'MasterChef' contestants are expected to give up a portion of any income from the show. What does that mean if they don't get paid? Well, contestants might get paid for interviews, appearances, or merchandise that they receive because of their spot on MasterChef.
Yep, reports on the show have revealed that contestants are actually only paid slightly more than the legal minimum wage.
The prize for winning the show is a combination of the experience you gain by taking part and what winning can mean for your career after the show airs. Like many other popular televised British cooking competitions, including Bake Off, there is no financial reward for winning MasterChef.
How much does a Master Chef make? As of Jun 8, 2023, the average annual pay for a Master Chef in the United States is $65,966 a year.
Salary Highlights
Gordon Ramsay's salary per episode is $225,000. He typically earns around $45 million per year from his media and restaurant empire.
Gordon Ramsay – 7 Michelin stars
Known for his volatile kitchen demeanour and exceptional British cuisine, Gordon Ramsay is arguably the most famous chef in the world. Although he's been awarded 16 Michelin stars throughout his career, he currently holds seven.
10. Contestants have to buy any ingredients they require to practice dishes to make at home and aren't given any money towards it - but ingredients and a full pantry are provided in the MasterChef kitchens.
When it comes to contestants who've owned the most restaurants, Thomasina Miers sits in first place. After her win in the MasterChef kitchen back in 2005, she opened her first Wahaca restaurant in London in 2007.
Indian-origin pastor Justin Narayan has won the title of MasterChef Australia 13 which includes a cash prize of $250,000 dollars. Kishwar Chowdhury, who originally hails from Bangladesh, was the second runner-up and won $20,000, and Pete Campbell from New South Wales went home with $30,000 as the first runner-up.
With the judges rumoured to be taking home around $500,000 a year with Ten, the show's rampant popularity and critical acclaim could see bigger fees negotiated for future seasons.
The raw ingredients (think groceries, uncooked meats, etc.) are given to the younger crew who may not be earning as much, and the completed dishes are divvied up amongst the filming crew. Nothing is wasted!
Krissi is unarguably the most hated contestant in the history of the show despite her resilience and strong cooking abilities.
The winner of each season wins $250,000, a MasterChef trophy, and the title of MasterChef. Some seasons have also added other prizes such as a cookbook deal.
Usually, yes. Gabriel (from Season 8) took up Gordon's offer of culinary school training and Chef Aaron's job offer.
MasterChef Doesn't Waste The Extra Food And Instead Donates It To MEND. Market Place discussed exactly what happens to the extra food on MasterChef. In truth, taking a look at that massive pantry of produce, it does seem like the show uses way too much food and surely, not a lot of it used by the aspiring home cooks.
Production staff takes each cook's phone before they come on set and hold on to them for the duration of filming. When not filming, the contestants are allowed contact with their family but aren't allowed to discuss any details of the filming, or broadcast where they are on social media.
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.
After much deliberation – strewn with numerous superlatives in praise of the two chefs' food – the judges chose to name them joint 2012 MasterChef: The Professionals champions, the first time in the show's history contestants have shared the title.
ONE MAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEAN-UP
Dishwasher Leigh Dowling is one of over 200 crew that make the MasterChef dream a reality. "Leigh washes everything you see," executive producer Margaret Bashfield reveals.
If you are selected to be on the show, you must be available to commit yourself to the competition and taping of this show anywhere between 8-10 weeks from Mid October 2023 to Mid December 2023, depending on how far you advance in the competition. Dates are subject to change at the Producer's sole discretion.
Do Master Chef contestants get recipes to cook things that they have never cooked before? For the time they're on the show, they have a 6-day workweek - they get Sundays off to do what they want. The other six days, they're either filming for the show, or they're taking cooking classes.
Spirit House head chef Tom Hitchcock is officially the best chef in Australia for 2023. The owners of one of the Sunshine Coast's most celebrated restaurants have revealed how Australia's newly crowned Chef of the Year triumphed after taking on his first head chef position at a young age.
After earning a vocational diploma in hotel management from North Oxon Technical College in 1987, he moved to London and began honing his culinary skills under chef Marco Pierre White at the restaurant Harvey's and under chef Albert Roux at La Gavroche.
Elena Reygadas, named world's best female chef, cooks in rhythm with nature. Mexico's biodiversity and bounty of vegetables and ingredients is what makes for the "exceptional flavors," says the acclaimed chef, author and manager of four restaurants.