Wave of relief' for MasterChef contestant Felina Kee after airing concerns
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Loading... - Maria Laine
- 31 May 2022
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A MasterChef NZ contestant who spoke out about an allegedly toxic environment and a fabricated competition says she felt a "wave of relief" after she went public with her story.
Felina Kee, an Otago teacher, took to her Facebook page, Food by Felina, on Friday to slam the production as a heavily scripted "fake reality TV show" where bickering, backstabbing and unsafe working conditions were detrimental to the wellbeing of contestants.
Media giant Warner Bros hit back over the weekend, denying any wrongdoing and saying that Kee had not raised any issues with the production team.
The first episode of the new season of MasterChef NZ, with judges Nadia Lim, Michael Dearth and Vaughan Mabee, screened last night on TV3.
Kee detailed a number of concerns about the show's treatment of contestants to the Otago Daily Times before going public on her Facebook page.
She alleged that contestants were encouraged to disclose private information both in writing and on camera.
That information was provided in good faith, but the personal details of contestants were used by the producers to get emotive scenes, especially of contestants breaking down in tears, she said.
She was concerned the practice crossed the line into psychological abuse and she fled the show in a state of crisis after being advised to by a counsellor employed by the show.
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She said many contestants were devastated to find out that the outcomes on the show were predetermined and success was based on screen appeal rather than cooking ability.
In one production stuff-up, she claimed the food sat cold for an hour and a-half before judges tasted it. Read More...
