MasterChef in Search for New Judge as it Continues to Slide Further [PHOTOS]

After hitting a all-time low in the ratings Tuesday, critics say that MasterChef: The Professionals must consider looking for a new or another judge to save the Network Ten’s cooking show.

To everyone’s chagrine, especially the network offiicials, the Professional series of the MasterChef attracted only 533,000 audience, leaving the show ranked at an all-time low of 19th since it began on television.

With celebrity chef Marco Pierre White overlooking the show’s contestants, MasterChef suffered what the Sydney Morning Herald described as “a far cry from the one-million plus audience” that it raked in in its opening episodes, particularly the first three ones.

Analysts attributed the show’s low ranking at the increasing popularity of its rival shows, particularly Seven’s “My Kitchen Rules.” Despite the loss of the so-called “Spice Girls” from its recent episode, MKR has continued to dominate the rankings after pulling in a recorded 1.8 million viewers tuning in to see who’s going to make the cut (or not).

Check out the ratings below as compiled by The Australian:

Preliminary OzTAM ratings, Monday 11 February 2013

1 MY KITCHEN RULES Seven 1,800,000
2 REVENGE Seven 1,306,000
3 THE BIG BANG THEORY Nine 1,275,000
4 NINE NEWS Nine 1,234,000
5 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,194,000
6 THE BLOCK: ALL STARS Nine 1,137,000
7 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,135,000
8 THE BIG BANG THEORY Nine 1,094,000
9 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,030,000
10 HOME AND AWAY Seven 993,000
11 ABC NEWS ABC1 980,000
12 7.30 ABC1 903,000
13 AUSTRALIAN STORY ABC1 827,000
14 ABC NEWS UPDATE ABC1 814,000
15 FOUR CORNERS ABC1 742,000

In a related news - - that could be a good and welcome one for the show - - MasterChef judge George Calombaris has now been cleared over the ice-cream row with Mr. Whippy.

It will be recalled that Calombaris has been issued court papers following revelations that he has been using the menu by Mr. Whippy, calling his own “Mr. Whippi” as the cooking judge serve it in his restaurant.

The Daily Telegraph is reporting that Calombaris had just reached an outside court settlement with Mr. Whippy CEO Stan Gordon and agreed to pay $4,000 to end the legal battle.

The settlement funds, according to Gordon will be used to donate to some charity, noting, "I would never instigate legal action to make money.''