the wafer thin margins. Mind you, watching the poor fools face their first service in a real kitchen is usually worth tuning in for. Perhaps they read Kitchen Confidential and, as some do, got sucked in by the adrenaline rush. This is fun when you’re 20, but the novelty soon wears off.
Curious piece. Is it somehow a slow news day?
”Why do we love to hate MasterChef?”
> Who is ‘we’? I LOVE Masterchef the Professionals and don’t know anyone who hates it. At most, I suppose there may be an indifference.
Why do the TV employ Wallace ? I have never met anyone who doesnt turn him off when he appears on a screen.
See my comment above – I agree with you; everyone I have every spoken to on the subject dislikes his presenting style. I have also heard from those in the business (so third-hand etc and only, of course allegedly) that he is Not Safe In Taxis, as one used to say, if you know what I mean.
He truly is completely insufferable. His own number one fan. I’ll never forget the “my hols” interview with him in the Sunday Times, when the only thing he had to say about a trip to Paris was whatever luxury tat he bought. A monumental, self-obsessed philistine.
I suggested to my mate, who doesn’t usually watch the show, that he should watch the one in Denmark as it must be the most pretentiously arsey ridiculous restaurant in the world and he immediately replied “the trouble is that there are only two people in the world whose face I would like to smash in”. We are both very mild, non-violent chaps so I immediately replied “would that be George Osborne and Gregg Wallace?”. Answer: “yup”!
I find Wallace’s constant gurning puts me off the food. I have no idea what he adds to either the professional or celebrity programmes.
The ‘Fighty Greengrocer’ as Viz dubbed him.
The show is pure escapism, and there is NOTHING wrong with that. A bit like dreaming of owning a supercar..many of us would love to do that, just as many of us would love to be able to cook (and eat) food to the level of the finalists in each Master Chief!
We enjoy good food, and cooking. We don’t take ourselves seriously: the world takes far too much far too seriously…chill out and enjoy life.
We will be watching the next series…
I really like the Professionals version when Michel Roux was the joint presenter as he bought a real touch of class to the programme. When he fell out with the BBC over his potato endorsements and they replaced him with the dull Marcus Waering it lost me.
Mrs U is friends with a MasterChef finalist from the Grossman era. In fact she’s coming to lunch on Monday. No pressure then!
*Loyd
Well spotted!
Agree completely. Love/hate for me as well. Hard to.pull yourself away from it when you get sucked in. Was compulsive viewing during covid when we had time to watch, to.shop and to cook.
Oh, I didn’t know anyone did watch it. Each to his own I suppose