MasterChef judge George Calombaris, aged 36, told presenter Katie Monty Diamond that he had experienced racism at school. The Australian-born Greek chef said that his brother and two Turkish friends “fought their way through school every day” during their upbringing in Melbourne, where the largest Greek population outside Greece is located.

“We’re a racist country in Australia,” he said. “We’re so racist and I find myself sometimes, not being racist, but you know stereotyping certain people – like the Indians, for example. It’s wrong!”

“We’ve gotta stop it – we’re the worst in the world,” said the well-travelled chef.

Born to Greek parents, the owner of multiple restaurants, says it is funny how people identify him as the Greek chef though he was born and raised in Australia.

Regarding Greece, he says “there has to be a law and a rule and the problem with Greece is they’ve never had rules.” He states that Australians should learn from the Greek economic crisis, especially when they “whinge about the dumb stuff, like being booked foryour meter running out after 10 minutes… there is a reason why.”