| Alt Name: | MasterChef Uruguay |
| Network: | Channel 10 |
| Company: | Saeta |
| Runtime: | 90 minutes |
| Num Episodes: | 90 |
| Num Seasons: | 4 |
| Language: | Spanish |
| Country: | Uruguay |
| Creator: | Franc Roddam |
| Genre: | Cookery |
| Presenter: | Diego González (2017–19) |
MasterChef Uruguay is an Uruguayan competitive cooking game show based on the original British series of the same name, open to amateur and home chefs.[1] Broadcast by Channel 10, debuted on April 3, 2017, it is presented by Diego González.[2] Sergio Puglia, Laurent Lainé and Lucía Soria served as judges for the first three seasons, while in the fourth one, Ximena Torres replaced Soria.[3]
The winner plays for a prize that includes chef training from Crandon Institute, a trip to Girona to go to learn for 3 days at El Celler de Can Roca, and UYU$200,000 in cash.
The competition takes place in the MasterChef soundstage located in La Aguada, Montevideo which includes a supermarket, a restaurant, and a large kitchen area with several cooking stations which is overlooked by a balcony.
In each episode the participants must overcome a challenge
The rumor that a Uruguayan version of MasterChef started in October 2016. In February 2017, the presenter and the judges were confirmed. The show debuted on April 3 of that year, while on Monday, May 8, in the chapter of that day, the second season of MasterChef was confirmed, it was also announced that the registrations for that edition would begin shortly and that people who signed up for the first season, they wouldn't need to do it again.[4]
The day before the end of the first season of Masterchef, on Sunday, July 23, 2017, a special called Road to the Grand Final was broadcast. It showed the life of the 4 finalists MasterChef participants.[5]
| Season | Episodes | Premiere Date | Finale Date | No. of Finalists | Winner | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | April 3, 2017 | July 24, 2017 | 18 | Nilson Viazzo | Leticia Cicero | |||
| 2 | 18 | August 21, 2017 | December 11, 2017 | 18 | María Gracia Sosa | Luciana Dangelo | |||
| 3 | 15 | April 2, 2018 | July 9, 2018 | 17 | Alicia Patella | Gisela Meissner | |||
| 4 | 40 | April 22, 2019 | September 5, 2019 | 28 | Natalia González | Sebastián Piñeyro | |||
| 5 | TBA | June 11, 2024 | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| Contestant | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Final position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nilson Viazzo | 36 | Police | Florida | Winner | |
| Leticia Cicero | 35 | Chemical engineer | Libertad | Runner-up | |
| Nicolás Rolando | 35 | Dentist | Sayago | 3rd classified | |
| Lourdes Galván | 37 | Employee | Piedras Blancas | 14th eliminated | |
| Martín Méndez | 41 | Merchant | Libertad | 13th eliminated | |
| Sibila Ibarra | 24 | Architecture student | Durazno | 12th eliminated | |
| Amparo Pereira | 27 | Employee | Prado | 11th eliminated | |
| Silvia Pírez | 46 | Publicist | Malvín | 10th eliminated | |
| Ana María Florentín | 65 | Retired doctor | Canelones | 9th eliminated | |
| Víctor Bello | 28 | Pharmaceutical chemist | Treinta y Tres | 8th eliminated | |
| Francisco Boezio | 55 | Marketing analyst | Paso Carrasco | 7th eliminated | |
| Cristina Buroni | 52 | Interior decorator | Pocitos | 6th eliminated | |
| Mercedes Carballo | 33 | Carpenter | Unión | Abandons | |
| Danilo Britos | 40 | Craft brewer | Ciudad de la Costa | 5th eliminated | |
| María Pía Cardozo | 22 | Military navy | Rocha | 4th eliminated | |
| Manuel Aispuro | 38 | Butcher | Centro | 3rd eliminated | |
| Gonzalo Teixeira | 26 | Veterinary student | Tacuarembó | 2nd eliminated | |
| Chantal Tuttle | 43 | French teacher | Cordón | 1st eliminated |
A spin-off featuring professional chefs as contestants.[6] It premiered on August 20, 2018 [7] and ended on November 27. It had 16 episodes.
The judges were Sergio Puglia, Lucía Soria, Laurent Lainé and Narda Lepes.[8] [9] The winner of this spin-off was Carlos Telechea.[10]
A spin-off featuring celebrities, it debuted on September 1. The judges are Sergio Puglia, Laurent Lainé and Ximena Torres. The winner of this edition was the singer Aldo Martinez. On August 3, 2021, the second season premiered, with actress Paula Silva as the winner.[11]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient (s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Iris Award | Best Talent Show | MasterChef Uruguay | [12] [13] | |
| Best TV Revelation | Laurent Lainé | ||||
| Golden Iris Award | MasterChef Uruguay |