Loki Madireddi eliminated from MasterChef Australia despite having immunity pin

WHAT was he thinking? Loki Madireddi became the first-ever contestant eliminated from MasterChef Australia while still holding an immunity pin — here’s why he decided to risk it.

LOKI Madireddi has made MasterChef Australia history for all the wrong reasons after being the first contestant ever to be eliminated while having an immunity pin.

Critics have described Madreddi’s decision not to use the pin to sit out tonight’s pressure test elimination challenge as the dumbest in the Channel 10 cooking show’s ten years on air.

Madireddi, a viewer favourite was booted off after plating up the worst version of Gordon Ramsay’s Roast Chicken, Summer Vegetables and Consomme Green Herbs.

Contestants had to cook a version of Gordon Ramsay’s roast chicken. Picture: Channel 10

The 34-year-old stay at home dad, from Victoria, remains defiant about his choice but says he would have made the show’s grand finale if he hadn’t been sent packing.

“I definitely know after this episode that if I had got through I would have gone all the way to the finale,” Madireddi said.

“I didn’t want to let my team members down. We were all there together and it would have been an unfair advantage to use the pin.”

Madireddi was thrown into the pressure test elimination when his nine-member blue team lost the previous night’s service challenge overseen by Ramsay.

MasterChef Australia — Loki (far right) was part of the losing blue team on Wednesday night. Picture: Channel 10

That meant that Madireddi had to face off against Kristen Sheffield, Sarah Clare, Aldo Ortado, Ben Borsht, Jo Kendray, Samira Damirova, Gina Ottoway and Chole Carroll to stay in the competition.

Madireddi’s fellow contestants couldn’t believe it when he announced that he wasn’t using his pin to sit out the elimination cook-off.

“I’m shocked,” Brendan Pang said. “What a massive risk. If I had the immunity pin today I’d definitely play it.”

Ramsay’s dish looked simple but the recipe ran to seven pages and included 55 separate steps.

Madireddi struggled from the start in the challenge which was overseen by Aussie chef Matt Abe from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.

Loki Madireddie won his immunity pin during MasterChef Australia’s Nigella Week with Nigella Lawson. Picture: Channel 10

Madireddi took too long breaking down the chicken and then cut his hand. He didn’t let his chicken brown off before adding the vegetables to the pan and started to panic.

With 30 seconds to go, Madireddi spilt his jug of consommé but fortunately still had some to serve.

Abe and the judges weren’t impressed with Madireddi’s take on the Ramsay classic.

“That chicken is really dry and even though the mousse has good flavour it is really grainy,” Abe said.

“The consommé is disappointing,” Calombaris added. “It lacks so much flavour and the vegetables are really rushed.”

MasterChef Australia Loki Madireddi has been eliminated. Picture: Channel 10

Madireddi, who won his immunity pin in Nigella Week in a cook against professional chef Alanna Sapwell, says he floundered when confronted by such a complex recipe.

“I’m an instinctive cook and I go with my feel so it was a disadvantage to read and follow a recipe — it is not my forte. I was reading it wrong and getting confused.”

Madireddi won the admiration from the judges for what they saw as a gutsy decision not to use his immunity pin.

MasterChef judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris were unimpressed by Loki’s take on Gordon Ramsay’s roast chicken. Picture: Channel 10

The show’s contestants were in tears after the shock announcement that Madireddi was eliminated.

Madireddi says he has no regrets about the turn of events and wouldn’t do anything differently.

“I was on the show to learn and to share,” Madireddi said. “It (cooking) is all about love through food.

“I can hold myself high. I wanted to do the right thing — what was appropriate and what feels good to me.”