With a shakeup of the judging panel comes a whole new feel for the upcoming season of MasterChef Australia, and we get a glimpse of this in the show’s first trailer.
Channel 10 has released a teaser clip for season 16 of the popular cooking show, in which judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling-Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli are seen walking side-by-side.
“MasterChef absolutely changed my life,” Yeow says in a voiceover. “Being here now, in a new capacity as a judge, feels like a beautiful full-circle moment.”
Food critic and journalist Levin adds that “joining this family, this community of food lovers, is a sheer delight and privilege”.
Allen shares a sneak peak of what’s expected from contestants, explaining “this season is all about passion, giving it everything you’ve got, putting it all on a plate and creating extraordinary food".
MasterChef Australia 2024 judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli. Photo: Channel 10
We see footage of the four judges trying food presented to them by people wearing MasterChef aprons, though it’s not quite clear if they are actual contestants or merely actors.
The network has also announced that the show will premiere on Monday, April 22.
Earlier this month it was revealed that Masterchef will feature three episodes that have been filmed in Hong Kong.
Yeow, who finished as the runner-up behind Julie Goodwin in Season 1 of MasterChef in 2009, said shooting in Hong Kong was particularly special for her.
"Hong Kong was another full circle moment for me," she recently told Missing Perspectives.
"I got eliminated just before the show went there in Season 1 but it was worth the wait. I’ve left with my mind crazy with inspiration for Chinese food again and missing the possibility of a midnight bowl of beef brisket noodles.”
In 2024, previous judge Andy Allen returns to the show and is joined by Yeow, Levin and Novelli. It comes after judge Jock Zonfrillo’s death last year.
Melissa Leong, who was a judge alongside Allen and Zonfrillo since 2020, won’t be returning to the main MasterChef series as a judge, but will continue as a judge on Dessert Masters.
In an interview with Missing Perspectives last year, Leong welcomed the casting of the new judges, especially Yeow, a fellow Asian woman.
“There are nuanced perspectives within the Asian diaspora that we want and need to hear and see,” Leong said at the time. “And every time someone new steps up to the plate or that we have a different mix of group dynamic, that's just a thing to celebrate.”
The 16th season of the reality show will feature a fresh lineup of home cooks competing for the title of MasterChef Australia winner. There will also be some celebrity guest judges, with Jamie Oliver already confirmed to be in the mix.
MasterChef Australia 2024 premieres on Monday, April 22 on Channel 10 and 10 Play. Watch the first-look trailer below: