A lawyer representing George Calombaris has entered a guilty plea on behalf of the celebrity chef over an altercation that followed the A-League grand final in May.
Calombaris was charged with common assault after video emerged of him confronting a fan in the stands of Sydney Football Stadium then being ushered away by police.
In the video, Calombaris, who appears in Network Ten's Masterchef, shakes his Victory scarf at a 19-year-old Sydney FC fan who was yelling abuse.
Calombaris then approached the man and shoved him in the chest.
Someone in the crowd was heard to shout "pay your staff you dodgy bastard", before the television star confronted the teenager.
Mr Calombaris did not appear in person in the Downing Centre Local Court, but his barrister Brendan Green told the court he was entering the guilty plea on his behalf.
The celebrity chef will be back in court on September 8 for sentencing.
'Banter turned into abuse,' says Calombaris
The chef is the number one ticket holder for the Melbourne Victory, which was defeated in a 4-2 penalty shoot-out by Sydney FC in the A-League decider.
Shortly after the grand final incident, Calombaris said in a statement he had acted after "banter" turned into abuse of his family.
"I am really disappointed with what occurred last night. I was genuinely shocked when post-match football banter turned into personal abuse about my family," he said.
"I regret the way in which I reacted, I am disappointed that I let it get to me, and I sincerely apologise for offending anyone."
The teenager involved in the altercation was not injured, police said.
In April, Calombaris apologised after his restaurant empire was caught underpaying staff.
It emerged 162 of his restaurants' 430 employees — including staff at his Melbourne restaurants The Press Club, Gazi and Hellenic Republic — were short-changed to the tune of a total $2.6 million.
Calombaris said he was "devastated" by the situation, which led to staff members being repaid an average of more than $16,000.
