MasterChef favourite’s emotional elimination before top five

In devastating scenes, one of MasterChef’s biggest stars Poh Ling Yeow crashed out from a coveted top five placing after a tough challenge.

A MasterChef favourite was sent packing in emotional scenes during Sunday’s episode of the cooking series.

Perhaps this season’s most high-profile contestant, Poh Ling Yeow, fell just short of a top-five placing, eliminated after a gruelling two-part challenge.

It was a bitter blow for Ling Yeow, who famously came second to Julie Goodwin in the very first season of MasterChefback in 2009.

In Sunday’s elimination challenge, contestants were introduced to guest chef Phil Wood runs two of Victoria’s finest restaurants; the two-hatted Laura and the one-hatted Point Leo.

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Wood revealed that the challenge would have two parts. Round one was a pressure test, with contestants given 75 minutes to replicate his dish of potatoes duchess with shiitakes and cauliflower. After that tricky task, the three contestants with the least impressive dishes had to face off again in round two to show Phil what they could do in 75 minutes with one or more key ingredients from his dish.

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Poh was feeling the pressure.

After a poor showing in round one, Poh was in the bottom three and started on a ‘redemption’ dish – the Sardinian potato dumplings she’d previously made in the live “Choose Your Champion” challenge. But before too long she was doubting her decision, realising that redemption cooks hadn’t worked well for her in the past.

Then another familiar foe intruded: Time management. With just five minutes left on the clock, Poh’s emulsion wasn’t coming together. She was forced to abandon it and instead make a simple brown sauce.

By the time her redemption dish was finished, Poh was worried it had turned out even worse than the original dish she was trying to redeem.

It seemed the judges agreed, noting that it was a confusing cook, with raw pasta and an overly simple sauce.

In one of the season’s most emotional farewells, one of MasterChef’s standout stars was sent home for the second time.

Poh left the competition just before the top five.

SHOTS FIRED FROM FORMER CONTESTANT

Earlier this week, one of this season’s eliminated MasterChef contestants let rip at judge Andy Allen over his “incredibly frustrating” critiques.

Andy has been copping grief on social media from some viewers suggesting his feedback to the contestants has been “basic” compared to the insightful feedback offered up by Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo.

MasterChef judge Andy Allen copped a hiding from a former contestant this week.

And it’s not just viewers who feel that way, with one of this season’s contestants telling news.com.au that Andy’s feedback is “not constructive”.

“It’s not feedback, it’s just a collection of words that make no sense,” said Chris Badenoch, who was the seventh person eliminated from this season of MasterChef.

“He’s commented on things that I’ve cooked and when he’s walked away it’s like, ‘I have no idea what he said or what he meant.’ You almost need subtitles. I don’t get it!

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” Chris told news.com.au about Andy’s comments. “Jock or Melissa will give you a good critique … (but Andy) it’s not constructive. It’s like a Trump speech; a whole lot of words that don’t match.” Ouch.

MasterChef Australia continues 7:30pm Monday on Ten.