Fans will remember chef and entrepreneur Joe Bastianich from his time on MasterChef, as
well as his stint on MasterChef Junior. Bastianich was a judge on the cooking competition from
its debut in 2010, staying for five seasons before he parted ways with the series. In
a 2014 Facebook post, Bastianich gave fans a bit of an explanation for his decision,
revealing,
"As co-owner and partner of the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, as well as Eataly throughout
the Americas, I will be focusing my time and energies on their continued global expansion."
"This is not gonna fly. This is disgusting, this is not how you work in restaurants."
It seemed that despite his often-prickly personality on camera, his decision wasn't motivated by
any bad blood or issues with the show itself. He even commented to E! News,
"I had a great experience. It was a show that changed my life."
Still, many guessed there was a deeper reason for his departure.
Family has been a crucial factor in the chef's life and career ever since he was just a boy.
His family ran a restaurant in Queens, and the future MasterChef judge grew up watching
his parents strive to achieve their culinary dreams. As he told Reuters,
"My sister Tanya and I were practically raised in restaurants."
"My mom came from New York and from Italy. They asked me, 'What is the standard of pasta?'
And I said, 'There's only one standard. It's my mother.'"
Mom Lidia Bastianich went on to achieve success far beyond their brick-and-mortar restaurant
location, creating a culinary empire that included a popular PBS cooking show, cookbooks,
and much more.
Family and food have clearly been entwined in Joe's life since his childhood, and it
seems his own wife and children may have played into his decision to leave MasterChef. He
told The TV Page in 2015 that with his son beginning high school and his daughter attending
college, he wanted to be able to spend more quality time with them.
"There can only be one master chef."
But even after his departure from the US version of the show, Bastianich wasn't quite willing
to leave his place behind the judging booth. He became a judge on MasterChef Italia, and
his time there only served to increase his recognition across Italy — although it wasn't
all positive. Grub Street reported that a 2018 episode of the show featured Bastianich
making some off-color comments while visiting an Italian nail salon. Bastianich quickly
apologized, explaining to the outlet that the segment was scripted, but adding,
"I'm sorry I said those things."
He also opted to diversify his role, using his knowledge of the restaurant industry to
become one of the stars of Restaurant Startup, a reality series where Bastianich joined chef
and restaurateur, Tim Love. That show also involved competition, but rather than home
cooks vying for top prize, teams competed for the attention of Bastianich or Love as
investors in their flailing restaurants. That show didn't quite have the same enduring popularity
as the MasterChef franchise and was only on the air for three seasons.
"I am right now kind of freaking out."
But this chef's TV pursuits weren't limited to the culinary world. Bastianich was also
a presenter on the one and only season of Top Gear Italia. Still, it appeared there
was trouble brewing back in the kitchen.
The chef's company, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, came under fire after his departure.
Eater reported that there was a toxic, quote, "boys' club" culture alleged by dozens of
employees at several of the company's restaurants. Though his partner Mario Batali was at the
center of many of the allegations, Bastianich, along with his partner and mother Lidia, as
well as chef Nancy Silverton, announced that major changes would be made at the company
as a result of the controversy.
With so much drama happening in his off-camera projects, perhaps Bastianich simply longed
for a return to something familiar. By 2017, he was back as a MasterChef Junior judge,
reuniting with fellow chef and host Gordon Ramsay.
"Joe brings to MasterChef what he has done the previous four seasons — complete, utter
misery. Getting a crack or smile from him is, yeah, like trying to get into the Pentagon."
While the initial trio involved Ramsay, Bastianich, and chef Graham Elliot, in the years since
Bastianich left, there were a few shake-ups to the MasterChef USA judging line-up. Now,
the judging trio consists of Bastianich, Aaron Sánchez and Ramsay, all bringing their unique
perspectives and culinary backgrounds to the show.
Bastianich also continues to grow his culinary empire, and with his partners, is at the helm
of numerous restaurants around the world.
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