MasterChef Australia ‘Fans and Favourites’ full cast line-up announced

More than a decade after winning the very first season of MasterChef, Julie Goodwin is back in a bid to be recrowned queen of the kitchen.

MasterChef Australia is finally returning to screens, and it’s been given a fresh makeover for its 14th season.

The beloved cooking show will premiere Monday, April 18 with a ‘Fans and Favourites’ format, with 12 returning contestants battling it out against 12 newcomers.

Channel 10 has unveiled the full cast line-up for this season, with original winner Julie Goodwin – who was crowned the first ever MasterChef winner 13 years ago – returning to the kitchen.

Goodwin, 51, who has gone on to build an incredibly successful career as a chef, took to Instagram to say her return to MasterChef was a “recurring dream.”

MasterChef Fans and Favourites contestant Julie Goodwin.

Goodwin beat runner-up Poh Ling Yeow in the debut season, which premiered in 2009. Poh also recently returned to the MasterChef kitchen, competing in the All Stars season in 2020, in which she placed fifth.

MasterChef Australia’s season one winner Julie Goodwin And Runner-Up Poh Ling Yeow.

Goodwin is joined by fellow past contestants including fellow winners Billie McKay (Season 7) and Sashi Cheliah (Season 10), as well as Alvin Quah (Season 2), Michael Weldon (Season 3) Mindy Woods (Season 4), Christina Batista (Season 5), Sarah Todd (Season 6), John Carasig (Season 7), Aldo Ortado (Season 10) and fresh from last year’s season, Minoli De Silva and Tommy Pham.

All 24 contestants on MasterChef Australia Fans & Favourites. The show will see 12 new aspiring chefs compete against 12 former contestants — giving us the perfect blend of fresh faces and old favourites from the competition. Picture: MasterChef

Judging trio Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen are back on-board yet again, with newcomer contestants ranging from TikTok stars, to dentists, teachers and firefighters.

There are: Ali Stoner, Jenn Lee, Chris Tran, Daniel Lamble, Dulan Hapuarachchi, Harry Tomlinson, Keyma Vasquez Montero, Matt Landmark, Max Krapivsky, Melanie Persson, Montana Hughes and Steph Woon.

The winner stands to walk away with $250,000 in prize money.

MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites premieres Monday April 18 at 7.30pm on Channel 10