Sarah Wilson, forgotten host of Channel 10 cooking show

So, it’s the top of the MasterChef three. After 11 years of presenting much less a present and extra a cultural phenomenon George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan have been eradicated from the Channel 10 kitchen.

If you’ve learn the protection of the judges’ dramatic departure, you’d assume that the trio single-handedly plated up MasterChef to Australia.

But there was a fourth host who was initially the face of MasterChef. Someone who was “perfectly placed to guide the contestants through the daily challenges and weekly eliminations” and who Australian viewers would “no doubt embrace,” mentioned the community on the time.

Australia had little or no time to embrace the fourth individual within the internet hosting workforce, as a result of come the second season she was gone.

Dig into the reminiscence banks to that vast first season and it’s possible you’ll bear in mind Gary’s very spiky hair. You may bear in mind there was extra than simply Gary, George and Matt. There was Sarah too.

Former journalist and now writer and anti-sugar advocate Sarah Wilson is the forgotten MasterChef host.

Viewers of this week’s remaining episode of season 11 would have seen a smorgasbord of various contestants and cooks flip up for the denouement. From the primary sequence winner Julie Goodwin and runner up Poh Ling Yeow — now being touted as a attainable alternative decide — had been there. But there was no signal of Wilson.

Wilson was “perfectly lovely,” mentioned David Knox of business web site TV Tonight, however she ended up being “ancillary” to the present.

And that turned very apparent on one episode of the primary sequence the place her position was successfully usurped by one of many judges — proving she was surplus to necessities.

Before the present debuted in 2009, Channel 10’s then head of programming David Mott was enthusiastically spruiking Wilson’s skills as an important a part of the community’s new cooking actuality present.

“Sarah Wilson has an addictive ardour for meals and wine, and a vibrant on-screen presence that makes her a pure host for MasterChef Australia,” he mentioned.

“We have no doubt that Australian viewers will embrace her.”

‘I LOVE THE BOYS TO BITS’

Journalist Wilson had a powerful profession within the media beneath her belt with a deal with meals and well being and a stint enhancing Cosmopolitan journal.

Additionally she would, not less than partially, steadiness the three male judges.

“As host, Sarah will carry her vibrant character to MasterChef Australia, and … is completely positioned to information the contestants via the day by day challenges and weekly eliminations.

“Sarah is a pure selection as host of MasterChef Australia.”

Publicity photographs for the primary sequence present Wilson standing alongside Mehigan, Calombaris and Preston — an integral a part of the 4 individual workforce.

She was the binder that held the entire program collectively. Opening and shutting the present, having pep talks with the contestants as they battled their method via crumbs, quenelles and croquembouches, and displaying the eradicated the door.

The position of the three judges was basically simply that — to guage the contestants creations and maybe proffer some recommendation.

The first sequence was an enormous success and Wilson was glad so as to add her ideas on why it was connecting with the viewers.

“I’m not surprised because it’s food and it’s perfect for the times. Also, it’s about real people … and everyone has an emotional connection with food,” she informed News Corp Australia in March 2009.

As for the judges? “The boys are all strong characters — I like them to bits.

“Between them there may be eight many years of meals expertise. They’re massively educated they usually have the precise contact.’’

ANCILLARY

Perhaps, ultimately, the judges had an excessive amount of of the “proper contact” because the community after which manufacturing firm Fremantle Media started increasing their position.

“Sarah Wilson was perfectly lovely in what was essentially a traffic cop role but 10 found it was ancillary to the format,” TV Tonight’s Mr Knox informed information.com.au.

“Wilson was left to do little more than read the autocue. Much of the hosting fell to Gary Mehigan, something that would never have happened if other personalities were in the role,” he mentioned on the time.

There was one incident within the first season that underlined why there was no want for a separate host.

“It was Gary Mehigan who stepped up, on the back of a scene in the first series where he encouraged a contestant not to quit the show,” Mr Knox mentioned.

“Normally that’s the kind of task that would fall to a host.”

It wasn’t simply Mehigan: “In Matt Preston you had an erudite wordsmith, once theatrically beckoning contestants down into ‘the Dragon’s Breath’ at the top of Hong Kong’s Peak.”

Season one was an sudden barnstorming success, the ultimate of which pulled in some 4 million viewers and stays one in all Australia’s most watched episodes of a program in historical past.

So Channel 10 did what any self-respecting community would do and flogged the dwelling daylights out of the format.

But issues started to look ominous when Wilson didn’t reprise her position for the Celebrity MasterChef spin off that 12 months.

On the shortage of Wilson, Channel 10 mentioned: “It’s just one hour a week and with the judges and celebrities, a host just doesn’t work in that format.”

Having now proved that they might carry the spin off present, the judges’ position was safe. And Wilson’s position was look ever shakier.

Then in September 2009, 10 made the announcement many had been anticipating: Wilson wouldn’t be returning.

“This decision has been a hard one to make but it became clear the appropriate role for Sarah was not achievable without dramatically changing the format,” Mr Mott mentioned.

Her “abilities” had “outweighed her duties on the show,” he added.

“All parties agree another series that limited her input and expertise was not the best outcome.”

LIFE AFTER MASTERCHEF

Wilson mentioned on the time it had been an “honour” to host the present and was even gracious sufficient to say she understood the “difficult decision” 10 needed to make round her position.

“I’m extremely grateful to have performed a founding position within the ‘MasterChef impact’, because it’s been dubbed, and might be bringing the identical constructive dynamic to my subsequent undertaking.”

Indeed, Wilson went onto create the massively profitable I Quit Sugar cookbooks and well being program. Preston even got here alongside to one of many e book’s launch occasions.

In 2018, Wilson closed I Quit Sugar declaring she was an “educator, a communicator; not a money-spinner.”

That’s one of many causes Mr Knox mentioned he doubted Wilson would wish to return to the MasterChef kitchen now there’s not one however three vacancies.

“A female is mandatory for the 2020 judging team, but Sarah Wilson has since aligned with the anti-sugar movement which would make a difficult fit.”

Perhaps unintentionally, Wilson’s restricted time on MasterChef did have a legacy — the shortage of hosts on many cooking actuality reveals nowadays.

“In the 11 intervening years, TV chefs and judges have all stepped into hosting duties and I doubt the audience would welcome the reintroduction of a host now,” Mr Knox mentioned.

“The money is better spent on big name chefs.”

Wilson declined the chance to speak to information.com.au about her time on the MasterChef set.

 

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