MasterChef Junior (American TV series) explained

Genre:	Cooking
Based On:	Junior MasterChef
Num Seasons:	9
Num Episodes:	104
Company:	One Potato Two Potato Endemol Shine North America
Channel:	Fox
Last Aired:	present

MasterChef Junior is an American cooking competition involving children from the ages of 8–13 that premiered on Fox on September 27, 2013. It is based on the format of the British series Junior MasterChef.

In October 2023, the series was renewed for a ninth season, with Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Daphne Oz as returning judges, along with new judge Tilly Ramsay. The season premiered on March 4, 2024.

Format

Any child between ages eight and thirteen can apply to become a contestant on the series by applying online or by going to an open casting call. The contestants are announced through a variety of methods over the years, sometimes via competitions, or sometimes the top contestants are simply announced.

As in its parent show MasterChef, the following challenges have all been regularly featured on the show:

• Skills Test: Cooks are challenged to prepare foods in accordance with a list of common cooking techniques or styles, or to replicate a particular cooking method of a dish (i.e. steaks done to an exact wellness). This type of test is also sometimes used as an Elimination Test.
• Mystery Box: Cooks are all given a box with the same ingredients and must use only those ingredients to create a dish within a fixed amount of time. The judges will select three dishes based on visual appearance and technique alone to taste, and from these three select one winner who usually gains an advantage of some type in the elimination test.
• Elimination Test: After the challenge is explained, judges evaluate all dishes based on taste and visual appeal. The judges nominate the worst dishes for elimination and criticize them before eliminating at least one contestant.
• Team Challenge: The cooks are split into teams by either team captains or the judges. They often occur in a restaurant takeover or pop-up restaurant taking the place of the staff of a particular restaurant. Diners taste both meals and vote for their favorite. The winning team advances, while the losing team will participate in the Pressure Test or even face elimination based on team members' performance.
• Pressure Test: Another form of the Elimination Test, in which losing team members compete against each other to make a standard dish within a very limited amount of time that requires a great degree of cooking finesse. Each dish is judged on taste, visual appeal and technique, and the losing chef is eliminated.

Once the competition is reduced to either the final two or three competitors, the finalists will compete against each other in a three-course cook-off. All courses of the meal are judged and an overall winner is crowned. The winner of each season wins $100,000, the MasterChef Junior trophy, and the title of MasterChef Junior. Some seasons have also added other prizes.

Judges

Season	Judge 1	Judge 2	Judge 3	Judge 4
1	Gordon Ramsay	Graham Elliot	Joe Bastianich	rowspan=8
2
3
4			Christina Tosi
5		Guest judges
6		Joe Bastianich
7		Aarón Sánchez
8			Daphne Oz
9				Tilly Ramsay

Series overview

Specials

Development

Casting

Like its adult counterpart, at its inception MasterChef Junior was judged by Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot.^[1] Bastianich did not return for the show's fourth season, being replaced by prominent pastry chef Christina Tosi.^[2] Elliot did not return for the show's fifth season, and a series of rotating guest judges served for the third judge. For the sixth season, Bastianich returned to his judging position. In the seventh season, Bastianich left again and was replaced by Aarón Sánchez, who was one of the guest judges in season 5 as well as a judge on the adult MasterChef.

Production

Fox placed casting calls for participants in January 2013.^[3] Fox officially ordered the series (then under the name Junior MasterChef) on May 10, 2013.^[4] The name was later changed to MasterChef Junior. There were concerns that Ramsay's style of cursing at the contestants on his other competition shows (most notably Hell's Kitchen and the adult MasterChef) would carry over to MasterChef Junior. It did not. One contestant (Gavin) said that Ramsay had only cursed twice during the production of the series and never at the contestants. In the final editing, he cursed once in front of (but not at) the contestants.^[5]

Season synopsis

Season 1 (2013)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 1.

The first season premiered on September 27, 2013, with chefs Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich acting as the judges.

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 1 was Alexander Weiss, a thirteen-year-old from New York City.

Semifinalist Troy Glass is now an actor, appearing on Kids React and other cooking shows, and making cameos on shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Season 2 (2014)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 2.

The second season premiered on November 4, 2014,^[6] with chefs Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich again acting as the judges.

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 2 was Logan Guleff, an eleven-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee.

Season 3 (2015)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 3.

On March 5, 2014, MasterChef Junior was renewed for a third season before production on season two began.^[7] The third season premiered on January 6, 2015,^[8] with chefs Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich once again acting as the judges.

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 3 was Nathan Odom, a twelve-year-old from San Diego, California.

Season 4 (2015–16)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 4.

The fourth season premiered on November 6, 2015,^[9] with chefs Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Christina Tosi acting as the judges.

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 4 was Addison Smith, a nine-year-old from River Forest, Illinois.

Season 5 (2017)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 5.

The fifth season premiered on February 9, 2017, with chefs Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi acting as the judges, along with numerous guest judges including Julie Bowen and Mayim Bialik.^[10]

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 5 was Jasmine Stewart, an eleven-year-old from Milton, Georgia. She is the first previously eliminated contestant to win the competition.

Season 6 (2018)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 6.

The sixth season premiered on March 2, 2018,^[11] with returning chefs Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi acting as the judges, along with returning judge Joe Bastianich as the third judge.

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 6 was Beni Cwiakala, a nine-year-old from Chicago, Illinois.

Season 7 (2019)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 7.

On February 13, 2019, it was announced that the seventh season would premiere with a two-episode special^[12] on March 12, 2019, with Gordon Ramsay, Christina Tosi, and Aarón Sánchez serving as the judges.^[13]

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 7 was Che Spiotta, a twelve-year-old from Boiceville, New York.

Season 8 (2022)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 8.

In July 2019, it was announced that the show would be returning for an eighth season, with Ramsay and Sánchez as returning judges, along with new judge Daphne Oz replacing Tosi.^{[14] [15]} The season premiered on March 17, 2022.^[16]

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 8 was Liya Chu, a ten-year-old from Scarsdale, New York.

Season 9 (2024)

See main article: MasterChef Junior (American TV series) season 9.

On December 20, 2022, the initial casting announcement for a potential ninth season was posted.^[17] The casting notice was re-posted on September 8, 2023, on the show's Twitter page. On October 12, 2023, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a ninth season, with Ramsay, Sánchez, and Oz as returning judges, along with new judge Tilly Ramsay.^[18] On December 13, 2023, it was announced that the season would premiere on March 4, 2024.^[19] On February 21, 2024, the 12 new contestants were announced.^[20]

The winner of MasterChef Junior season 9 was Bryson McGlynn, an 11-year-old from Opelika, Alabama.

Television ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of MasterChef Junior on Fox.

Each US network TV season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

U.S. television ratings for MasterChef Junior

Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	Premiere		Finale		TV Season	Season ranking	Season viewers
			Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	font-size:smaller;"				Viewers (millions)
1	Friday 8:00 PM	7	September 27, 2013	4.29	November 8, 2013	4.14	2013–14	83^[21]	5.56
2	Tuesday 8:00 PM		November 4, 2014	5.09	December 16, 2014	5.66	2014–15	89^[22]	6.30
3		8	January 6, 2015	5.33	February 24, 2015	4.83
4	Friday 8:00 PM	12	November 6, 2015	4.16^[23]	January 29, 2016	4.75^[24]	2015–16	81^[25]	5.67
5	Thursday 8:00 PM	15	February 9, 2017	4.21^[26]	May 18, 2017	3.52^[27]	2016–17	97^[28]	4.57
6	Friday 8:00 PM		March 2, 2018	3.40^[29]	May 18, 2018	3.32^[30]	2017–18	114^[31]	4.33
7	Tuesday 8:00 PM		March 12, 2019	2.82^[32]	June 4, 2019	3.27^[33]	2018–19	124^[34]	3.69
8	Thursday 8:00 PM Thursday 9:00 PM Tuesday 9:00 PM	16	March 17, 2022	2.07^[35]	June 23, 2022	2.22^[36]	2021–22	TBA	TBA
9	Monday 8:00 PM	10	March 4, 2024	1.61^[37]	May 20, 2024	1.49^[38]	2023–24	TBA	TBA

See also

• MasterChef (British TV series)
• MasterChef (American TV series)

External links

• • • MasterChef Junior at TV Guide
• MasterChef Junior at TV by the Numbers

Notes and References

1. FOX Orders New Series Junior MasterChef, as Part of New Multi-Year Deal with World-Renowned Chef Gordon Ramsay. Fox. The Futon Critic. May 10, 2013. October 12, 2023.
2. Web site: MasterChef Junior Renewed For Season 4, Christina Tosi Joins As New Judge. Deadline Hollywood. Nellie Andreeva. January 13, 2015. August 3, 2015.
3. Web site: MasterChef Now Casting For Children For Gordon Ramsay To Emotionally Destroy. Nguyen. Tina. TheBraiser.com. January 18, 2013. August 12, 2013.
4. Web site: Fox, Gordon Ramsay to Cook Up 'Junior Masterchef'. Marechal. AJ. Variety. Variety Media. May 10, 2013. August 12, 2013.
5. Web site: 'MasterChef Junior': Gordon Ramsay Talks New Fox Cooking Series Featuring Children. Harris. Beth. HuffingtonPost.com. August 2, 2013. August 12, 2013.
6. Web site: Meet the new kid chefs on 'MasterChef Junior' season 2. October 2, 2014. December 20, 2014. Marc. Snetiker.
7. Web site: Fox Orders Season 3 Of MasterChef Junior. Deadline Hollywood. March 5, 2014. March 8, 2014.
8. Web site: 'MasterChef Junior' Season 3 Premiere: The Cooking Competition Junior Edition Is Back On January 6, 2015! Judge Joe Bastianich Bids Good Bye To The Show. KDramaStars. August 3, 2015.
9. Web site: 'Meet the Newest Batch of Bite-Sized Home Cooks on New Season of FOX's MASTERCHEF JUNIOR. Broadway World. September 17, 2015. August 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817171607/http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Meet-the-Newest-Batch-of-Bite-Sized-Home-Cooks-on-New-Season-of-FOXs-MASTERCHEF-JUNIOR-20150917. dead.
10. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20170216021623/http://www.fox.com/masterchef-junior/article/masterchef-junior-returns-february-9. February 16, 2017. Masterchef Junior Returns February 9.
11. Web site: Fan-Favorite "Masterchef Junior" Judge Joe Bastianich Returns For Season Six, Scheduled To Air During The 2017–2018 Season On Fox. Fox Flash Fox Publicity Online. November 27, 2017. September 19, 2017. December 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044651/http://www.foxflash.com/fox/masterchef-junior/content/fan-favorite-masterchef-junior%E2%80%9D-judge-joe-bastianich-returns-season-six-scheduled-air-during. dead.
12. Web site: TV Roundup: Netflix Drops 'On My Block' Season 2 Trailer (Watch). Tingley. Anna. 2019-03-12. Variety. en. 2019-03-17.
13. FOX Announces Revised Premiere Dates for MasterChef Junior & Mental Samurai. Fox. The Futon Critic. February 13, 2019. February 13, 2019.
14. Web site: Pregnant Daphne Oz Joins Judges Gordon Ramsay and Aarón Sánchez for MasterChef Junior Season 8. People. Tomás Mier. July 17, 2019. July 17, 2019.
15. FOX Renews MasterChef Junior for Season Eight and Announces New Judge Daphne Oz. Fox. The Futon Critic. July 17, 2019. July 17, 2020.
16. Web site: Fox Spring Premiere Dates: More Masked Singer; 9-1-1 Return; Domino Masters Debuts, More. Deadline Hollywood. Erik Pedersen. January 26, 2022. January 26, 2022.
17. Web site: FOX's MasterChef Junior now casting young chefs for 9th season. KMSP-TV. Weaver. Stephanie. January 4, 2023. September 25, 2023.
18. Web site: MasterChef Junior Renewed For Season 9 At Fox; Gordon Ramsay's Daughter Tilly Joins As Judge. Deadline Hollywood. Peter White. October 12, 2023. October 12, 2023.
19. MasterChef Junior Season 9 Premieres Monday, March 4 on FOX. Fox. The Futon Critic. December 13, 2023. December 14, 2023.
20. Meet the 12 Pint-Sized Chefs Competing on Season 9 of MasterChef Junior. Fox. The Futon Critic. February 21, 2024. February 22, 2024.
21. Web site: Full 2013-2014 TV Season Series Rankings. Deadline Hollywood. May 22, 2014. August 30, 2016.
22. Web site: 2014–15 Full TV Season Ratings: Rankings For All Shows. Lisa de Moraes. Deadline Hollywood. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150523083530/http://deadline.com/2015/05/2014-15-full-tv-season-ratings-shows-rankings-1201431167/. May 23, 2015 .
23. Web site: Friday Final Ratings: 'Blue Bloods' adjusts up, everything else holds. https://web.archive.org/web/20151113034754/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/11/09/friday-final-ratings-nov-6-2015/. dead. November 13, 2015. Porter. Rick. November 9, 2015. TV by the Numbers. November 9, 2015.
24. Web site: Friday final ratings: 'Vampire Diaries,' 'Originals' and everything else unchanged. Porter. Rick. February 1, 2016. TV by the Numbers. February 1, 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160203050603/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/02/01/friday-final-ratings-jan-29-2016/. February 3, 2016.
25. Web site: Full 2015-16 TV Season Series Rankings: Blindspot, Life In Pieces & Quantico Lead Newcomers. Deadline Hollywood. Lisa de Moraes. May 26, 2016. July 17, 2020.
26. Web site: 'Riverdale' adjusts up; 'Great Indoors,' 'Powerless,' 'Mom,' 'Chicago Med' down: Thursday final ratings. https://web.archive.org/web/20170211035045/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-feb-9-2017/. dead. February 11, 2017. Porter. Rick. TV by the Numbers. February 10, 2017. February 10, 2017.
27. Web site: 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Masterchef Junior' finales, 'Amazing Race' adjust up: Thursday final ratings. https://web.archive.org/web/20170519234826/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-may-18-2017/. dead. May 19, 2017. Porter. Rick. TV by the Numbers. May 19, 2017. May 19, 2017.
28. Web site: Final 2016-17 TV Rankings: Sunday Night Football Winning Streak Continues. Deadline Hollywood. Lisa de Moraes. May 25, 2017. July 17, 2020.
29. Web site: 'Blue Bloods,' 'Blindspot,' all others unchanged: Friday final ratings. https://web.archive.org/web/20180306023406/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/friday-final-ratings-march-2-2018/. dead. March 6, 2018. TV by the Numbers. Porter. Rick. March 5, 2018. March 5, 2018.
30. Web site: 'Blindspot,' '20/20,' 'Life Sentence,' 'Harry & Meghan' special all adjust down: Friday final ratings. https://web.archive.org/web/20180522111911/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/friday-final-ratings-may-18-2018/. dead. May 22, 2018. TV by the Numbers. Porter. Rick. May 21, 2018. May 21, 2018.
31. Web site: 2017-18 TV Series Ratings Rankings: NFL Football, Big Bang Top Charts. Deadline Hollywood. Lisa de Moraes. Patrick Hipes. May 22, 2018. July 17, 2020.
32. Web site: 'The Bachelor' adjusts up, 'FBI' adjusts down: Tuesday final ratings. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327085855/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tuesday-final-ratings-march-12-2019/. dead. March 27, 2019. Welch. Alex. TV by the Numbers. March 13, 2019. March 13, 2019.
33. Web site: 'America's Got Talent,' 'Songland,' everything else unchanged: Tuesday final ratings. https://web.archive.org/web/20190605203232/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tuesday-final-ratings-june-4-2019/. dead. June 5, 2019. Welch. Alex. June 5, 2019. TV by the Numbers. June 5, 2019.
34. Web site: 2018-19 TV Season Ratings: CBS Wraps 11th Season At No. 1 In Total Viewers, NBC Tops Demo; Big Bang Theory Most Watched Series. Deadline Hollywood. Lisa de Moraes. May 21, 2019. January 27, 2022.
35. Web site: Thursday 3.17.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals. Showbuzz Daily. Mitch Salem. March 18, 2022. June 26, 2022.
36. Web site: Thursday 6.23.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals. Showbuzz Daily. Mitch Salem. June 24, 2022. June 26, 2022.
37. Web site: Monday Ratings: Soft Returns for MasterChef Junior and So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. Programming Insider. Douglas Pucci. March 5, 2024. March 5, 2024.
38. Web site: Monday Ratings: 'La Casa de Los Famosos' Hits Series-High in Viewers with 4th Season Finale as Telemundo Tops All Broadcast Viewers in 18-49. Douglas Pucci. May 21, 2024. May 21, 2024.