“Food Is A Way Of Answering Emotional Questions In Ourselves”: The MasterChef Judges On Season 13
As Master Chef prepares to launch back onto screens on Monday 19th April, B&T had the opportunity to speak to the show’s hosts, food critic Melissa Leong and chefs Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allan, who won the show’s fourth season.
The three judges first appeared on last year’s Masterchef: Back To Win, which saw returning contestants compete for the crown.
For the judges, this season is particularly exciting because it’s their first with complete amateurs.
Allen reflected: “For me, this feels like season one – I know that sounds weird. But we’ve got amateurs, and we’ve never done the whole amateur cooks before. So it was just a different situation with Back To Win when we had guys who had been on the show and gone into the industry and really honed in on their skill and their craft….whereas this is what Masterchef is all about.”
“Seeing someone walk through the doors as one thing, and walk out the doors as a totally different thing – both in how they cope and how they are as people.”
For Leong, hosting the show – which is now in its 13th season – is both “a great honour” and “such a lot of fun.”
“I mean, we talk about it all of the time,” she said.
“I don’t think Jock or Andy or I come to work any day without thinking, “Is this really work?” We get paid to talk about food and eat food all day. It’s a dream come true for us.”
“To be able to judge food is a lot of fun, but there’s also a very real sense that this is someone’s life; that this is someone’s work…so you have to judge it with a deep sense of reverence and respect for what they’ve put in.”
When asked about how COVID has transformed Australia’s appetite (pun intended) for food shows and cooking more generally, Zonfrillo pointed out that people have returned to the kitchen partly because they had to. But, in his words, “there’s been a lot of weird shit, right?”
He pointed to the viral tomato and fetta pasta that made the rounds on TikTok a few months ago.
“Someone said to me the other day, “have you tried to do the fetta and tomato thing?” and I was like, “mate, jump on Ten Play and download any one of thirteen seasons worth of amazing recipes”…I think while COVID might have forced people into the kitchen initially, the novelty of that wore off pretty quick. People realised that yeah, cooking is only fun if I’m interested in doing it because I enjoy doing it.”
“I’m enjoying seeing that part of it now, Instagram full of people who are getting really good at making stuff in particular and seeing that content, as opposed to the beginning of COVID where we saw a lot of really dodgy foods.”
Leong agreed that the lockdown had given people an opportunity to ‘Masterchef themselves’, so to speak.
“I think it was a great opportunity for a lot of people to really investigate things that they had bookmarked for later.”
“I would rather see people being obsessed with learning how to cook or mastering a new food technique than…doing things that are counterproductive to their own sort of sense of humanity, and a healthy sense of who they are and what they do with their lives. So food is a great healer, and we’ve seen that in so many ways. It’s a way of answering emotional questions within ourselves.”
All three judges made sure to emphasize that Masterchef is an incredibly transformative experience for all the contestants, whether you come first or twenty fourth.
“It’s given me everything,” Allan said. “10 years ago, I was an electrician. So that puts it in perspective pretty, pretty massively. I take that with a big amount of respect. Because if it wasn’t for Masterchef, I probably would be still an electrician, I definitely wouldn’t be in food, because I just wouldn’t know how to get there.”
“I just feel very invested to give that back to the 24 contestants with everything that I have, to make sure that they get the best out of this situation as they possibly can. Because it is a life-changer for each and every one of them, not the person who wins, not the person who comes second, but from one to 24. They now have the opportunity to change their life. I really do feel quite really privileged, but also [I also have] a sense of responsibility to make sure that that they can get the most out of this experience.”
Zonfrillo agreed, “it changes 24 lives, and it starts them on a journey of food that they chose to go on. For me, certainly, I’ve been in professional kitchens for 30 years and Masterchef is just one of many ways that I’m able to give back, to show people, and help and guide them, in a way where they can find the beginning of their journey in food.”
On why Masterchef has remained so popular after airing on TV for over a decade, Leong put it succinctly.
It’s “because the hero is food.”
Then, she elaborated, “through that is the stories of the people whose lives have changed because of it – their family history, their culture, their pride – it all comes from that. It’s that unifying thing. Food connects us all, regardless of where we’ve come from in the world, what our personal backstory is. If you love food, then then we have something in common.”
For Allan, there was another core answer: “the production.”
“The production is so slick, but it’s so caring. They contribute so much more than us and, they contribute so much for the contestants [and] to making this show what it is.”
10’s Executive Producer for Masterchef Rick Maier said that part of the show’s success was the original promotion of Masterchef as a season.
“It’s that great feeling of being with friends and family that comes as we head into winter. That’s always stuck with me. The show generates emotion. The contestants generate engagement – this is not a show about conflict – it’s about encouragement, nurture, inclusiveness and growth.”
The 13th season of Masterchef will premiere on Monday 19th April.
Please login with linkedin to comment
MasterChefLatest News
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Appoints Ardent For PR
Yes, we all like to have a joke at PR's expense. But sometimes it does important work, like this.
AI, eCommerce & Marketing Specialists Are In Increased Demand By Businesses, New Data From Fiverr Shows
Has your philosophy & anthropology degree left you with nothing but a huge HECS debt? Here's what you should've studied.
Perth’s First 3D Anamorphic Billboard Arrives Courtesy Of oOh!media
Do you love a buzzword? Now you can add anamorphic to the list as it relates to billboards, not a colleague's ears.
MasterChef Australia & Crown Resorts Launch Unique Dining Experience With ALUMNI
A pop-up restaurant staffed by MasterChef contestants! That's fine dining prices for first-year apprentice chef cuisine!
Amanda Laing Announces Resignation From Foxtel Group
Foxtel's chief commercial & content officer heads for the exits. Read nice things the bosses said about her right here.
The Lost Letters From Our Diggers: News Corp Unveils ANZAC Day Special
It's nice when brands respectfully acknowledge ANZAC Day.
Howatson+Company Acquires Akkomplice
Large indie acquires a slightly smaller indie. Much like a shark eating a tuna, just with less thrashing and blood.
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Again
In good news for the sale of picture library biscuit photos, Google continues to tease over the end of cookies.
Education A Low Priority For Aussies More Concerned With Cost Of Living Forethought Study Reveals
Study finds Aussies cutting back on education due to cost of living. Booze & Uber Eats sales remain largely unaffected.
“I’m Still The Same Person That I Was”: Rikki Stern Says “Fucc It” To Cancer Stereotypes
B&T always happy to promote the anti-cancer cause. Even brands that massively overdo it with the hot pink.
The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing
Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.
TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges
MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.
Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit
A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.
Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day
B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.
Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership
Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.
Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute
Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.
Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign
As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.
Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity
Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.
DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc
DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.
Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community
Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.
Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X
Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.
Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign
Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.
Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech
This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.