Network 10s MasterChef Australia returns to give losers a second chance

The new season of winter TV favourite MasterChef Australia returns next week, giving familiar favourites from past seasons another chance to claim the title.

British celebrity chef Gordan Ramsay, centre, with MasterChef season 17 judges, from left, Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli. Picture: Supplied

The 17th season of Network 10s MasterChef Australia returns next week, giving some of the best former contestants who never made it all the way the chance to have another crack at the title.

Some of the competitors on MasterChef Australia: Back to Win will be as familiar as some of the judges. Three of the cooks this year had already appeared in two previous seasons – Sarah Todd, Laura Sharrad and Callum Hann.

Thanks to their MasterChef journeys, judges Andy Allen and Poh Ling Yeow are now household names among foodies.

Back for their second season as judges are newer recruits Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli. Levin is a freelance food critic and author of the Seasoned Traveller newsletter, while Novelli runs a restaurant in Belfast and also runs the Novelli Academy food school in Hertfordshire.

Paramount ANZ’s head of content and programming Daniel Monaghan understands the critical role judges play on the format, and how successful Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia have been in choosing food tasting talent.

“We made household names out of Matt, Gary and George,” he said recalling the judges who steered the show for the first 11 seasons.

“Next were Jock, Mel and Andy.” That combination was split by the shock death of Jock Zonfrillo two years ago.

“Now we have Andy, Poh, Sofia and Jean-Christophe – a blend that features two MasterChef Australia alumni that the audience has seen grow from contestants to having the power to be a judge and nurture the next lot of contestants.”

Mr Monaghan said “having a food critic like Sofia, who loves the format, loves food and travel is really important to the series”.

“Alongside an accomplished Michelin star chef like Jean-Christophe, it is a mix that has worked well for us in each of the iterations,” he said.

As for monitoring how the audience engaged with the judges, Mr Monaghan explained the process.

“We get feedback every day with ratings, and then we get feedback at the end of every series where we do research on the show and see what people liked. The judges have always popped as an important part of the viewing experience, and that was no different when we did it after last season.”

Returning MasterChef season 17 judges Jean-Christophe Novelli, Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow, and Andy Allen. Source: Network 10

The show carries Network 10 through the winter months, attracting audiences and a loyal group of returning commercial partners. Mr Monaghan noted it was the network’s single biggest programming investment each year.

Before Levin joined the series, she knew Allen and Yeow from her work as a food journalist. She said the producers didn’t really warn her about how her life could change after joining the show.

“They told me I would manage it OK,” she said. “I underestimated how much time it takes; I really thought that I’d still be bashing out newsletters every couple of weeks and writing for publications.”

Levin credits the MasterChef production team, who made her so welcome, for the fact she only had a few first-day jitters when she arrived for her initial episode last season. There were distractions, too, on her MasterChef debut.

“I was meeting Jamie Oliver for the first time, so that was a bit of a moment,” she said.

After appearances on the US Hell’s Kitchen and presenting his own series on Bravo, British-based Novelli is no stranger to food shows. Of MasterChef Australia, he said “it’s impressive to see how much goes into a TV series like this”.

Asked if the Australian version of the show was known internationally, he explained his 12-year-old son knew everything about the show and its original judges George, Matt and Gary. “This show appeals to all ages. My mother’s best friend in France, who is close to 80, is a fan of MasterChef Australia.”

Novelli said he didn’t think twice about clearing his schedule to make room for the several months of filming for the show.

“If somebody asked you to work on a big Hollywood production, you would say, ‘yes’, immediately, no?” he said.

Coming back for this his second season saw him slip straight back into MasterChef mode. “That was partly because I was working with Gordon Ramsay on the opening of this season and I know him very well,” Novelli said.

“I reconnected with all the other judges immediately and it reminded me of how we finished last year with tears in our eyes.”