It’s go ‘thyme’: ‘MasterChef Junior’ returns with more Ramsays than ever
If you like your Ramsays sweet, not spicy, then this competition will tickle your taste buds. Season 9 of “MasterChef Junior” premieres Monday, March 4, on Fox.
On air since 2013, this series sees the softer, more encouraging side of chef extraordinaire Gordon Ramsay (“Hell’s Kitchen”) as he instructs, motivates and mentors young chefs (all between the ages of 8 and 13) to be better at their craft through increasingly difficult challenges. This season, Ramsay plans to tackle the task by sprinkling in a taste of home, inviting his daughter, Tilly Ramsay (“Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch”), 22, to join his judging panel alongside the returning Aarón Sánchez (“Chopped After Hours”) and Daphne Oz (“The Chew”).
Tilly, the fourth of Ramsay’s six children, has picked up her father’s flare for fabulous cuisine, having previously appeared in shows such as “Next Level Chef UK,” “Celebrity MasterChef Australia,” “Step Up to the Plate” and Ramsay’s own “Hell’s Kitchen,” proving that she can take the heat in the kitchen just as well as her pops. Now, before moving on to host her own series — “Dish It Out,” which is currently in pre-production — the second-generation Ramsay hopes to inspire young cooks, acting as a relatable bridge between the kid contestants and their adult mentors — not to mention, she’s always ready to shoot a few zingers back at the clever and quippy Gordon. Featuring many of the same challenges as its predecessor (the far more intense “MasterChef”), this season asks its budding chefs to face skills tests, team challenges, pressure tests, elimination rounds and more, narrowing down the competition until only two or three cooks remain. These finalists, then, go on to face each other in an extravagant, three-course cook-off. After all three rounds of judging have been completed, one overall winner is crowned, this season earning themselves $100,000, the “MasterChef Junior” trophy and the impressive title that comes with it.
Based on a format created by Franc Roddam (“Celebrity MasterChef”), this delectable, family-friendly series is produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, in hopes of encouraging aspiring young chefs across the country and offering life-changing opportunities season after season.
With all previous episodes currently streaming on Hulu, “MasterChef Junior” returns Monday, March 4, on Fox, with all-new episodes available to watch the next day on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.