Returning for its 14th season, Channel 10‘s MasterChef Australia is back with 12 returning contestants up against 12 everyday home cooks in MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites.
Judges Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen, and Melissa Leong, will be back to challenge contestants and to watch as the Favourites carve up the kitchen against the next batch of hopefuls.
Mediaweek caught up with Endemol Shine Australia’s director of content, Melbourne, Marty Benson to talk about the new format of the show and what fans can expect moving forward.
This is season 14 of the show, and the third with the current judges. How do you keep the key ingredients of MasterChef Australia fresh?
“We’re fortunate to work with a product that changes every day – food. We are constantly on the lookout for new ingredients, new techniques, and new chefs, and we’re surrounded by inspiration. We have a brilliant creative team who come up with exciting new challenges, and we’ve also been rewarded by our judges. Jock, Andy and Mel live and breathe food and are constantly talking to me about the latest dish they’ve enjoyed, or chef they’ve met who we just ‘have to get on the show’. We’re very lucky to have an abundance of inspiration at our fingertips.”
This year sees the new format of Fans vs Favourites. Why was now the right time for this format?
“We obviously saw great success in Season 12 bringing back former contestants, and we knew it was something we would like to explore again. The history of MasterChef is such that we are lucky to have a huge pool of talent to call on – 13 seasons of MasterChef gives us a lot of incredibly talented, successful cooks. So, inviting some of the best of the best back was always in our plans. But instead of replicating Season 12 we wondered what would happen if they were pitted against fresh home cooks. People who have an unmatched passion for food, but not that industry experience. And what we’re seeing is they are very competitive.”
This is the second season in three years that has featured returning contestants. MasterChef Australia: Back To Win had incredible ratings, is returning contestants the secret to success for this format now?
“The right mix of contestants is always critical to the success of the show, but I don’t believe that needs to always include returning contestants. Audiences love to invest in new heroes, and we give them that in droves with 24 home cooks. Back To Win was a huge ratings success and came at a time in all our lives where everybody was at home. MasterChef reminded us what was good and what mattered, and it was an incredible season. I think viewers this season are going to be just as impressed and we’re really excited to present Fans & Favourites.”
The Faves
How did you balance having returning favourites and new contestants when putting the production together?
“Casting is critical for any show, but food and ability will always take priority on MasterChef. If faced with a choice between a really solid home cook and someone who hasn’t got the skill but will be great on camera, the foodie will win every time. So, for us, the balance is about food and our Favourites had that in spades. Getting Julie Goodwin back was obviously huge, but to have three winners with Billie McKay and Sashi Cheliah as well puts us in such a great place. The remaining Favourites are just as strong, they are memorable from their seasons, and have been cooking in the years since. Marry that up with 12 incredible home cooks from across the country, and the mix is just right.”
Julie Goodwin returns after winning the first-ever season of the show, how much has MasterChef changed since then?
“Julie would probably say it has changed in every way! The first season of MasterChef introduced food and home cooking to Australian audiences. It changed the very nature of how families prepared their meals and thought about food. Julie herself has said she has watched season after season as home cooks have grown in ability and confidence and cook dishes and use techniques today nobody was using 13 years ago. But while our show can sometimes highlight incredibly challenging pressure tests and feature award-winning chefs, at our core the spirit of the first season of MasterChef remains. We have home cooks who walk away from their lives to challenge themselves and pivot into a new career because we celebrate good, tasty food.”
Did Covid affect filming? Were you able to shoot on location this season?
“Like the rest of the country, Covid has affected every day of our lives and creating and producing a television program is no different. But we’ve been incredibly fortunate to remain filming for the most part. We have very strict protocols on set – the cast and crew are rapid tested daily, and we sanitise, practice social distancing and off camera wear masks. Everyone on set is fully vaccinated.
“On several occasions this season we’ve had contestants forced to isolate and that will be seen on the show, we can’t avoid it. In January we did have to shut our production down for 10 days after having several contestants test positive. We wanted to limit any spread and give everybody the time to recover. It’s a daily juggle, but we’re proud to be filming and shooting every day.”
The Fans
What are you most excited to see from this new season of MasterChef Australia?
“Seeing the interaction between the Favourites and Fans has been really exciting, and viewers are going to love that. Make no mistake, all 24 are here to win. Each team packs a punch, and they’ll fight to win every challenge. For the Favourites they have reputations and established careers on the line, and the Fans are just full of confidence and have shown no intimidation. Watching these contestants cook-off against each other has been really fun. And aside from contestants, it’s been thrilling to see guests well and truly back in the kitchen after a few tougher seasons with Covid restrictions. We’ve got Marco Pierre White, Rick Stein, Adriano Zumbo, Clare Smyth, Curtis Stone, Shannon Bennet, Maggie Beer – and I could go on and on. The list is endless. It’s great seeing everyone back.”
The MasterChef open its doors for the MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites premiere on Monday, 18 April at 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play on demand.