MasterChef finale dominates TV ratings
MasterChef has emerged victorious in TV ratings war, with more than 1.5 million people tuning in to the final instalment of the reality cooking show’s grand finale.
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MasterChef’s Grand Finale dominated TV ratings last night, surging ahead of rival networks’ news programs and Channel 7’s Big Brother.
The reality cooking show attracted 1.26 million viewers for Monday night’s second part of the Season 12 grand finale, rising to 1.52 million when the winner was announced.
The final episode saw Laura Sharrad and Emelia Jackson battle it out in the kitchen. The pair had four hours to whip up a three course meal for the judges and former contestants.
Jackson emerged victorious after wowing the judges with her dessert - Pistachio Financier, Davidson Plum and Raspberry Sorbet and Meringue.
MasterChef’s final episode for this season came out ahead of Seven News (1.21 million viewers), Nine News (1.154 million) and Big Brother (712,000)
MASTERCHEF JUDGE TAKES PRIDE IN REPRESENTING ‘PEOPLE OF COLOUR’
MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong gave herself permission to be fabulous from the first time she entered the show’s pressure cooker kitchen – owning that wiggle in her walk and ready to swat away the trolls taking pot shots.
As the series prepares to crown a new winner over a two-part finale from Sunday, Leong was already celebrating the triumphant season which saw Australia fall back in love with Channel 10’s blockbuster cooking competition.
Lifting the spirits of its fans during a time of great national uncertainty, Leong sent her thanks to viewers who had embraced her, and fellow judges, Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen – after the shock departure of Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris last year.
“We were given creative license to just be let off the leash and be who we are,” she told News Corp Australia.
“And of course that comes with a huge amount of gratitude that Australia has decided that we are pretty fun and want to keep us around.”
The new trio will decide this season’s Back To Win victor from Emilia Jackson, Reynold Poernomo and Laura Sharrad, with the winner announced on Monday night.
With her signature strut and dazzling wardrobe, Leong won widespread praise for her sass and sophistication.
The food critic giggled: “I just think if you’re going to be the first female judge ever, then wear it with pride, wear it with confidence because it’s a great privilege to be taking this role, for sure.”
Besides her eloquent critiques and gentle encouragement of crumbling contestants, it was Leong’s stand for cultural diversity that made an important impression on audiences.
She said while “MasterChef has always been an incredibly diverse place, when it comes to casting contestants we have seen so many faces that represent a modern Australia in that kitchen. To be on the judging panel and be a person of colour is a great honour and something I take extremely seriously because I represent myself, then I represent people who haven’t seen their faces held in high regard or a position of authority before.”
In one landmark episode, all five challengers were of Asian descent – marking a new turning point for the local industry which stands accused of being “too white bread.”
Leong said: “I join the groundswell of many people of colour, ability, size and shape on Australian television … and I have great hope that as we continue to see programming change and evolve into new shows, we will see more and more of ourselves within that.”
While she admits to being racially baited on social media, she swats away the dark web-dwellers with grace.
“When you’re sitting in a dark room, with only three or four followers you feel emboldened to say things you wouldn’t normally say to somebody’s face,” Leong said.
“Everybody is going through a really tough time this year, there’s a lot going on and so, all you can control is your response, and for me, I choose to err on the side of positivity.”