MasterChef’s Ben Milbourne could have ‘unfair advantage’ as he is best mates with judge Andy Allen

MasterChef’s Ben Milbourne is back to win on the latest season of the show.

But on Monday, it was speculated that the 38-year-old restaurateur might have an ‘unfair advantage’ as he has been ‘best mates’ with judge Andy Allen for the last eight years. 

MasterChef viewers are worried that Andy could give preferential treatment to Ben when judging, according to New Idea. 

Andy and Ben met on MasterChef season four in 2012 and the pair have been close friends ever since.  

The cooking duo travelled extensively together for SBS Food series Andy and Ben Eat The World in 2016 and Andy and Ben Eat Australia in 2017. 

In addition to being friends, Andy and Ben are also business partners as they are both part-owners of TV production company Cultivate Productions. 

During the MasterChef: Back To Win premiere last week, Ben got tearful as he gushed over his friendship with Andy, calling him his ‘best mate’.  

‘Andy and I have been in lockstep since season four. He’s my best mate. He reminds me constantly that he won, so it’d be nice to be able to say, “Look, well, I won as well, mate, so you can just pipe down”,’ he said on the show. 

But Ben suggested that his friendship with Andy was actually a disadvantage for him since the judge would know when he wasn’t bringing his A-game.     

Last week, Andy hit back at rumours that was biased towards Ben, saying he is friends with many other contestants on the show.  

‘We judge the plate of food that is put in front of us and not the person that puts it there,’ he told The Daily Telegraph. 

‘They’re all amazing people, but there’s no favouritism whatsoever when it comes to the food.’  

Ben backed him up: ‘Andy is one of, if not the most respectful person I know and to allow his opinion to be swayed one way or the other would be disrespectful toward the show we both love so much and the contestants we respect.’