Celebrity MasterChef Australia

Last updated

Celebrity MasterChef Australia
Celebrity MasterChef Australia 2021 Landscape Logo.png
Celebrity MasterChef Australia logo
Genre Cooking
Game show
Judges
Narrated by Nicholas McKay (2009)
Theme music composer Katy Perry
Opening theme Hot n Cold
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes23
Production
Executive producersPaul Franklin
Cathie Scott
Production locations Sydney, New South Wales (2009)
Melbourne, Victoria (2021)
Running time60 minutes (including commercials)
Original release
Network Network 10
Release30 September (2009-09-30) 
25 November 2009 (2009-11-25)
Release10 October 2021 (2021-10-10) 
present

Celebrity MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking game show. It is a spin-off of MasterChef Australia , itself an adaptation of the British show MasterChef , and features celebrity contestants.

Contents

The first series began production in early September 2009, and premiered on Network Ten on 30 September 2009. [1] Judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan returned from MasterChef Australia for the first series of the show, with Calombaris and Mehigan also taking over as hosts from Sarah Wilson. Former world-record holder and Olympic medallist swimmer Eamon Sullivan won the first series, taking home $50,000 for charity Swim Survive Stay Alive.

On 25 May 2021, it was announced that a second series of Celebrity MasterChef Australia had been commissioned, 12 years after the first edition had aired, it premiered on 10 October 2021 . [2] [3] Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo undertook the role of judges in the new series. [4]

Format (2009 show)

In contrast to its parent show, the 2009 celebrity version was based around a heats and semi-finals format similar to MasterChef Goes Large , and was aired only once a week in an hourly format. [1] [5]

Celebrities were split into groups of three as they competed in a heat round featuring two challenges, with one celebrity making their way from each heat into the semi-finals. The heats consisted of an Invention Test, in which they prepared a dish of their own concoction, and a Pressure Test, in which they had to complete a dish prepared by a professional chef. Due to the difficulty of these dishes, contestants were given a single "lifeline" in which the chef was able to aid them for 90 seconds.

The six remaining celebrities then faced further challenges in order to secure their place in the final. [6]

Hosts and judges

Timeline of hosts, judges and other personnel
StarringSeries
1 2
Jock Zonfrillo Host & Judge
Melissa Leong Host & Judge
Andy Allen Host & Judge
Gary Mehigan Host & Judge
George Calombaris Host & Judge
Matt Preston Judge

Winners

SeriesContestantOccupationDate Won
1 Eamon Sullivan Olympic swimmer25 November 2009
2 Nick Riewoldt AFL player22 November 2021

Series synopsis

Series 1 (2009)

Celebrity MasterChef Australia, a spin-off featuring celebrities as contestants began production in early September 2009, and aired for ten weeks starting from 30 September 2009. [1] The celebrity version, which features a heats and semi-finals format similar to MasterChef Goes Large, is based around weekly episodes. [1] [7]

The host of the first series of MasterChef Australia, Sarah Wilson, did not return to host the show. [8] Ten states that she was dropped because "the appropriate role for Sarah was not achievable without dramatically changing the format", [9] but Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston returned as judges, Calombaris and Mehigan took Wilson's presenting role. [10] It was won by Olympic swimmer Eamon Sullivan, who took home $50,000 for charity Swim Survive Stay Alive.

In February 2010, executive producer Mark Fennessy stated that he doubted the spin-off would return for a second series. [11]

Series 2 (2021)

On 25 May 2021, it was announced that a second edition of Celebrity MasterChef Australia had been commissioned, 12 years after the first edition had aired. It aired in late 2021. [2] [3] Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo undertook the role of judges in the new series. [4]

On 17 June 2021, Network Ten announced the 10 celebrity contestants competing on the second series of the show. [12] Former AFL player Nick Riewoldt won the series, winning $100,000 for charity Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision. [13]

Reception

Ratings

SeriesPremiere dateFinale dateEpisodesPremiere
ratings
RankFinale ratings
(Grand final)
RankFinale ratings
(Winner announced)
RankSeries Average
1 30 September 200925 November 2009101.36321.29711.187
2 10 October 202122 November 2021130.62060.70060.80550.558

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Calombaris</span> Australian chef and restaurateur

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The first series of Junior MasterChef Australia, the second spin off of the Australian reality television series MasterChef Australia, began on 12 September 2010 and aired on Network Ten. Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan returned alongside new judge, Anna Gare.

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The ninth series of the Australian cooking game show MasterChef Australia premiered on 1 May 2017 on Network Ten. Judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston from the previous series returned.

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The second series of the Australian cooking game show Celebrity MasterChef Australia premiered on 10 October 2021. Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo reprised their roles as judges from the main series of the show.

The first series of the Australian cooking game show Celebrity MasterChef Australia began production in early September 2009, and premiered on Network Ten on 30 September 2009. Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan returned as judges for the show; however Sarah Wilson did not reprise her role as host from the first season of MasterChef Australia.

The fourteenth series of the Australian cooking game show MasterChef Australia premiered on 18 April 2022 on Network 10. The format for this season is Fans & Favourites, and features 12 new contestants and 12 former contestants. Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, and Jock Zonfrillo returned to the show as judges from the previous season.

References

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  10. Knox, David (26 July 2009). "Celebrity MasterChef chop-chops Sarah Wilson". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  11. "Future of Celebrity MasterChef uncertain". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  12. Knox, David (17 June 2021). "Rebecca Gibney, Ian Thorpe, Dami Im for Celebrity MasterChef". TV Tonight. TV Tonight . Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  13. Knox, David (23 November 2021). "Nick Riewoldt wins Celebrity MasterChef 2021". TV Tonight. TV Tonight . Retrieved 23 November 2021.