Viewers desert MasterChef finale amid programming backlash

THEY poured more big bucks and big names into this year's MasterChef series than you could poke a stick blender at, but it wasn't enough to stop the show recording its worst finale ratings result in three years.

Confetti wasn't the only thing falling last night with viewer numbers plunging to 2.568 million - down 35.2 per cent from last year's final show.

Winner Kate Bracks' showdown with Michael Weldon was expected to top the 3.96 million who watched Adam Liaw take the crown in 2010 and the 3.72 million who saw Julie Goodwin win in 2009.

But the result fell well short of the mark with the evening's contest MasterChef Australia: Finale Night averaging just 2.334 million. Then Channel 10 asked viewers to sit through an entire episode of new reality show The Renovators before announcing the winner.

The DIY reality show recorded its biggest audience to date (1.269 million), but many viewers who were upset at the scheduling tactic switched over to Nine to watch The Block, which sat in third place at 1.82 million.

This is a trick Ten has used before and it certainly did get an additional 300,000 viewers to see the struggling renovation reality show, but has it backfired?

The third series of MasterChef Australia was decided last night with Bracks outperforming Adelaide film projectionist Michael Weldon to take out the title thanks to her version of a carrot sorbet snowman from Copenhagen's famed Noma restaurant, considered the world's best restaurant.

Bracks will receive $100,000 and a cookbook deal for the win, while Weldon gets a trainee placement at one of judge Gary Mehigan's Melbourne restaurants along with $10,000.

The test will be tonight’s episode of The Renovators, which will now be scheduled in the MasterChef timeslot of 7.30pm.

Sunday All People Top 20

1 Masterchef Australia - The Winner Announced Ten 2,659,000

2 Masterchef Australia - Finale Night Ten 2,329,000

3 The Block - Room Winner Revealed Nine 1,820,000

4 Masterchef Australia Ten 1,810,000

5 Seven News Seven 1,618,000

6 Nine News Nine 1,515,000

7 The Block Nine 1,433,000

8 The Renovators Ten 1,254,000

9 60 Minutes Nine 1,203,000

10 Sunday Night Seven 1,148,000

11 Midsomer Murders ABC1 1,106,000

12 Grand Designs ABC1 951,000

13 Great Migrations Seven 794,000

14 Bones Seven 751,000

15 ABC News ABC1 661,000

16 The Gruen Pitch Encore ABC1 628,000

17 Castle (R) Seven 571,000

18 Tropic Thunder (R) Ten 471,000

19 Seven’s AFL: Rnd 20: Hawthorn Vs North Melbourne Seven 452,000

20 Nine’s Sunday Football Nine 441,000

South Australia Premier Mike Rann decides to stand down for Jay Weatherill

South Australian Premier Mike Rann will step down from office on October 20, allowing Education Minister Jay Weatherill to replace him.

Mr Rann told reporters on Monday he was putting the interests of the state ahead of those of the Labor Party by leaving earlier than he intended.

He had previously planned to stay on as leader until March next year, mid-way through his government's third term.

The premier said it remained his belief that there was no pressing need to make the transition to a new leader, with more than two years to go to the next state election.

A meeting more than a week ago over the transition arrangements had forced a change, particularly after some details were leaked.

"The people of South Australia elected me and they have a right to know when and why I am stepping down," Mr Rann said.

"So I have therefore determined that in order to complete the job I have to do and to best assist Jay and the government in the leadership transition, that I will step down from the office of premier on the 20th of October."

Mr Rann said he still wanted to finalise negotiations with BHP Billiton over the future expansion of the Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine in the state's north.

A Caucus majority wanted Education Minister Jay Weatherill, who stood beside Mr Rann today as the Premier announced he would move on.

Mr Rann said he had wanted to stay to complete projects - the biggest being the expansion of the BHP Billiton uranium mine at Olympic Dam.

"This is unbelievably complex. It is absolutely important that I do the right thing by the state," he said.

And he made clear he believed his Caucus enemies had broken a previous agreement for him to "mentor" a successor while in office, and then leaked details of the ultimatum delivered two Fridays ago.

"I was disappointed that...inaccurate details of negotiations were leaked in a spirit of obvious mischief and malice," he told reporters.

"It doesn't harm me because ultimately I'll be judged by history on whether out state is in better shape now than when I was elected."

But there was no malice from Mr Weatherill, only praise for the man his backers were in such a hurry for him to replace.

"I've worked with Mike Rann over the last nine and a half years. I've enjoyed every moment of that. I've enjoyed the privileges of being in the port folios he's asked me to serve in, he said.

And I look forward to the insights, the extraordinary insights he no doubt has about this crucial role for our state.