With less than a month until MasterChef Australia returns, we’re beginning to learn more details about the highly-anticipated 16th season. While contestants and dishes definitely pique our curiosity, the Missing Perspectives team has also been putting bets on which famous faces will make an appearance this year.
In addition to the regular judging panel, every season features a lineup of well-known celebrity chefs who either do cooking demonstrations, set creative challenges or appear as guest judges. The great news is that Channel 10 has already confirmed the names of some of the celeb guest judges for 2024, including several talented women who’ve made their mark in the competitive culinary world.
A new promo for the cooking reality show reveals Anna Polyviou as one of the familiar chefs who steps into the MasterChef kitchen. Known for her exquisite pastries and eye-catching pink mohawk, the chef promises to bring a fun flavour to the competition with a mystery challenge that will test the cast.
“Should these guys be nervous about what’s under there?” judge Poh Ling Yeow asks Polyviou in the trailer, while gesturing towards a pink cloche.
“Yeah, I would be,” Polyviou cheekily responds.
Mikiko Terasaki on MasterChef Australia. Photo: Channel 10
In another scene teased in the promo clip, judge Andy Allen introduces Mikiko Terasaki. The owner of Omu – a Japanese restaurant in Sydney’s Ultimo – seems to make a remote appearance on a large screen as she waves to the cast.
But wait, there’s more. We also see glimpses of a few more celebrity guests who will pop up during the season, including Jamie Oliver, Adriano Zumbo, Vincent Yeow Lim and Nagi Maehashi.
“When it comes to guest chefs, Jamie Oliver isn’t the only one heating up the kitchen,” Channel 10 recently announced in an official press statement shared with Missing Perspectives.
“Expect fan favourites Adriano Zumbo and Anna Polyviou to set challenges fiercer than ever, while social sensations Vincent Yeow Lim (AKA DimSimLim) and Mikiko Terasaki cross the MasterChef Australia Kitchen threshold for the first time.”
MasterChef Australia judges Poh Ling Yeow, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Sofia Levin, Andy Allen and guest judge Jamie Oliver. Photo: Channel 10
As for the regular judges, previous judge Andy Allen returns to the show and is joined by Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli. It comes after judge Jock Zonfrillo’s death last year.
Melissa Leong, who was a judge alongside Allen and Zonfrillo since 2020, won’t be returning to the main MasterChef series as a judge, but will continue as a judge on Dessert Masters.
As well as filming in the usual MasterChef kitchen in Melbourne, we can expect the cast and crew to travel to some other awesome locations this year including Bendigo, Ballarat and Hong Kong. Let the countdown begin!
MasterChef Australia 2024 premieres on Monday, April 22 on Channel 10 and 10 Play. Watch the promo below: