MasterChef Australia 2023: Everything you need to know

MasterChef Australia returns for a brand new season full of twists and turns on 10 and 10 Play. 

Originally scheduled to premiere May 1, the series will now air 7.30pm on Sunday, May 7 due to the death of judge Jock Zonfrillo.

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Along with returning judges Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong, season 15’s first surprise is the first special guest judge, Jamie Oliver. 

Oliver said: “I'm very, very excited to be back in the MasterChef Australia kitchen and honoured to be kicking off the new season alongside Jock, Andy and Mel. 

“I want to give the contestants some little nuggets of advice, some techniques and some thoughts, most importantly, that might help them to navigate some of the big moments ahead,” he added. 

Oliver is just the first star chef in a prestigious lineup of guest judges throughout the season, including Curtis Stone, Maggie Beer, Rick Stein and Peter Gilmore. 

Oliver will oversee a series of adrenaline-pumping challenges across two episodes, marking his first return to the MasterChef Australia kitchen in over a decade. 

This season, there are only 18 sought-after aprons on offer for the nation’s most passionate amateur cooks, so there is a lot on the line. 

The season will see the aspiring chefs create colossal lamington towers and open boxes of exploding confetti mystery boxes, the element of surprise will be this season’s secret ingredient. In the first look shared by 10, contestants are seen running through a maze, ultimately ending at an Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party. 

Last year, Billie McKay made history as the first cook ever to win MasterChef Australia twice, defeating Sarah Todd in the finale of MasterChef Fans & Faves. 

Billie was crowned the winner of MasterChef Australia 2022, securing her name on the coveted trophy for a second time and pocketing $250,000. The judges also revealed that Sarah would be awarded $30,000 to help her with her culinary ambitions, and Daniel would walk away with $20,000 for reaching third place. 

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MasterChef Australia premieres Sunday, May 7 at 7:30 pm on 10 and 10 Play.