Viewers described the moment as ‘hard to watch’.

MasterChef fans have criticised the show’s ‘extreme’ product placement. Photos: Channel 10

MasterChef Australia is no stranger to product placement. In addition to being sponsored by Coles and regularly featuring the supermarket’s branding and ambassador, Curtis Stone, the reality show often spotlights various brands.

This was certainly the case earlier this season when contestants had to design their own Pressure Test using different flavours of Connoisseur Ice Cream. This week, however, the series took things to another level as the remaining eight contestants flew to Doha, Qatar.

While it’s expected that an international trip of this calibre would be done in collaboration with brands to cover the cost, especially since four contestants were flying in business class, fans aren’t thrilled with how much airtime has been given to this week’s key sponsor, Qatar Airways.

Monday night’s episode began with Laura Sharrad, Jamie Fleming, Sarah Todd, and Ben Macdonald settling into their business class seats as a flight attendant explained all of the inclusions and offered them meals and refreshments.

The entire segment was almost three minutes long, which many viewers complained on social media was “hard to watch”.

Some fans complained that the plane scene was ‘obviously staged’. Photos: Channel 10

‘Obviously staged’

One person took to Facebook following the episode to argue that while this year’s season has had “some pretty on the nose product placements”, this week’s partnership with Qatar Airways “took that to extremes”.

“The whole bit on the plane was obviously staged, there was no one else on the plane and it wasn’t flying, so they just had to act like it was all the inflight service,” they wrote. “All episode you could tell they were tightly scripted in places, some of their reactions sounded force and almost through gritted teeth.”

They went on to say that they thought the multiple shots of Qatar’s scenery while the contestants were cooking in the desert was “really jarring”.

“Qatar Airways was getting their money’s worth, but it felt like the show has crossed a line to make money,” they added.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by MasterChef Australia (@masterchefau)

Plane scene sparks debate

While many people agreed that the scene was “over the top,” they also acknowledged that it was likely filmed before the flight took off, as the windows were closed when they walked onto the plane. Others, however, argued that this didn’t impact their viewing experience.

“C’mon, they have to have sponsors for the show to be produced, hence the Qatar Airways promotion. I think it would be a great experience for the contestants to travel and cook elsewhere. They do it every year, and I enjoy seeing other countries and their cultures,” a fan commented.

“Honestly, how does this affect your life, whether the contestants are doing a bit of acting, and how do you actually know no one else was in the flight? Were you there?” another added, while someone else said, “If it’s not sponsored, it doesn’t happen. Perhaps try getting into the real world”.

“You can’t film mid-air with cameras and lighting and sound! Of course they did it before!” a different user replied. “Sponsors will want to show their product in the best way possible! That’s ok! They paid for it!”

How much does MasterChef cost to produce?

MasterChef Australia is one of the most expensive productions on Australian TV and costs Channel 10 around $30 million each season, according to The Australian Financial Review. With an average of 50 episodes per season, this equates to a rumoured $600,000 per episode.

The publication reported in 2023 that the network generates around $50 million from commercial deals, with the majority of this revenue coming from the show’s long-term sponsors, Coles and Harvey Norman.

While it’s unknown how much money the four current judges earn on the show, news.com.au reported in 2023 that Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, and Jock Zonfrillo each received around $1 million per season.