MasterChef has lost its first contestant with former runner-up Lynton Tapp leaving the kitchen
No one wants to be the first eliminated contestant from MasterChef. And fan favourite and former runner-up Lynton Tapp admits it was hard to accept his fate.
Confidential
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Lynton Tapp had his eye on a top 10 finish but instead the former MasterChef runner-up was first to leave the kitchen.
Tapp said his elimination from the Back to Win series was a tough pill to swallow.
“I did have a hope that I would be a contestant to get through the competition and I would have loved to have made the top 10,’’ he said.
“It was extremely hard to be the first person to go and a tough pill to swallow because I had done so well throughout the week.
“I love the judges and I think they’re doing a great job, but I have enough professional experience to form an opinion and we just disagreed.”
Tapp used his time in the final cook-off to make blue swimmer crab, buckwheat and grilled asparagus.
“I copped some fairly harsh criticism from the judges,’’ he said.
“I love to evolve and move on but I would replicate that dish in my next restaurant, I’d just spend a bit more time on it than 40 minutes.”
Tapp said the new judges, Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong were a great fit.
“They’re a great choice and a great change up,’’ he said.
“They come from different walks of life and represent different parts of the industry. Matt, Gary and George were mentors to me and I felt like (the new judges) were colleagues so it brought a different experience.”