Matt Preston, the cheerful judge among the trio, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, of MasterChef Australia, who is currently judging the 10th season of the show, seems to be in love with South Asia.
The food journalist, critic, recipe writer and TV personality has desired to become a part of the biggest South Asian film industry, expressing his desire to work in Bollywood.
His visit to Bangladesh in 2016 to promote a brand, meet his Bangladeshi fans and travel on food excursions, where he expressed his love for the food from Old Dhaka, might have nudged such epiphany.
Preston is already a household name in India, especially for those who love cooking or indulging on cooking shows.
The happily-married 53-year-old and father of three confessed that he has even received several marriage proposals from the subcontinent, and now confessed he’d love to star in a Bollywood film.
The chef has already tried his hands at acting on Bold and the Beautiful, while Preston believes his appeal could well be broader and jokes that he has often been told he looks like a Parsi, an Indian of Persian descent.
“I’m just waiting for the phone to ring,” he says. “The only problem might be the dancing. Bollywood choreography is very difficult and I am more of a freestyler.”
Preston is set to release his fifth cookbook and has just returned to MasterChef for filming. He is also a hands-on dad to sons Jonathan, 17, and William, 14, and daughter Sadie, 12. Once upon a time, they were his fussiest food critics; now, they are transitioning into budding mini-chefs, he said.
Residing in Melbourne, Australia for the past 16 years, Preston enjoys playing tennis, supporting Chelsea Football Club, watching Australian Rules Football and making pizza.
An accomplished cook in his own right, apart from pizzas, Preston’s signature dishes are pomegranate glazed lamb with nine-jewel couscous and Coco Pops with whipped cream.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
