He’s been largely out of the spotlight for six and a half years, after being embroiled in numerous scandals.
Now, George Calombaris is ready for redemption – as he heads into the jungle for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.
The 47-year-old’s appearance was confirmed on Wednesday night’s show, with the former MasterChef Australia judge making his debut on Sunday January 25.
And it’s an understatement to say that fans of the show are divided.
“Do we really need George? I vote no,” one viewer wrote on social media.
“So is George out for revenge or redemption? It better be good,” added another.
As the fallen star gets set to return to our screens, we take a look back at the shocks, scandals and missteps that ended his career.
Million-dollar wage disgrace
In January 2012, the restaurateur publicly criticised the federal government’s Fair Work Act after they introduced penalty rates for restaurant staff.
George claimed the move was uneconomical for small businesses, with many of his establishments not turning a profit on Sundays due to paying staff up to $40 an hour.
In an interesting turn of events, just three years later his MAdE Establishment Group was discovered to have underpaid a staff member.
MAdE’s chief executive, Troy McDonagh, subsequently commissioned an independent review of their payroll systems.
In January 2017, the review uncovered countless discrepancies resulting in hundreds more staff being underpaid.
In April, steps were taken to reimburse the affected staff at the highest overtime rate, while George stated he was “devastated” by the oversight.
The Fair Work Ombudsman entered into an Enforceable Undertaking with MAdE in July 2019.
During this time they admitted to underpaying 515 current and past employees as much as $7.83 million.
A further $16,371 was owing to nine employees of affiliated company Jimmy Grants.
MAdE was forced to pay a contrition payment of $200,000 to the Australian Government, undergo training and audits, and apologise.
Amid calls for the judge to be fired from MasterChef, Network 10 rallied around the star. However, he was let go shortly after.
Food poisoning outbreak
George’s Greek restaurant Hellenic Republic was forced to close for 24 hours after an outbreak of food poisoning on Mother’s Day 2014.
Approximately 90 diners complained of vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps after visiting the establishment.
An investigation by the Victorian Department of Health found that a staff member was likely responsible for spreading the norovirus infection.
The restaurant shut its doors for good in 2019 amid the staff underpayment scandal, later reopening under new ownership.
MAdE goes into administration
In February 2020, MAdE went into administration, with 12 venues closing immediately, leaving 400 employees without a job.
“To all my team, I truly regret it has come to this,” George said in a statement.
“On a personal note, the last few months have been the most challenging I have ever faced.
“I am so sorry all our collective efforts have not proved to be enough.”
The only venue excluded from administration was the frozen yoghurt chain Yo-Chi.
Charged with assault
The fallen star was fined $1000 after assaulting a 19-year-old at the A-League Grand Final at Allianz Stadium in May 2017.
After being heckled by the footy fan, who yelled insults at the star and his family for underpaying staff, George punched the man in the abdomen.
He pleaded guilty to assault that August and was fined in Sydney’s Downing Centre local court.
George appealed the conviction and, in January 2018, the judge dismissed the charges, imposing a 12-month good behaviour bond.
He cited that “the blow was not very forceful” and that George was “a person of exceptional character” in his decision.
The whole ordeal was severely damaging, nonetheless, reportedly costing the star in excess of $750,000.
George lost two lucrative ambassadorship deals within days of video footage of the incident airing on TV.
This reportedly included a nearly $500,000 deal with ULP motor group and a $250,000 partnership with Bulla Dairy.
“What I did was wrong, unacceptable,” George said. “And I apologised the next day.”
Fired from MasterChef
As George came under fire for his underpayment scandal, calls for him to be fired from MasterChef Australia were deafening.
Less than a week after Network 10 insisted he had their full support, it was announced that George was departing the show.
His co-judges Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan were also let go,
The trio had been with the show since it began airing in 2009, racking up 11 hugely successful seasons.
According to reports at the time, contract negotiations broke down between the talent and the network.
In a subsequent interview with the Daily Telegraph, Matt made his stance on his co-star’s scandal known.
“There’s obviously a problem with the underpaying of some of the most vulnerable workers in Australian society,” he said.
“Whether they are migrants, whether they are young people or casual. There’s no excuse for that.”
Battle with alcoholism
In a candid chat on The Ouzo Talk Podcast in July 2025, George opened up about the toll his scandals have taken on his life and career.
He revealed that it led to a private struggle with alcohol addiction in 2020.
“After COVID hit, I’m suddenly sitting in Melbourne, which is shut for now two years, sitting with my pyjamas on.
“[I was] looking at my phone, going, ‘There’s no emails, there’s nothing to do.’ [And I] start drinking daily.”
He said he was forced to face his addiction head-on after what could have been a deadly incident.
“I’ll never forget three months down the track, I lost it one night,” he explained.
“I got in my car, drove down the road, I don’t know where. My brother found me pissed as a fart.
“And that was a moment, he really slapped it out of me and went, ‘Enough is enough.’”
Reflecting on his assault charge, George called that period “six months of pain”.
“I had to go in and out of court three times, hire one of the best KCs of the time,” he said.
“I reckon it cost around three million bucks that, in loss of endorsements.
“Ridiculous … I would have rather taken that $3 million and given it to charity.”
