by Closely inspired by the format of British MasterChef, the Masterchef Australia is a successful reality show on Network Ten where the cooking experts and enthusiasts showcase their keen cooking skills. A marvelous production by Shine Australia this cooking game show is judged by the 3 respected names in the food industry- the chef duo Gary Michigan & George Calonars and Matt Preston the expert food critic. The show is aired at 7.30 5 days a week- Sunday through Thursday. The kitchen of the show is situated in the picturesque area of Flemington, Melbourne.
This popular show has multiplied its magic with 4 spin-more series- Celebrity featuring the contestants of younger age group, Masterchef Australia All-stars where the returning contestants of the first 3 series show their talent and Masters Australia where the professional experts exhibit their unique talent. These spin-off shows were stalled in 2014 as the producer wanted to keep their focus only on the original version of the series.
Format of Masterchef Australia
- In order to maintain the uniqueness the Masterchef Australia has kept a different format than the British Masterchef.
- In the first round the contestants across Australia auditions by presenting the food dish to the judges in order to get their cooking talent evaluated. The goal is to gain the semi-final places. One of the prerequisites is that the present age of the contestants should be more than 18 years and they should not be professional’s cook
Eliminations and rewards
After passing through the first step the 3 finalists then utilize their food preparation talent and keen knowledge e of ingredients and cooking style to respond to various cooking challenges. Out of the total 50 contestants who competed in the Season 1 only 20 most deserving contestants were left. In the season 2, only 24 contestants could move further. The team will further be filtered with the help of weekly elimination rounds and the winners will then offered a $250000 along with their personal cookbooks published and professional training by the topmost professional chefs.
Episode format
In order to keep the show refreshing and engaging every single day has a unique episode format
Sunday: This is the night of challenge where there will be rounds like mystery box where all the contestants will be given the same ingredients in a box by the judges. The challenges are to make something unique with the help of the same ingredients and the judges give the marks based on the taste and creativity. The other challenge include Off-Site challenges, team challenges and Immunity challenge
Monday: A Pressure test is held on each only where the Bottom 3 contestants of the Sunday’s challenge are required to emulate a recipe given to them in a specific period and the judges then taste the food to pass their final comments. Based on the same 1 contestant is eliminated based on the performance level.
Tuesday: The immunity challenge is presented on every Tuesday where an interesting competition between the Sunday winner and a guest is held. The best thing is that the contestants could be an apprentice, home cook or a chef. The contestants have to choose from the 2 pantries ingredients that could be used the challenge is to complete the dish before the competing guest and present the same to the judges. The goal is to gain the same or better score as that of the guest in the food tasting session by the judges. In the first series, the contestants are reoffered free pass to the finals week and they could go home with the same. For the series 2 and the following series the winner will get a pin that can they can use to save them from being eliminated in the future. The contestants can use this pin only once.
Wednesday: A Team Challenge takes place on every Wednesday where the team spirit and coordination are the major parameters that can help the contestants to win. All the contestants are divided into 2 teams and a task s given to them with a specific time to complete. There are multiple takes like offering 3-course meals to the present guest of celebrity status, running a specific restaurant for an evening or presenting their catering skills at the social events/celebrations like wedding or birthday party. The team that receives the most votes or are able to ear the better amount of money will be declared as winners while the losers will be eliminated on the next day. The winning team also gets a sumptuous reward like enjoying a lunch at the reputed restaurant in the region.
Thursday: On Thursday the two contestants of the losing team in Wednesday challenges are chosen to depend upon the lowest performance levels. A tough competition between these 2 performers is held and then the loser is eliminated from the show. In some cases, the judges can decide to select the entire team as individuals.
In the first series this rule was different and the losing team had to vote for the worst performer that was responsible for their defeat on Wednesday. The contestants who get the most votes would have to leave the show. In case of the individual challenges the 2 worst candidates had to compete against each other in a tasting session here hey needed to tell 1 ingredient of the food that they have tasted. The first incorrect answer will result in elimination.
The Master Class
The Master class that is aired on every Thursdays following elimination show is aired during themed weeks. Here the master class is held by the judges for the remaining contestants and it could include the challenges of the past week with by the judges so that the contestants can know how to perform better. For instance the judges can show how the contestants could have prepared the Mystery Box dishes in the last week’s session in order to make it the winning entry.
