MasterChef Junior
Season 6 eReality (Openview 108) 19:00 Reality
Gordon Ramsay is like a protective dad on reality show MasterChef Junior and for good reason. “My children have been around food all their lives but they didn’t grab the opportunity with both hands to become chefs. That’s okay, because their interests lie elsewhere. But
I love that I’m able to give back my own talents to kids who are passionate about food,” says Gordon.
Unlike the adult version, the junior chefs are allowed to keep their aprons once they’re eliminated. The kids don’t wear their own clothes. The show has a fashion stylist who takes their personality tests and compiles a wardrobe for the season. The stylist also takes care of the kids’ hairstyles.
Because of child labour laws, the show only films four hours a day. “We want our contestants to be at their best, so we take care of them and make sure they’re happy,” says Gordon, adding that the grown-up version films 12 hours a day.
Gordon helps the contestants when they get stressed. “We had a girl who broke down during filming and she forgot how to stir her ingredients, so I stood beside her talking to her, keeping her calm and stirring her bowl,” explains Gordon. And while the kids do most of the cooking, there are certain things they’re not allowed to do, for safety – like boiling water, carrying boiling water across the set floor, working with ovens…
That being said, MasterChef Junior has over 80% less injuries and cuts compared to grown-up version MasterChef US.