Celebrity chef Curtis Stone has defended his recent stint as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia after coming under fire from fans.
The 48-year-old restaurateur was criticized by viewers this season for being “too harsh” and “unpleasant” to the contestants.
However, Curtis has now defended his tactics and told how his tough love was designed to pressure competitors to show off their talents.
Curtis said Yahoo Lifestyle how he changed his judging style as they got closer to the final and insisted that the contestants appreciated his “tough” critiques.
“That’s why I always think that as a chef, you have to be a good mentor and you have to feel your team, you have to understand where they are and know how much pressure, how much to push,” he said.
“And last season, I had a group of guys that really wanted it, really wanted it bad.
“So I gave it to them, and I pushed them and made them spread out, and I think, you know, they were very grateful for it at the end, and it was very, very fun.”
His comments come after fans took issue with Curtis over the way he shared his comments during the 2024 season of MasterChef.
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone has defended his recent stint as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia after coming under fire from fans.
The 48-year-old restaurateur (center right) was criticized this season for being “too harsh” and “unpleasant” to the contestants.
One viewer even compared the Australian foodie to notoriously irascible celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
Curtis was front and center in two major challenges across two episodes in one week, and fans weren’t happy with the way the Coles food ambassador handled the judging.
‘…Curtis Stone is a bit of a publicist,’ wrote one disappointed viewer on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another fan agreed with a cheeky meme in which actress Jodie Foster utters the word “true”.
Others made unflattering comparisons between former MasterChef judge Jamie Oliver, who also appeared on the Australian show, and Curtis.
“Curtis is a lot tougher than Jamie…” said one viewer.
“Somehow I don’t like this ‘tough love’ from Curtis Stone,” another added to the thread.
“At least Jamie Oliver helps out and answers questions.”
“Maybe Curtis is trying to get into Gordon Ramsay territory,” one person said.
Meanwhile, another viewer threw shade at Curtis’ appearance by suggesting he was only judging the show as part of his business obligations.
However, Curtis has now defended his tactics and told how his tough love was designed to pressure competitors to show off their talents.
‘I bet Curtis has to do this as part of his deal with Coles. He doesn’t seem happy to be here at all.
Despite some negative reactions, other viewers were excited to see Curtis on the show.
‘Star for Curtis!!!’ one said while another commented: ‘Fabulous!!!! excellent!!! fantastic!!!’
Curtis made his MasterChef debut in 2012 during an episode of MasterChef Australia All-Stars and has frequently appeared on the competition since.