The 2022 season of Masterchef Australia has undergone a revamp with the Fans and Favourites concept — where 12 previous contestants (Favourites) compete alongside 12 amateur cooks (Fans). But producers have also changed the way in which the pre-filmed finale was shot.
In a bid to avoid spoilers and keep the winner's identity concealed, the Channel 10 show filmed different endings, each featuring a different finalist being crowned the 14th winner of Masterchef Australia.
"MasterChef Australia has now wrapped filming on Fans & Favourites, and we look forward to seeing the winner crowned on air. Multiple endings were recorded to ensure results are not spoilt for our audience," an Endemol Shine Australia spokesperson told Refinery29 Australia. Endemol Shine is the production company behind the popular Logie-nominated cooking show.
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The strategic move comes after speculation that last year's winner, Justin Narayan was revealed before the finale went to air. According to reports, betting agency Sportsbet "abruptly listed Justin Narayan as the most likely winner with odds of $1.28" after an on-set "leak".
However, this isn't the first time that MasterChef Australia has filmed two endings. In 2017, the reality show captured both Diana Chan and Ben Ungermann winning the final trophy.
One of the judges at the time, Matt Preston, said it was "hard" to then regroup with the finalists when the finale went to air.
"That’s one of the hard things we do today – we sit down with Ben and Diana, and we recreate the last moment," he said during an interview with Adelaide’s Mix 102.3’s Jodie & Soda.
"We recreate the final reveal of the scores, complete with the same scorecards, so they actually stand there with their loved ones and get to watch the real thing unfold. So one of them has been sitting there for a couple of months not knowing."
We have now reached the final 10 contestants in the competition for 2022 which includes seven favourites and three fans.
They are Julie Goodwin (Season 1), Billie McKay (Season 7), Alvin Quah (Season 2), Mindy Woods (Season 4), Sarah Todd (Season 6), Aldo Ortado (Season 10), Tommy Pham (Season 13), Daniel Lamble, Keyma Vasquez Montero and Montana Hughes.
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The previously eliminated contestants are Sashi Cheliah (Season 10), Michael Weldon (Season 3), Christina Batista (Season 5), John Carasig (Season 7), Minoli De Silva (Season 13), Ali Stoner, Jenn Lee, Chris Tran, Dulan Hapuarachchi, Harry Tomlinson, Matt Landmark, Max Krapivsky, Melanie Persson and Steph Woon.
Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen are the judges for the third year in a row.
MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites airs Sunday to Thursday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play. The finale will air on Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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