MasterChef’s surprise turnaround ahead of grand finale

Things were looking pretty bad for MasterChef when it launched its 14th season. But it has really turned its fortunes around.

No matter who wins the MasterChef finale tonight, Channel 10’s signature competition series has already pulled off a surprise victory.

Despite a slow start in the ratings, MasterChef has had a resurgence as it winds its way to the bittersweet end.

On Monday night, the show posted a metro audience of 693,000 people, the highest ratings for a non-news program. It bested Australian Ninja Warrior’s grand finale, which recorded 560,000 metro viewers.

The result is a significant improvement for MasterChef, which was lingering in the 400,000s earlier in the season, sometimes dropping down into the 300,000s, especially for its non-competition MasterClass instalments.

It started to top the entertainment charts in as it neared the pointy end of the season and once The Voice had wrapped for the year.

The 14th season premiered to 545,000 metro viewers in April on the same night as Channel 7 launched The Voice. The singing reality show outclassed the aspiring cooks and was almost 300,000 viewers ahead.

Billie McKay is vying for the MasterChef crown a second time. Picture: Ten

MasterChef’s current season is Fans vs Faves, a concept which pits returning contestants against newbies. There were 12 cooks on each side and the more famous roster has included names such as Julie Goodwin, Sashi Cheliah and Tommy Pham.

The two finalists vying for the $250,000 prize are both from the Favourites side, Billie McKay and Sarah Todd.

Of the two, McKay has the more high-profile history. After winning series seven, McKay was hired by Heston Blumenthal for his three-Michelin starred restaurant, The Fat Duck, in Berkshire, UK. Once she returned to Australia, McKay kept up her family’s cheesemaking traditions on their dairy farm.

Todd placed ninth on the sixth season and since her first time on the show, she now owns two eateries in India and has published two cookbooks as well as making appearances on cooking shows. She has previously studied at Le Cordon Bleu.

Last night’s penultimate episode saw third-placed contestant Daniel Lamble eliminated after a three-course meal that included a disastrous attempt at a dessert.

He plated his tartine without the sorbet when the icy component was left too long in the blast chiller, turning into an unusable icy block.