Series synopsis
MasterChef is an American reality television series that premiered on FOX on July 27, 2010. It was created by Franc Roddam. It stars Gordon Ramsay, Christina Tosi, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich.
MasterChef is a Polish television series based on a British television cooking game show under the same title. It premiered on TVN on 2 September 2012. The show is presented by Magda Gessler, who also presents a Polish version of Kitchen Nightmares on the same channel. She also serves as the head judge and is joined on the panel by Michel Moran and Anna Starmach.
Premise
MasterChef is a Polish television series based on a British television cooking game show under the same title. It premiered on TVN on 2 September 2012. The show is presented by Magda Gessler, who also presents a Polish version of Kitchen Nightmares on the same channel. She also serves as the head judge and is joined on the panel by Michel Moran and Anna Starmach.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Gordon Ramsay as Self - Judge
- Christina Tosi as Self - Judge
- Aarón Sánchez as Self - Judge
- Joe Bastianich as Self - Judge
- Graham Elliot as Self - Judge
- Tiffany Derry as Self - Judge
- Nigella Lawson as Self - Guest Judge
- Alessandra Ambrosio as Self - Guest
Supporting cast
- Candace Nelson as Self - Guest Judge
- Grant Achatz as Self - Guest
- Eddie Jackson as Self
- Masaharu Morimoto as Self - Guest
- Emeril Lagasse as Self - Guest Chef / Judge
- Michael Mina as Self - Guest Chef / Judge
- Nancy Silverton as Self - Guest Chef / Judge
- Daphne Oz as Self - Guest Judge
- Jonathan Waxman as Self - Guest Chef / Judge
- Nick Nappi as Self - Judge
- Edward Lee as Self - Judge
- Wolfgang Puck as Self - Judge
Guest cast
- Graham Elliot as Self - Judge
- Tiffany Derry as Self - Judge
- Nigella Lawson as Self - Guest Judge
- Alessandra Ambrosio as Self - Guest
- Candace Nelson as Self - Guest Judge
- Grant Achatz as Self - Guest
- Eddie Jackson as Self
- Masaharu Morimoto as Self - Guest
- Emeril Lagasse as Self - Guest Chef / Judge
- Michael Mina as Self - Guest Chef / Judge
- Nancy Silverton as Self - Guest Chef / Judge
- Daphne Oz as Self - Guest Judge
Episodes
This series spans 17 seasons with 308 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 4 | January 18, 2016 | May 22, 2019 |
| Season 1 | 8 | July 27, 2010 | December 28, 2010 |
| Season 2 | 20 | June 6, 2011 | March 14, 2013 |
| Season 3 | 20 | June 4, 2012 | July 30, 2017 |
| Season 4 | 25 | May 22, 2013 | May 7, 2018 |
| Season 5 | 19 | May 26, 2014 | May 22, 2019 |
| Season 6 | 20 | May 20, 2015 | June 17, 2020 |
| Season 7 | 19 | June 1, 2016 | June 9, 2021 |
| Season 8 | 21 | May 30, 2017 | June 15, 2022 |
| Season 9 | 23 | May 30, 2018 | June 15, 2023 |
| Season 10 | 25 | May 29, 2019 | June 13, 2024 |
| Season 11 | 18 | June 2, 2021 | June 25, 2025 |
| Season 12 | 20 | May 25, 2022 | June 25, 2026 |
| Season 13 | 20 | May 24, 2023 | September 20, 2023 |
| Season 14 | 19 | May 29, 2024 | September 18, 2024 |
| Season 15 | 18 | May 21, 2025 | September 17, 2025 |
| Season 16 | 9 | April 15, 2026 | September 9, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Celebrity Showdown (2016) Get ready for the ultimate snack-down when award-winning judge Gordon Ramsay and renowned pastry chef Christina Tosi invite celebrities into the MasterChef kitchen to battle it out against each other for charity. The 2-hour special tests the culinary skills of the celebrity competitors, and also pits previous MasterChef winners against some of MasterChef Junior's Season 4 contestants, as they compete in culinary showdowns to win a cash prize for the charities of their choice. Celebrity Competitors Include Supermodels Gigi Hadid and Devon Windsor; Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Terry Crews and wife, Rebecca Crews; The Last Man on Earth's Boris Kodjoe and wife, Nicole Ari Parker; and Empire's Kaitlin Doubleday and Ta'Rhonda Jones; as well as MasterChef Winners Luca Manfe, Christine Ha, and Claudia Sandoval; and MasterChef Junior Season 4 Contestants Addison, Amaya, and Zac. |
January 18, 2016 |
| 2 |
Celebrity Showdown (2017) Get ready for the ultimate snack-down when chef Gordon Ramsay and pastry chef Christina Tosi invite celebrities into the MasterChef kitchen to show off their culinary skills and compete in head-to-head contests for charity. |
January 2, 2017 |
| 3 |
Celebrity Family Showdown (2019) Part 1 Celebrities and their family members show off their culinary skills in exciting challenges for charity. First up: Johnny Weir and his brother Boz go head-to-head with Tara Lipinski and her husband Todd in a fish dish showdown. Then, in a reality TV Blind Taste Test, Lisa Vanderpump and her daughter, Pandora, compete against "Jersey Shore" costars Snooki and JWoww. |
May 15, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Auditions (1) The search for a culinary master begins. |
July 27, 2010 |
| 2 |
Auditions (2) The home cooks endure an intense grilling. |
August 3, 2010 |
| 3 |
Top 14 The Top 14 are revealed. |
August 10, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Audition 1 100 amateur chefs are flown to Los Angeles to see if they have what it takes to be the next MasterChef. The contestants prepare their signature dishes for the panel of judges. Only those who impress the judges with their presentation, creativity, and originality will get an apron and move onto the next round. |
June 6, 2011 |
| 2 |
Audition 2 Round 2 begins with the amateur chefs trying to impress the judges with their signature dishes. Contestants compete for a chance to win the MasterChef apron which guarantees them a spot in the next round. |
June 7, 2011 |
| 3 |
Audition 3 & Top 38 Revealed The field has been narrowed down, and the top 38 are revealed. |
June 13, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Auditions (1) After a nationwide search, only the best amateur cooks – including a stock broker, a professional opera singer, a plastic surgeon, as well as the first blind cook to enter the competition - were flown to Los Angeles for a chance to prepare their signature dishes and present them to the judges. The judges will taste for flavor, originality, creativity and presentation. But most importantly, the amateur cooks must demonstrate a genuine passion for food and a drive to win in order to earn a coveted white apron and move on to the next round. |
June 4, 2012 |
| 2 |
Auditions (2) The auditions continue as the judges critique the good and the bad and continue to winnow down the competition. Those who impress the judges will earn a coveted white apron and move one step closer to becoming the next MasterChef. |
June 5, 2012 |
| 3 |
Auditions (3) and Top 36 Bootcamp The final round of auditions is held in Los Angeles. Then, the 36 remaining hopefuls compete in a ground-beef challenge in hopes of earning a spot in the Top 18. |
June 11, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Auditions No. 1 Home cooks present dishes to the judges. |
May 22, 2013 |
| 2 |
Auditions No. 2 Home cooks present dishes to the judges. |
May 22, 2013 |
| 3 |
Top 19 Revealed The judges pare down the competition in the final round of auditions; the cooks take on a lamb challenge; the top 19 contestants face a mystery box challenge; the contestants face elimination. |
May 29, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Top 30 Compete Host award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, along with fellow judges restaurateur Joe Bastianich and acclaimed chef Graham Elliot return for Season Five, putting the latest group of contestants through a series of challenging elimination rounds and turning one home cook into a culinary master. |
May 26, 2014 |
| 2 |
Top 22 Compete The contestants must prepare a unique dish in the first mystery box challenge -- which features ingredients typically used in desserts; in the next round, the contestants prepare a classic American dish. |
June 2, 2014 |
| 3 |
Top 20 Compete The cooks compete to feed 500 male and female troops on a desert Army base; the losing team faces a pressure test featuring blueberry pie. |
June 9, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Let the Battle Commence | May 20, 2015 |
| 2 |
The Battle Continues After the Battle for the Apron concludes, the Top 22 home cooks in America will face their first Mystery Box Challenge. Each contestant is given 20 staple ingredients that anyone could find in their home and tasked with preparing a dish for the judges -- were the judges to show up at their homes for dinner. The winner of the Mystery Box Challenge will receive a significant advantage in the season's first pressure test, during which contestants must make their versions of an apple pie. |
May 27, 2015 |
| 3 |
You're the Apple of My Eye The Top 22 home cooks in America will face their first Mystery Box Challenge. Each contestant is given 20 staple ingredients that anyone could find in their home and tasked with preparing a dish for the judges -- were the judges to show up at their homes for dinner. The winner of the Mystery Box Challenge will receive a significant advantage in the season's first pressure test, during which contestants must make their versions of an apple pie. |
May 27, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Battle for a White Apron, Part 1 Forty of the best home cooks in America travel to Los Angeles to compete in the Battle of the Apron challenge and attempt to move forward to compete for the title, a cookbook deal, and the $250,000 grand prize. Judging the battle rounds will be Ramsay and Tosi. |
June 1, 2016 |
| 2 |
Battle for a White Apron, Part 2 The chefs have use their culinary skills as the Battle of the Apron challenge continues. |
June 8, 2016 |
| 3 |
Wolfgang Puck After the Battle of the Apron concludes, the Top 20 home cooks in America meet the first guest judge of the season – culinary icon Wolfgang Puck.. |
June 15, 2016 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Battle for a White Apron, Pt. 1 In the Season Eight premiere episode, 40 of America's best home cooks travel to Los Angeles to compete in the MASTERCHEF Battle for a White Apron challenge, during which they will face off against each other to try to earn a place in the Top 20. Judging the battle rounds will be Gordon Ramsay, Christina Tosi, and new judge and award-winning chef Aarón Sánchez, who will taste for flavor, creativity and presentation. After each battle, the judges will decide whom they think deserves to make it to the next round and a chance to compete for the coveted title. |
May 31, 2017 |
| 2 |
Battle for a White Apron, Pt. 2 In Part Two of the Battle for a White Apron, the remaining chefs compete for a spot in the Top 20. Only nine aprons remain and it will be up to the judges to decide who makes it and who goes home. |
June 7, 2017 |
| 3 |
America's Grocery Bag Top 20 will have to take 12 of the most popular ingredients found on any American home cook’s shopping list and make the judges a MASTERCHEF-worthy dish. |
June 14, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Judges Do Battle (1) Judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich each will have eight aprons to hand out to the home cooks whom they deem worthy – and they then will mentor those contestants throughout the competition. |
May 30, 2018 |
| 2 |
The Judges Do Battle (2) The three judges each choose eight home cooks to mentor throughout the competition. |
May 30, 2018 |
| 3 |
The Judges Do Battle (3) Forty-three of America’s finest home cooks compete in the Battle of the Apron challenge, during which they will face off against each other to earn a spot in the Top 24. |
June 6, 2018 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Epic 10th Season Auditions - Pt. 1 Thirty-six home cooks arrive with the intent of being placed in the Top 20, but the contestants must pass the audition rounds and impress the judges to earn the coveted apron; the contestants hope to earn a valuable "Judges' Pass." |
May 29, 2019 |
| 2 |
Auditions - Pt. 2 / The Battle Round Only eight aprons are left for the hopeful home cooks to earn so they can pass through the audition rounds, where they have less than 45 minutes to prepare their signature dish and leave the judges wanting for more before the Top 20 are chosen. |
June 5, 2019 |
| 3 |
Gordon's Mystery Box The Top 20 must quickly demonstrate their culinary expertise before they encounter their first mystery box challenge, where they must create a Ramsay-inspired dish, but only 18 home cooks can progress further in the competition. |
June 12, 2019 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Emeril Lagasse: Auditions Round 1 Home cooks serve up their signature dishes to the judges; guest judge Emeril Lagasse. |
June 2, 2021 |
| 2 |
Curtis Stone: Auditions Round 2 The cooks have 45 minutes to impress the judges, including Curtis Stone. |
June 9, 2021 |
| 3 |
Paula Deen: Auditions Round 3 The final audition round of the season; guest judge Paula Deen. |
June 16, 2021 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Audition Battles (1) Season 12 of MASTERCHEF is all about redemption, when All-Star competitors from the last 11 seasons return to the show to see if they have learned from their past mistakes. For the first time ever, MASTERCHEF is re-opening the door to some of the most memorable and talented cooks in the competition's history, including two MASTERCHEF Junior Edition cooks now competing as adults! 40 chefs get called back to audition, but only 20 will claim a coveted white apron. The returning chefs compete in groups of four in head-to-head audition battles. In each round, the two chefs that create the most impressive comeback dish will secure a spot this season. |
May 25, 2022 |
| 2 |
Audition Battles (2) The audition battles continue this week on the most competitive season of MASTERCHEF yet. For those who fell short in past seasons, these auditions are a chance to fulfill their culinary dreams. This week, three chefs who competed on MASTERCHEF JUNIOR enter the kitchen for the first time as adults. |
June 1, 2022 |
| 3 |
Audition Battles (3) With only six aprons left, the judges round out auditions and give a lucky few chefs a chance to return to the MasterChef kitchen. Each 45-minute audition battle brings the contestants one step closer to being in the top 20. |
June 8, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Regional Auditions - The Northeast The contestants must get at least three yes votes this season to earn an apron, and in today's episode it is contestants from the Northeast region. Daphne Oz is the guest judge. The first contestant competing for an apron is Carla and she does not advance. Richie is the next contestant and he advances with three yes votes. Nina is next and earns three yes votes and an apron. Purvi is next and her dish impressed all four judges earning her an apron. Eddie is next and only gets two yes votes therefore he did not advance; however, Joe offers him training in some of his restaurants after the show. Ross also fails his audition. Brynn is next and earns four yes votes and an apron. Ryan is the day's last auditionee and gets three yes votes earning him the final apron for the Northeast region. |
May 24, 2023 |
| 2 |
Regional Auditions - The Midwest The Midwest region contestants begin their auditions, with Graham Elliot joining as the guest judge. Grant is the first contestant up and gets three yes votes and the first apron. Sarah is next and also gets three yes votes and an apron. Kevin gets two no votes to start with and does not advance. Yomira is next, and while it is not stated how many no votes she received, she does not earn an apron. Marquela is next and has the same negative result. Charles is next and gets four yes votes and the third apron of the night. Wayne is next and also gets four yes votes and an apron. Kyle and Trevor have their auditions shown intermingled with each other, in the end Trevor does not earn an apron but Kyle does. |
May 31, 2023 |
| 3 |
Regional Auditions - The West The West region contestants begin their auditions. This week the guest judge is Susan Feniger. Lizzie is the first contestant to audition and she earns four yes votes earning her the night's first apron. Both GiGi and Tyson fail their auditions. Amanda is next earning three out of four yes votes earning her the next apron. Megan auditions next and only gets two yes votes. Madame Donut is the next contestant and she gets four yes votes earning her the next apron. Kennedy also gets an apron with four yes votes. James and Calvin have their auditions intermingled; Calvin does not win an apron but James does. |
June 7, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Millennials Auditions Season 14 of MasterChef brings together amateur cooks from four generations - Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen Z and Gen X - to prove that age does not matter in the kitchen. In the first round of auditions, the Millennial chefs prepare their signature dishes for judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich and guest judge Priya Krishna. Five home cooks will receive a coveted white apron and move on in the hopes of claiming the title of the next MasterChef champion, a trophy and $250,000. |
May 29, 2024 |
| 2 |
Baby Boomer Auditions The auditions continue as the Baby Boomer chefs battle it out for a coveted spot in the top 20. Each contestant has 45 minutes to prepare a signature dish that impresses the judges in order to continue on in the competition. |
June 5, 2024 |
| 3 |
Gen Z Auditions The Gen Z chefs are next up in the audition round. Each contestant has 45 minutes to prepare a signature dish that will impress the judges and secure a spot in the top 20. |
June 12, 2024 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Audition Battles Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianich welcome new judge, Award winning chef Tiffany Derry, as they embark on their search for America’s best home cook duos. And it all starts with Audition Battles, as eight pairs of home cooks go head-to-head fighting to win legendary white aprons. |
May 21, 2025 |
| 2 |
Audition Battles Continue The remaining eight pairs of home cooks go head-to-head in the audition battles, for a chance to win coveted white aprons. |
May 28, 2025 |
| 3 |
Second Chance Battles The duos who failed to get white aprons in the audition rounds, get a surprise second chance; four duos redeem themselves and join the top eight white apron winners, securing a prized place in the top 12. |
June 4, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Auditions Day 1 (Europe) Eight home cooks kick off the audition rounds inspired by Europe. |
April 15, 2026 |
| 2 |
Auditions Day 2 (Asia-Pacific) Eight home cooks compete to represent their heritage from the Asia-Pacific region. |
April 22, 2026 |
| 3 |
Auditions Day 3: Africa Tonight, the audition rounds continue with eight new home cooks facing off for a chance to represent Africa. The cooks must take risks and bring the flavor in order to earn a place in the competition. Only five cooks will secure an apron |
April 29, 2026 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | FOX |
|---|---|
| First aired | July 27, 2010 |
| Last aired | June 3, 2026 |
| Runtime | 80 minutes |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Wednesday at 20:00:00 |