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Matt Preston

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For the English soccer player, seeMatt Preston (footballer).

Matt Preston
Preston in 2016
Born(1961-07-21)21 July 1961(age 63)
London,UK
Occupation(s)Food critic, writer, television presenter
Years active1990−present
EmployerAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
Spouse
Emma Preston
​
(m.1999)​
Children3
WebsiteMattPreston.au

Matt Preston(born 21 July 1961) is an English-Australian food critic, writer,food journalist,television and radio presenter. He is best known for his role as a judge onNetwork Ten'sMasterChef Australiabetween 2009 and 2019, andSeven Network'sMy Kitchen Rulesin 2022. He also has a weekly national food column that appears inNewsCorp's metro newspapers. Preston is also a senior editor forDelicious.andTastemagazines, and the author of at least four best-selling cookbooks.[1]Since 2022 Preston hostsSaturday MorningsonABC Radio Melbourne.[2][3]

Early life

[edit]

Preston is the son of British naval historian and journalistAntony Preston.He was born inLondon,UK, to a Roman Catholic family and from the age of 11 was educated atWorth School,aBenedictinemonasticboarding school inWest Sussex.He graduated from theUniversity of Kentwith aBA Honsin Politics and Government. While growing up in London in the late 1970s, he became a DJ andpunk rockmusician.[4]

Career

[edit]

After a few stints working at City Limits and IPC Magazines (TVTimesandWhat's on TV),[5]Preston relocated to Australia in October 1993. Initially he worked for IPC Magazines as their Australian TV correspondent writing about the soap operasNeighboursandHome and AwayforTVTimes,What's on TVandWoman's Own.He subsequently wrote for a number of Australian trade publications owned by IPC's parent company, Reed Business Publishing includingEncore,Supermarket NewsandCounterpoint.

Preston at the2013 Melbourne CupParade

In 1996, Preston started writing reviews for a new Melbourne magazine,Inside Melbourne,a role that he held until he moved on to write reviews forThe Agein February 2000. Preston also worked as a regular food correspondent in a number of publications, includingTaste,a supplement in theHerald Sun,The Courier-MailandThe Daily Telegraph(Australia) newspapers andMasterChef Magazine,delicious.(Senior Editor),Australian Good Tasteas the drink reviewer,The Guardiannewspaper (UK) andTime Out(London). Preston was a weekly contributor toEpicurebetween 2000 and 2009, writing a weekly review of a cafe or restaurant. He also wrote a weekly column inThe Age's A2 and was a senior editor at Vogue Entertaining & Travel. Preston has made many appearances on Australian radio.

Today Preston is best known for his stint as a co-host and judge onMasterChef Australia.He also works as a food columnist and regular food correspondent and his weekly national food column appears in NewsCorp's metro newspapers and has a combined reach of over 2.9 million Australians each week. It runs inStellarmagazine every Sunday and inThe Adelaide Advertiser.He is also a senior editor forDeliciousandTastemagazines.

MasterChef Australia

[edit]

In 2009, Preston joinedGary MehiganandGeorge Calombarison the judging panel ofMasterChef Australia(Network 10), a reality television competition to find Australia's best amateur chef.MasterChef Australiaseries two,series threeandseries elevenwould go on to win the TV WeekLogiefor Australia's Best Reality Series.

Preston judged the first eleven series ofMasterChef Australia(2009–2019), as well as the first season ofCelebrity MasterChef Australia(2009), the first series ofJunior MasterChef Australia(2010) andMasterChef Australia All-Stars(2012) with Mehigan and Calombaris. In 2013 he went at it alone to hostMasterChef Australia: The Professionals [6]withMarco Pierre White.The show premiered on 20 January 2013 and subsequently won the prestigious AACTA for Best Reality Show in the 2014 awards.[7]

Following comments made by Preston about fellowMasterChef Australiajudge Marco Pierre White's son, Marco Pierre White Jr, spending $500,000 of his father's money on drugs and prostitution,[8]White stopped making guest appearances on the show after the8th seasonand joined the rival programmeHell's Kitchen Australiain retaliation.[9]In 2016, whilst onThe Kyle and Jackie O Show,Preston was asked about Marco Pierre White Jr's time onBig Brother UK,which included his alleged on-air sex and the above admission of purchasing illicit drugs and sex work. Preston said: "I think it is that terrible thing when you have kids that go off the rails... the drugs might be a little bit of a worry". White later said of Preston, "I will never forgive that man [Preston]... with my hand on my mother's grave I will get that man."[10]White eventually returned to the programme inseason 14,after Preston had left the show.[11]

In 2019, it was announced Preston, Mehigan and Calombaris would all be leaving the show after eleven years of judging, when Network 10 failed to meet pay rise demands set by the trio.[12][13][14]Making theeleventh seasonthe last to feature Preston as a judge.[15]It was later announced that chef and former MasterChef winnerAndy Allen,food writer and criticMelissa Leongand chef and restaurateurJock Zonfrillowould join the series as judges and hosts for thetwelfth seasonin 2020 as replacements for Preston, Calombaris and Mehigan.[16][17]

Other television work

[edit]

Preston has also made numerous other appearances on TV shows including multiple appearances onThe Project,Good News Week,Studio 10,The Living Room,The Circle,Rove Live,This Week Live,All Star Family FeudandChris & Julia's Sunday Night Takeaway(allNetwork 10),ADbcandThe Blue List(SBS),Compass(ABC),TodayandPostcards(bothNine Network) and Coxy's Big Break (Seven Network). He was also chosen as the secret reviewer in the first season of Channel Seven'sMy Restaurant Rules.[18]Preston has also taken small acting roles onOffspring(Network 10),[19]Lowdown (ABC),[20]The Bold And The Beautiful(Network 10)[21]andNeighbours(Network 10).[22]Previously, he has appeared on an episode ofLonely Planet Six Degrees.[23]

On 23 October 2019, it was announced that Preston and fellowMasterChef AustraliajudgeGary Mehiganwould joinManu Feildelin 2020 with a new show calledPlate of Originon Seven Network after the two jumped ship from Network 10.[24]In 2022, it was announced that Preston would be joining thetwelfth seasonof Seven Network'sMy Kitchen Rulesas a judge and co-host alongside returning judge Manu Feildel. Preston and international food iconNigella Lawsonwere brought in to replace previous judge Pete Evans, who was sacked from the show because of controversial comments he made.[25][26]

In August 2022, Preston was revealed to be the Gnome on thefourth seasonofNetwork 10'sThe Masked Singer Australia.He was one of two wildcard contestants, and was introduced in round three, however was eliminated the same round after only one performance.[27][28]In May 2023, he was announced as one of the celebrity contestants competing on thetwentieth seasonofDancing with the Stars Australia,and was partnered with Jessica Raffa.[29][30]However, on 2 July 2023, on the third episode, he withdrew from the series after sustaining an ankle injury during dancing rehearsals, making him the first contestant to leave the competition.[31][32][33]

Vogue Entertaining + Travel and delicious

[edit]

Matt has been contributing to Australia's leading glossy food magazines, writing about restaurants, chefs and leading culinary destinations. The role has taken him to more than 30 regions across Australia and the world.

Epicure andThe Age

[edit]

Matt began regularly contributing to the Epicure food section ofThe Agein February 2000. He wrote a weekly review of a cafe or ethnic eatery in his 'Unexplored' column in Epicure and in 2009 he wrote a weekly column inThe Ageon Saturday's A2 section. Preston also contributes cover stories to Epicure, for which he has won a number of awards.

Other professional roles

[edit]
  • Creative Director, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (2004–2009).[34]
  • Contributor, The Age Good Food Guide; Food and Wine (US).[34]
  • Five years as National Chief Judge for Restaurant and Catering's National Awards for Excellence.[34]
  • Contributing drink editor, Good Taste magazine.[34]
  • Secret reviewer onSeven Network'sMy Restaurant Rules(series one).[34]
  • Judge in The World's Best 50 Restaurants Awards.[35][36]
  • Saturday MorningsRadio presenter onABC Radio Melbourne[2][3](since 2022).

Books

[edit]
  • Cravat-A-Licious,(2009) (ISBN978-1-741-66967-1).[37]
  • Matt Preston's 100 Best Recipes,(2012) (ISBN978-1-743-28339-4).[38]
  • Matt Preston's Fast Fresh and Unbelievably Delicious,(2013) (ISBN978-1-742-61258-4).[39]
  • Matt Preston's Cook Book,(2014) (ISBN978-1-743-53118-1).[40]
  • Matt Preston's Simple Secrets,(2015) (ISBN978-1-743-53327-7).[41]
  • Matt Preston's Yummy, Easy, Quick,(2017) (ISBN978-1-760-55264-0).[42]
  • Big Mouth,(2023)ISBN978-1-761-04445-8

Accolades

[edit]

Preston has won a number of awards, both individually and as the leader of an organisation, including:

  • 2003 Food Media Club of Australia Grand Marnier Award for Best New Writer Winner: Matt Preston for articles published in the Epicure section of The Age.
  • 2004 Food Media Club of Australia Australian Mushroom Growers' Award Best Food Article Winner: Matt Preston for "The Temple Kitchen", Epicure, The Age.
  • 2006 Food Media Club of Australia Calypso Mango Award for Best Recipe Feature in a Newspaper or Newspaper Magazine Winner: Matt Preston for "Preserving knowledge", Epicure, The Age.
  • 2008 Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards, Food Journalist of the Year for articles in Delicious Magazine and the Epicure section of The Age.[43]
  • 2010 The Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent (Male).
  • 2011 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Winner – Awesome Oldie.[44]
  • Preston appears inWho's Who in Australia2011 edition.[45]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Preston, Matt (10 April 2009)."Does Blumenthal smell of caramel?".The Age.
  2. ^ab"Matt Preston, Alice Zaslavsky and Lisa Leong new voices on ABC Melbourne".Radio Today.20 December 2021.Retrieved5 May2023.
  3. ^ab"Alice in Frames, Matt Preston and Lisa Leong now presenting Weekends on ABC Radio Melbourne".ABC News.20 December 2021.Retrieved5 May2023.
  4. ^"Life's Big Questions: Matt Preston".Compass: Life's Big Questions.ABC Television.20 February 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 28 February 2011.Retrieved5 May2023.
  5. ^Preston, Matt (10 December 2009)."Cravat-A-Licious - The Selected Works of the MasterChef Critic - Matt Preston".Penguin Australia.Retrieved5 May2023.
  6. ^Sams, Christine (20 January 2013)."Matt Rewrites the menu".Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 21 May 2022.Retrieved5 May2023.
  7. ^"masterchef and offspring win aactas".Network 10.30 January 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 14 June 2017.Retrieved5 May2023.
  8. ^Gray, Lorna (9 May 2017)."Marco Pierre White Jr's foul-mouthed tirade against Matt Preston will shock you (to say the least!)".nowtolove.au.Retrieved14 May2017..
  9. ^"STV in Scotland: Local Government Elections 2007"(PDF).Political Studies Association. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 22 February 2011.Retrieved2 August2008.
  10. ^"Celeb chef Marco Pierre White's angry feud with Matt Preston: 'I will never forgive him'".news.au.8 May 2017.Retrieved14 May2017.
  11. ^"MasterChef Australia: May 29 – June 9".TV Tonight.29 May 2022.Retrieved2 June2022.
  12. ^Martin, Lisa (23 July 2019)."MasterChef judges George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan to leave show".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved1 August2023.
  13. ^Lallo, Michael (23 July 2019)."Ten pulls plug on MasterChef judges over pay dispute".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved1 August2023.
  14. ^"MasterChef Finale attracts lowest ever audience".News.au.
  15. ^"Returning: MasterChef Australia | TV Tonight".tvtonight.au.19 April 2019.Retrieved1 August2023.
  16. ^"MasterChef Australia: New Judges Announced".News.au.
  17. ^"MasterChef Australia judges out for 2020 | TV Tonight".tvtonight.au.24 July 2019.Retrieved1 August2023.
  18. ^O'Rourke, Claire (26 April 2004)."Cucina Vera dumped".Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 30 May 2022.Retrieved5 May2023.
  19. ^Hambly, Natalie (20 June 2013)."Offspring recap: Setting the record straight".Sydney Morning Herald.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2022.Retrieved5 May2023.
  20. ^Fontaine, Angus (23 August 2012)."Adam Zawr on Lowdown".Time Out Melbourne.Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved5 May2023.
  21. ^"MasterChef's Matt Preston lands cameo role in Bold And The Beautiful".The Daily Telegraph.11 February 2017.
  22. ^"Masterchef's Matt Preston makes his dreams come true".March 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 7 March 2015.Retrieved5 May2023.
  23. ^Knox, David (11 May 2009)."Taking the taste test".TV Tonight.
  24. ^Fowler, Bella (23 October 2019)."MasterChef's Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan to Team Up with MKR Rival".news.au.Retrieved5 May2023.
  25. ^Knox, David (12 August 2022)."Matt Preston takes his seat at MKR table".TV Tonight.Retrieved5 May2023.
  26. ^"Nigella Lawson, Matt Preston join My Kitchen Rules. | TV Tonight".tvtonight.au.25 April 2022.Retrieved1 August2023.
  27. ^Laidlaw, Kyle (16 August 2022)."RECAP | MATT PRESTON revealed as the Gnome on THE MASKED SINGER AUSTRALIA".TV Blackbox.Retrieved1 August2023.
  28. ^Farmilo, Kathleen (16 August 2022)."Gnome On The Masked Singer Had Their Identity Unveiled And It Was... Disgustingly Good".PEDESTRIAN.TV.Retrieved1 August2023.
  29. ^"Dancing With The Stars 2023 cast announced | TV Tonight".tvtonight.au.14 May 2023.Retrieved1 August2023.
  30. ^"Celebrity chef Matt Preston stuns fans with transformation ahead of Dancing With the Stars".7NEWS.1 June 2023.Retrieved1 August2023.
  31. ^"Matt Preston leaves fans devastated with shock announcement".7NEWS.2 July 2023.Retrieved1 August2023.
  32. ^readJuly 3, Lauren EvansDigital Reporter2 min; 2023 - 1:05pm (3 July 2023)."'I've loved everything about this': TV star's shock decision ".skynews.Retrieved1 August2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  33. ^"Dancing With The Stars' Matt Preston quits in shock move: 'We've never had this happen'".Yahoo Life.3 July 2023.Retrieved1 August2023.
  34. ^abcde"Matt Preston".Archived fromthe originalon 15 April 2017.Retrieved5 May2023.Archived on 15 April 2017
  35. ^"The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2013".30 April 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 1 May 2013.Retrieved5 May2023.
  36. ^Wilkinson, Simon (30 April 2013)."Matt Preston hails 'visionary' Melbourne chef Ben Shewry of Attica".Herald Sun.Archived fromthe originalon 30 April 2013.Retrieved5 May2023– via news.au.
  37. ^Preston, Matt (10 October 2009).Cravat-A-Licious.Random House Australia.ISBN978-1-741-66967-1.
  38. ^Preston, Matt (November 2012).Matt Preston's 100 Best Recipes.Pan Macmillan Australia.ISBN978-1-743-28339-4.
  39. ^Preston, Matt (2013).Fast Fresh and Unbelievably Delicious.Plum/Pan Macmillan Australia.ISBN978-1-742-61258-4.
  40. ^Preston, Matt (2014).Matt Preston's Cook Book.Pan Macmillan.ISBN978-1-743-53118-1.
  41. ^Preston, Matt (27 October 2015).The Simple Secrets to Cooking Everything Better.Pan Macmillan Australia.ISBN978-1-743-53327-7.
  42. ^Preston, Matt (31 October 2017).Yummy, Easy, Quick.Plum/Pan Macmillan.ISBN978-1-760-55264-0.
  43. ^"The hottest dish at Icebergs".The Sunday Telegraph.5 July 2009.
  44. ^"Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards 2011 Winners List".7 October 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 8 October 2011.Retrieved5 May2023.
  45. ^"Who's Who pack now boasts Siddle, Hamish and Andy and the Masterchef judges".Herald Sun.9 December 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 15 June 2014.Retrieved5 May2023.
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