From masterchefs to TV stars, Gary and George unplugged

They came to India as ambassadors of the Oz Fest, a three-month Australian cultural festival being held in India, but will leave as fans of Indian food. Gary Mehigan and George Calombari, anchors of hit show MasterChef Australia, promise that they are going to make concerted efforts to bring chefs from India on the show in the coming seasons.

George acknowledges that Indian food has always been a hit on the show, but rues that very few Indian chefs are “stars” on the global scene. The only Indian chef to have made it to the show so far has been Kumar Mahadevan, “Australia's best known Indian chef”, as George puts it, but no one from India.

But that could change soon. Because, if Gary and George are to be believed, all it took was one outing in Delhi to convince them about Indian chefs’ potential. Having dined at fine dining restaurants in the capital, Gary says he would love to have the chefs on the show. “The food was great and we thought these guys would be fabulous on the show,” he adds.

Coming to the consummate ease with which the duo has taken to the camera, as if they were born TV stars, George laughs away the compliment, saying they behave with the contestants just as they deal with people in their own restaurants — guiding them, mentoring them and giving them a pat and a

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