The newest season of MasterChef Australia is set to turn up the heat on a series on Channel 10 and 10 Play.
Originally scheduled to premiere May 1, the series will now air 7.30pm on Sunday, May 7 due to the death of judge Jock Zonfrillo.
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At the helm, judges Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong welcome a new bunch of hopefuls and an array of visiting guest chefs – including the first special guest judge, Jamie Oliver.
Mediaweek spoke to Rick Maier, Paramount ANZ’s head of drama and executive production about the success of the format and what’s in store this season.
Rick Maier
There are only 18 aprons up for grabs this time around instead of the usual 24, what was the reason behind that change?
“A smaller cast helps us build profile, focus attention and hopefully audience engagement that much faster. It makes a real difference, we think. And it’s a slighter shorter season. It really rips along.”
Without giving too much away, are there any particular moments or challenges from this season that you think will really stand out for?
“Accessibility and authenticity are two catch cries for us. There are many challenges that will hopefully get everyone talking, cooking and playing along at home. Jamie [Oliver]’s involvement is also a pretty big plus just as we start the series. He’s a force of nature. Just brilliant. The surprise elements are also going to start a lot of conversations we think. Obviously, we can’t give them away here. You have to watch!”
How has the show evolved over the years, and what do you think makes MasterChef Australia stand out from other cooking competition shows?
“The pace is different and there is always invention and escalation within the challenges. We also spend a long time ensuring we identify the most invested and committed home cooks. In terms of other cooking formats, they achieve different outcomes in a different way. It’s no accident the MasterChef alumni are the people we’re still hearing about. There was a fairly recent poll that said 15 or 16 of the top 20 most influential people in food in Australia have direct links to MasterChef. That’s a helluva strike rate.”
How do you keep things fresh on a show that has been running for as long and as successfully as MasterChef Australia has?
“That’s all credit to Endemol Shine Australia and executive producer David Forster and his team. MasterChef is a huge production as you know with the gold standard in terms of crew both in the kitchen and in post-production. Every single department has excelled themselves this year I think. No doubt I’m biased, but I’m hoping the audience will agree that this season is one of our very best.”
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Top Image: Andy Allen, Jaime Oliver, Jock Zonfrillo, and Melissa Leong