Channel 10 has announced that all three MasterChef judges will not return next year.

Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris will depart the program after they failed to reach a commercial agreement, following “months of negotiation.”

The trio appeared on the program for the final time in last night’s season finale.

The shock news comes in the wake of calls for Calombaris to be sacked after he was caught underpaying restaurant workers by almost $8 million.

Robert McKnight, editor of TV Blackbox, said the pressure on Mr Calombaris may have prompted the departures.

MasterChef is expected to continue next year with a new judging panel.