Camera IconCredit: The Daily Telegraph
MasterChef's Marion Grasby may get her own show
By Siobhan DuckNews Corp Australia
WA NewsEntertainment
SHE may not have won the title, but Marion Grasby looks set to become MasterChef Australia's next breakout star.
The hugely popular contestant has received several offers from TV networks hoping to snap her up for a permanent role now that she's been eliminated from Channel 10's top-rating cooking show.
She also plans to write a book and is developing her own line of curry pastes and sauces - including a satay sauce which, she admits, will have to be "tweaked a bit" given it proved her undoing on the show.
"I have had a few offers - nothing concrete - that I am considering," she said.
"There are a lot of cooking shows so it would have to be the right one for me.
"For me, my top priority over the next few months will be to keep cooking. I know I still have a lot to learn."
There are six Facebook Grasby fan sites, one with more than 1700 members. Two appeared just after Grasby was eliminated in Thursday night's cook-off against band manager Aaron Harvie - one campaigning to bring her back and another calling for her to get her own show. Both have quickly attracted members.
Twitter and MasterChef Australia's official website have also been inundated with calls for Grasby to get her own show.
One of the show's judges, Matt Preston, who did not have a hand in Grasby's elimination, also tweeted about her early exit.
"Dramatic show last night and front page news today! It was a hard moment for my co-hosts. You have to call it as you see it and taste it," he said.
Judge Gary Mehigan said producers fell silent "waiting for the pain" after he and George Calombaris told them the show's most popular contestant must be kicked off.
Defending the program's elimination process, the celebrity chef said critics were "cynical so-and-sos" who should feel confident in the integrity of the show and its expertise. He said the competition was wide open.
Grasby was stunned at the groundswell of support, but was yet to look at any of the sites for fear of stumbling across something "nasty".
She filmed the elimination episode three weeks ago, but had been keeping it secret.
Returning to her life with boyfriend Tim Althaus in McLaren Vale in South Australia, everything seemed almost normal. Then the elimination episode aired and her world was thrown into a spin.
She laughs that she's also received a few marriage proposals from her most ardent fans.
"I'm so grateful - it's so flattering to know I have so much support from people," she said.
"I have no regrets. The show did so much for me. It's been a wonderful experience. I just really hope people don't switch off because of it (her elimination)."
Grasby, who's mother is Thai, admits that being eliminated for her satay sauce was a bit embarrassing, but says "everyone has bad days in the kitchen."
Despite not making the final week - her goal from the beginning - the gastronomy student said she didn't have any regrets about the show. However, she does admit she would change the way she made the satay sauce that caused her elimination if given a second chance.
Her grand plan now is to start a wine garden. "A very casual, relaxed beer garden, but really focused on wine and good food" she said.
Media buyer Steve Allen said Grasby has the popularity, temperament and training to make a go of a TV career if she wanted to.
"I am sure she's taking lots of calls and getting lots of offers from people wanting to get on the band wagon," Allen said.
"She's certainly the contestant this year with the most appeal if you look at polls on those media and social networking sites."