MasterChef Australia is returning for its 16th season in 2024, and this year the show is ushering in a new era.
With new judges and contestants alike, this season is set to be an exciting and refreshing rendition of the much-loved show.
Andy Allen is the only judge who is returning in 2024, and he will carry on the legacy of Jock Zonfrillo who sadly passed away in April 2023.
Joining Andy on the judging panel will be MasterChef alumnus Poh Ling Yeow who was the runner up on season one of the show in 2009. Since then, Poh has gone on to host multiple cooking shows including Poh’s Kitchen and Poh & Co. She has also published multiple cookbooks.
Fresh faces entering the MasterChef kitchen in 2024 include Sofia Levin and Jean-Christopher Novelli.
Sofia Levin is a food critic and journalist from Melbourne who has been writing about food for 15 years. She also has a website, The Seasoned Traveller, which is all about celebrating cultural diversity through food. Additionally, Sofia has appeared on some TV shows including Postcards and The Cook Up with Adam Liaw.
“The first season of MasterChef Australia aired the same year I started writing about food,” Sofia said.
“By the time I graduated from journalism, I was sharing lesser-known food stories while the show was exposing the nation to cuisines and cultures they had never considered before. Becoming a judge on MasterChef feels like two parallel paths converging, and I’m giddy with excitement at the people I get to stand beside.”
Jean-Christopher Novelli is a multi-Michelin Star award-winning chef from France.
Jean-Christpher moved to the United Kingdom in 1983 where he won four Michelin stars at Gordleton Mill before he opened his own restaurant in 1997: Maison Novelli.
Since then, he has owned restaurants in the UK, France and South Africa, set up a cooking school, and has published multiple cookbooks.
“Fostering culinary talent is something I have cared about for many years, and it is a passion I am excited to share in the MasterChef kitchen,” Jean-Christopher said about joining the show.
“Australian cuisine has a remarkable reputation on the world stage, and it will be a great privilege to meet and mentor the country’s top home cooks on their journeys to greatness.”
This year, 22 incredible home-cooks will cook it out to win the title, with international superstars and friends old and new joining the family.
MasterChef Australia premieres Monday, 22 April at 7.30pm on 10 and 10Play.
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