Hell’s kitchen freezes over
MasterChef Junior
Tuesdays | CTV Two, Fox
Gordon Ramsay was on his best behaviour this day. No tantrums. No glass-shattering verbal confrontations. No four letter words, certainly not those beginning with ‘f’ unless it was to do with food.
MasterChef Junior features a kinder, gentler Ramsay, in part because fellow master chefs Graham Elliot and Christina Tosi are a moderating influence and in part because the contestants in the room with Ramsay were aged eight, 10, 11 and 12.
This was the Ramsay who was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 honours list “for services to the hospitality industry,” the same Ramsay whose restaurants have earned a total of 15 Michelin stars.
Ramsay is no shrinking violet, not when it comes to TV programs such as Hell’s Kitchen, Hotel Hell and Kitchen Nightmares, but MasterChef Junior is cut from a different cloth. The idea is to encourage children to learn to cook — Ramsay himself is a father of four — and learn a little about life along the way.
MasterChef Junior allows Ramsay to get in touch with his inner Jamie Oliver and audiences have responded. MasterChef Junior has proven to be a surprise hit for the Fox network — it airs on CTV Two in Canada — in part because it’s about affirmation, not humiliation, and in part because it’s that rare reality-competition program that entire families can watch together without the adults in the room lunging for the mute button on the remote.
“For me, it’s an education,” Ramsay admitted recently. “It’s a win-win. The juniors have kicked butt with the senior version. They’re picking up a life skill. And I think we’ve struck a lovely balance between our eight- and 13-year-olds.”
Ramsay acknowledged audiences may be tiring of reality-TV bicker-bashes between ill-mannered adults with bad attitudes. The children on MasterChef Junior often end up supporting and encouraging each other without being asked.
“These kids are fearless,” Ramsay said. “When they walk into this arena, they get away from their parents and they become talented, creative individuals who want to be a little bit daring. They’re young and tenacious; they haven’t got to that awkward stage where they’re jealous of one another. We’re determined to stamp that out if we see it happening.”
MasterChef Junior will evolve as the season progresses.
“We have some exciting cards up our sleeve, but I don’t want to stand on a platform and dictate. Some of the most magical moments you see on MasterChef Junior are when we, Graham and Christina and I, roll up our sleeves and get in there and participate along with them. It’s about picking up life skills and growing as you go along.
“I cried, literally, just before Christmas, watching my 13-yearold daughter getting upset over scrambled eggs. I was disappointed actually that she didn’t use my recipe. She went off and did her own. It’s about nurturing talent, helping someone become confident in the kitchen and learn a life skill along the way.”
The contestants’ ages are critical in helping MasterChef Junior become the showcase Ramsay wants it to be.
“Eight to 13 is an incredibly sensitive age because you’re learning about life while trying to grow up at a fast pace. I think cooking helps to slow them down and appreciate that moment in time.
“Whether they follow it as a career path or choose not to, they’ve picked up a life skill. Personally, I’m fed up with the guilt that’s put on their shoulders about obesity, bad eating habits and things like that. That’s often the parents; it’s not them. Being a parent myself, I understand the importance of finding the right balance.”