'MasterChef' Australia star: 'The show made me fat'

MasterChef star Craig Young has blamed the show for making him put on weight.

The 44-year-old wannabe chef, who made it to the top 12 contestants in the Australian version of the cooking competition this year, has checked into a weight loss clinic in Brisbane after gaining 15kg during his time in the house.

Young told The Sunday Mail that MasterChef producers refused to let contestants go out to exercise, saying: "The biggest problem was that you were not allowed to leave the house. I found it quite hard to exercise at all. There were some weights in the garage but that was not a nice place at all to exercise."

Young claimed that the programme's producers were "paranoid" about people leaving the house because "they were worried about paparazzi", but added: "I never saw a photographer outside.

"There was actually nine days where I had nothing scheduled and I was going stir crazy, and it would have been so much easier to go for a walk or jog to be in a different state of mind - but that's the rules of the show."

Fellow contestants Marion Grasby and Ellie Paxton-Hall have previously complained that they gained weight while taking part in the show.

Judge Gary Mehigan revealed last year that he had to employ a personal trainer because he gained weight snacking on food between takes on the MasterChef set.

Fellow panellist Matt Preston has also addressed his weight issues, but said that he is feeling healthier since shedding a few kilos.

MasterChef producers argued that "there is a gym in the house, and contestants are provided with a pantry of fresh produce".