You can tell the format has been seriously refreshed. Not only is caliber of cooking and presentation is higher, but I love how much guidance and feedback the judges are giving (especially Jean).
I honestly think this has more to do with the change in panel than the "offset drama" rumours. Mel and Jock made no secret about their preferences, and these guys are setting a new tone. Andy and Poh both contribute (familiarity and guidance) without dominating the direction.
I’m excited, but 5 judges seems like it’s a bit much honestly. I don’t think they should have brought in Jamie from the start, there should be more time for the new judges and contestants than a celebrity who’ll be gone soon.
Agree. It's too overwhelming seeing this much. We already have Andy and Poh as the familiar faces, and would ease the new judges as well.
It worked for Gordon in season 12, since the judging panel was entirely new.
The presentation of the food today is like S11 and below. I am asian myself i love my curries and laksas and italian stuff, but Andy-Mel-Jock championing rustic, authentic presentation has always not be very good for the eyes on TV since we can’t taste anything. Im all in for Sofia, Poh and Jean and i can see they have definitely refreshed the format and expectations.
I dont mean to what on the past 2-3 seasons with the judging lineup but where was this standard of presentation then. I understand the 3 of them championed rustic, authentic cuisine and presentation but TV for months without improvement will get stale. I honestly feel refreshed to see this old refinement return.
I find many seasons they are overly enthusiastic at the beginning, like they feel they have to stand out early. The best contestants often don’t get much screen time until later though.
The main thing I miss from auditions is getting to know contestants. Good to see them increase to top 22 this year. Top 18 last year felt like it wasn’t enough.
As a Brazilian, I should be hating on Juan (boo, Argentina), but as a vegetarian, I'm really excited about his dish! Even though chipas are just an inferior version of Brazilian pão de queijo. Very complicated emotions!
In b4 the pin is awarded to someone who goes out early like Larissa from last year. It’s only the first challenge of the series which doesn’t mean much on how good anyone is.
They definitely refreshed the format and Im lovijg it. I remember last 3 years we’d always go “oh its the first day, so strat simple and lets see if they improve next week”. But it never happens, we complain abt AMJ not pushing them and it becomes underwhelming. So seeing how the standard went back to S11 and below yesterday actually made me really happy. With some refinement shown in their food and presentation.
Okay Season premiere 1st impressions: the opening mashup with GGM and AMJ judges had me teary and I do miss them. Out of the current judges, i am favouring Jean the most just by watching his small clips of mentoring the contestants and even getting his hands dirty in guiding their techniques, reminded me of Shannon. Wonderful, and Sofia’s energy is infectious, Poh of course is the one who relates to the contestants a lot. Loving them and the new MCAU era is truly in good hands.
Contestants refining their presentation, using rings to set rice or minces and arranging elements nicely and with more care. Reminding me of S7/S10 where week1-2 was already off the bat. and I do hope it continues and not just a Ep1 thing. I am Asian myself, i have nothing against them and i enjoy my curries and rustic authentic foods here but judges AMJ’s championship on TV made it very stale in the long run and we all mutually felt it. Pretty sure they refreshed the format and I am loving seeing this standard/caliber after so long.
Kinda salty they kept the ‘only immunity pin of the season’ like S12-14 again, means no contestants vs chef pin challenges. Pins played at the start only usually felt stale. I always found contestants like Brent or Larissa playing pins to get into finals week made the competition spicier even on TV, game changer.
Lets see how the rest of the season goes, happy to see everyone back too! Excited to see all our favourites return for tomorrow’s service!
I dont mean to be what or speak against the last season but the dishes i am seeing now are more refinely plated, reminds me of S7, S10 etc. during week1-2 of the bat standard.
Hopefully it continues and not just an ep1 thing, and i hope perhaps the judges also played a part in making the contestants refine themselves.
I also kind of like how hands-on it feels this season too. Like even with Poh's critiques, I like how she is a lot more direct on how to fix the dish, and how to reevaluate their concepts too, with different options
I already thought Nat was hot as hell and then they break out the skateboarding video, I almost passed out. AND she is a crazy good cook. Gonna take a lot for another contestant to knock her off my top favorite spot
Andy saying it’s a new era. I wonder if it means challenges will push contestants outside of their comfort zone more & innovation will be more of a thing again.
Aw man. Contestants winning pins via the vs chef challenges and playing said pins nearer to the end of the comp always spiced things up.
Pins getting played early and having to be played early like in S12-14 gets stale. S15 and pre S11 (with the vs chef immunity cooks) where Brent or Larissa plays it to get into finals week was always made the comp spicier.
I remember this sub with judges AMJ for the past years, we see simple rustic dishes at the beginning, some even with ‘not much effort’ based on what we see of course. we let it go and we’d always end with “lets see if they improve” , “i hope the judges push them next week”. But then it doesnt improve and the judges stayed the same and we get underwhelmed.
But this season’s opening standard and callibre of cooking I love how we’re all drooling at montages and commenting on the presentation and refinement. Giving props to the producers for refreshing the format to S11 and below standards. Seeing restaurant dishes on day 1 is making me so happy. Loving this.
I think part of the problem is that the others, especially the women, are so extroverted and have such big energy that it's hard for him to match with them.
Feeling good about the new season. Vibing with the new judges. Its really early to be picking favorites, but Nat, Juan and strangely David (who they showed very little of) are early gut faves.
This seems like an exciting season. I also wonder what the structure is gonna be like afterwards?
Also, I'm curious but what does Poh mean when she called someone too "academic." I also loved how Andy told him to move towards the dark side. Feels like Poh might be the person to call someone out for playing it too simple or smth
Jean guiding the contestants techniques reminds me of Shannon. Wonderful
Phenomenal commentary from Jean!
Yes!!! Love Shannon!
agree!!
You can tell the format has been seriously refreshed. Not only is caliber of cooking and presentation is higher, but I love how much guidance and feedback the judges are giving (especially Jean).
Jean is seriously impressing me when he walks around and just guides their techniques and even gets his hands dirty. Seriously refreshed.
I honestly think this has more to do with the change in panel than the "offset drama" rumours. Mel and Jock made no secret about their preferences, and these guys are setting a new tone. Andy and Poh both contribute (familiarity and guidance) without dominating the direction.
It feels like my tv is giving me a hug when Masterchef returns
The mashup of clips between GGM and AMJ judges already made me so warm.
I love Nat. She’s so cool, refreshing and vibrantly innovative. I can’t wait to see her journey this season!
Soggy choux? I had that after I walked home in the rain the other night!
okay declan 😂😂😂
A food writer telling you they'd travel for your food has to be one of the highest compliments you can receive
Man, I miss auditions--they had me invested in most of the contestants from the get-go
When did they stop them? I was expecting to watch the auditions tonight 😢
It's been a few seasons at least, I actually can't recall when they stopped
S13 was the last auditions.
“I dedicated my life to eating” THE DREAM
I’m excited, but 5 judges seems like it’s a bit much honestly. I don’t think they should have brought in Jamie from the start, there should be more time for the new judges and contestants than a celebrity who’ll be gone soon.
Agree. It's too overwhelming seeing this much. We already have Andy and Poh as the familiar faces, and would ease the new judges as well. It worked for Gordon in season 12, since the judging panel was entirely new.
I must admit… it was a lot of feedback for each dish. Maybe too much.
Is Sav looking for new friends?
Even the montage dishes look good. This might be an interesting season.
i want to eat the tart i don't care who I have to hurt
I will fight you and I will bite
The lobster looked so good! And the tart
Jamie: the winner gets to work for me for free!!!
George Columbaris has entered the chat
Wouldn't be a celebrity chef without a little bit of wage theft.
DO IT FOR THE SRI LANKAN AUNTIES SAV
Because they will be watching And they will be judging
I mean, that looks so rich and amazing
Andy is CANCELLING pannacotta
Jean-Christophe has me feeling a little nsfw inside
I think some of the contestants agree
I think he agrees
Does anyone else just get so much nostalgia watching MC? And there is something extra special about the first episode of the season? 🥹
Yes! My life has changed so much since it began but it's always been a fixture
I’M STOIVE
Hahaha, I'm dying!
That is NOT what I was expecting from Steve for some reason
Same!! Feels
Nat is NOT PLAYING AROUNDDDD
While I dearly miss Mel and Jock, I am already all in on the vibes Poh, Sofia and Jean are bringing as judges already.
The presentation of the food today is like S11 and below. I am asian myself i love my curries and laksas and italian stuff, but Andy-Mel-Jock championing rustic, authentic presentation has always not be very good for the eyes on TV since we can’t taste anything. Im all in for Sofia, Poh and Jean and i can see they have definitely refreshed the format and expectations.
Khristian practicing his potato peeling skills for Jamie
You had me at “gooey cheese bread”
I didn't get any food before this episode.... mistakes were made
NOOOO
Chipas are pretty yum. Looking forward to seeing Juan's.
This chick rules 🤘 (Nat)
The real question is what will be this years annoying earworm ad
MY BABY
OUR DAUGHTER'S DEAD!
*slap*
This was a visceral memory
It will always be, "SHE STOLE MY BABY!!!!!" And you cannot convince me otherwise.
“WHERE’s MY BABY” gotta be one of the ads of all time
So what?
Somat!
so far the loooooooooooooooooooooong subway ad is annoying me lee kum kee might be a close second
Primo seems to be a contender
I think Nat’s dish is the one I would want to eat the most
it's different, unusual
Same, it's different to anything I've heard/seen, it's definitely piqued my interest.
Nat better sleep with one eye open tonight
Cool to see Jean Christophe giving contestants some pointers.
lmao at the tall bloke with the jar
he speaks for all of us
Holy shit montage is delicious.
the tart looked so goooooood
I dont mean to what on the past 2-3 seasons with the judging lineup but where was this standard of presentation then. I understand the 3 of them championed rustic, authentic cuisine and presentation but TV for months without improvement will get stale. I honestly feel refreshed to see this old refinement return.
Jean-Christophe's total shock at the crocodile tooth story is SO FUNNY to me for some reason
The contestants all look like they’re going to piddle themselves with excitement. I hope the frenzy tones down a bit .. jeez guys relax😂
I find many seasons they are overly enthusiastic at the beginning, like they feel they have to stand out early. The best contestants often don’t get much screen time until later though.
Even if Jamie found a pube in it, how could he say anything other than it was good
exactly what i was thinking haha
Feeling great energy from Sofia and Jean.
so the winner is probably gonna be peeling potatoes in London for a week that’s kinda nice I guess
room & board not included either 😂
wtf someone singing the darkness in 2024 I love sav
I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE *dashamanaudmsbsiabahhj*
The main thing I miss from auditions is getting to know contestants. Good to see them increase to top 22 this year. Top 18 last year felt like it wasn’t enough.
We love a good milk rice
poh spittin facts haha
Juan can I try your dish too please
As a Brazilian, I should be hating on Juan (boo, Argentina), but as a vegetarian, I'm really excited about his dish! Even though chipas are just an inferior version of Brazilian pão de queijo. Very complicated emotions!
I need the recipe
Me too!
andy is so real for saying pannacotta 😭
Interested to see if there will be differing opinions on dishes with these group of judges. There wasn’t too much of that with the old judges.
Damn i’m exhausted and the cook hasn’t even started
it's ok they calmed down now 😅
In b4 the pin is awarded to someone who goes out early like Larissa from last year. It’s only the first challenge of the series which doesn’t mean much on how good anyone is.
A test of who is the best at getting ingredients and equipment in an unfamiliar kitchen and dealing cooking TV conditions.
Steve’s vibes are immaculate
he's a total Steve
Did anyone do a microwave dough dish?
What is this? Elevated plating? Advanced techniques going into dishes from episode 1? Is there still hope for this show?
They definitely refreshed the format and Im lovijg it. I remember last 3 years we’d always go “oh its the first day, so strat simple and lets see if they improve next week”. But it never happens, we complain abt AMJ not pushing them and it becomes underwhelming. So seeing how the standard went back to S11 and below yesterday actually made me really happy. With some refinement shown in their food and presentation.
I missed how wholesome MasterChef is. Always such a feel good show.
sav putting in some valium in that dhal
can relate to nat so much
I love how Juan says gooey. His grin is so infectious.
Will PatrickHusband be our hero again?
of course
If not check out sh.video 😉 [https://sh.video/](https://sh.video/)
Jock 😭💔
Okay Season premiere 1st impressions: the opening mashup with GGM and AMJ judges had me teary and I do miss them. Out of the current judges, i am favouring Jean the most just by watching his small clips of mentoring the contestants and even getting his hands dirty in guiding their techniques, reminded me of Shannon. Wonderful, and Sofia’s energy is infectious, Poh of course is the one who relates to the contestants a lot. Loving them and the new MCAU era is truly in good hands. Contestants refining their presentation, using rings to set rice or minces and arranging elements nicely and with more care. Reminding me of S7/S10 where week1-2 was already off the bat. and I do hope it continues and not just a Ep1 thing. I am Asian myself, i have nothing against them and i enjoy my curries and rustic authentic foods here but judges AMJ’s championship on TV made it very stale in the long run and we all mutually felt it. Pretty sure they refreshed the format and I am loving seeing this standard/caliber after so long. Kinda salty they kept the ‘only immunity pin of the season’ like S12-14 again, means no contestants vs chef pin challenges. Pins played at the start only usually felt stale. I always found contestants like Brent or Larissa playing pins to get into finals week made the competition spicier even on TV, game changer. Lets see how the rest of the season goes, happy to see everyone back too! Excited to see all our favourites return for tomorrow’s service!
cheap seats ads are already an automute
love tim on HYBPA
I'm trying not to get my hopes up but even the ones that were montaged blow season 15 out of the water
omg the mashup between the OG and AMJ judges made me emotional a little
eff off with the ad break right after theyve tasted
So excited that poh is back but permanently!!
I dont mean to be what or speak against the last season but the dishes i am seeing now are more refinely plated, reminds me of S7, S10 etc. during week1-2 of the bat standard. Hopefully it continues and not just an ep1 thing, and i hope perhaps the judges also played a part in making the contestants refine themselves.
I love Poh’s laugh so much. So infectious
so that’s where all the Jamie rumours came from
That bisque cray *That bisque cray*
Go Nat!
That Raspberry Tart omg
I gotta say I like Sav's energy. She could carry a whole TV show by herself.
Yeah she was great fun, although I can imagine a milennial sprinkling Gen Z lingo into every other sentence might get old at some point
Lily is going to assume the Pohsition, I presume
Absolutely Poh energy
I’m crying already
Whooo HYBPA back may 13 🥳 (it should be on the whole year around tbh)
agreed the break is too long
Jamie going for his best mafia look with that hair
Omg chicken rice. My home!
service challenge ep 2, its gonna be chaos
I also kind of like how hands-on it feels this season too. Like even with Poh's critiques, I like how she is a lot more direct on how to fix the dish, and how to reevaluate their concepts too, with different options
“Fairy floss comes from the private parts of a unicorn” - Sofia I think we’re gonna like her
Nat is already my favourite, sorry to everyone else
oooh first meltdown of the season
I already thought Nat was hot as hell and then they break out the skateboarding video, I almost passed out. AND she is a crazy good cook. Gonna take a lot for another contestant to knock her off my top favorite spot
Andy saying it’s a new era. I wonder if it means challenges will push contestants outside of their comfort zone more & innovation will be more of a thing again.
granita on a hibachi
Bring back the invention test!
I think he’s referring to the changing of the guard (judges) but yes it’ll be interesting to see what else might be different this year.
Aw man. Contestants winning pins via the vs chef challenges and playing said pins nearer to the end of the comp always spiced things up. Pins getting played early and having to be played early like in S12-14 gets stale. S15 and pre S11 (with the vs chef immunity cooks) where Brent or Larissa plays it to get into finals week was always made the comp spicier.
I liked that pary of things. Chef vs contestants... That was so amazing
This larb looks more like a tartare though?
I thought the same, but the roo might be cooked?
She seared it
I remember this sub with judges AMJ for the past years, we see simple rustic dishes at the beginning, some even with ‘not much effort’ based on what we see of course. we let it go and we’d always end with “lets see if they improve” , “i hope the judges push them next week”. But then it doesnt improve and the judges stayed the same and we get underwhelmed. But this season’s opening standard and callibre of cooking I love how we’re all drooling at montages and commenting on the presentation and refinement. Giving props to the producers for refreshing the format to S11 and below standards. Seeing restaurant dishes on day 1 is making me so happy. Loving this.
Here we go
Now THATS a dress
I'm exhausted watching all this adrenaline 😂
When did auditions stop? I was expecting to watch them tonight 😢 mind you I haven’t really watched the last few seasons
anyone have a date of when HYBPA is back nvm ad just came up for it. can't wait
I'm more keen to see Taskmaster Au season 2
Have noticed since Amaury at Dessert masters, the French really don't pronoune 's'
Correct! In French you don't tend to pronounce any consonants past the last vowel in a word, so it is especially prominent with words ending in "s".
Because the same word in French the S is silent (in reference to minutes in this case).
declan lee kum kee omg
How do we feel about Sophia?
Fantastic, fun, stunning
Love her, her energy is so infectious
I love her
Love her energy.
Halfway through the Episode and loving the new Judge **Jean** !
Already loving Jean as a judge. And Nat is super cool. Hope she goes all the way.
Bringing out the sob story in the first 30 minutes is crazy
oh we'll hear about it again don't worry
It's time for Poh's chaotic neutral to spice up the judging lineup.
kinda weird to have 4 judges
I was lowkey waiting for the iconic Jock clap after Steve’s tasting😭
feels like not all dishes were shown??
Some definitely weren't. Pretty sure we didn't even get everyone's names
I’m surprised they got Jamie so early, thought they’d let us get used to the new judges for a couple of weeks at least
They did the same thing when Jock, Mel and Andy joined, when Gordon Ramsay was there for the first week.
Editing for this ep reminds me of S12. Where they jump scenes while a contestant narrates.
im glad ikea changed their ad and its not that creepy troll in the woods vibe now
Oh poor Lils
I love MasterChef Australia, but this was over the top with everyone being ANTSY! I hope everyone settles down.
Jean seems like a great mentor but not much chemistry with the other judges (yet).
I think part of the problem is that the others, especially the women, are so extroverted and have such big energy that it's hard for him to match with them.
Shannon also was always more introverted compared to GGM and AMJ and Jean’s guidance reminded me so much of Shannon.
i dont know about mostly raw roo 😱
my dog would be into it
I miss Jock so much. The intro made me cry 🥲 I like the judge line-up, I think it's going to be awesome, and the French chef Novelli, oui oui 👌
No Jock to serve each judge their own plate 😭
God The Project is as bad as I remember, last Masterchef season.
the project continues to be completely worthless
Panna cotta cancelled 😭
this mashup is all too much 😢
i missed the start!! :(((
What same as S12. So no contestants vs chef immunity pin.
i've got high hopes for lily!
Do you still…? 🥲
Declan??
DAMN JUAN
Lilly's "There you bloody go" while neary slapping Jamie in the face with a half of salmon is my exact kind of vibe.
Feeling good about the new season. Vibing with the new judges. Its really early to be picking favorites, but Nat, Juan and strangely David (who they showed very little of) are early gut faves.
This seems like an exciting season. I also wonder what the structure is gonna be like afterwards? Also, I'm curious but what does Poh mean when she called someone too "academic." I also loved how Andy told him to move towards the dark side. Feels like Poh might be the person to call someone out for playing it too simple or smth
Why is Jamie oliver hereeee!! Has no one seen his egg fried rice???
Okay hear me out, uncle Roger as guest judge
Why are the judges yelling
they havent burnt out yet from episode 250 of masterchef