Ahead of the return of MasterChef Australia on our screens, let’s take a look at the new list of judges confirmed for Season 16. Here is your guide to the regular and guest judges that’ll grace our tellies for the 2024 season of MasterChef.
Table of contents
Who are the hosts of MasterChef Australia?
Poh Ling Yeow: Cook, writer and television presenter
Poh Ling Yeow should be a fairly familiar name to MasterChef fans, as she competed in the competition in 2009. She was runner-up in her season, and on her return as a judge, she said:
“Talk about a thrilling, full circle moment. MasterChef Australia is where my food story began, so this feels like coming home. A big part of me will always be standing on the other side with the contestants and I hope when they look to me, they see proof you don’t have to win to win.”
Andy Allen: Australian cook, food critic and television presenter
Andy Allen is the only original judge to return to the series in 2024, he released a moving statement on his decision to stay with the MasterChef show when the news was announced, saying:
“MasterChef Australia has been part of my life for over a decade. It gave me a pathway into the industry and led me to a career that I’m forever grateful for. After an extremely difficult year in 2023, and upon reflection, the decision to return to the series is not one I took lightly.
“But there is something special in the MasterChef Australia Kitchen, and it feels right to come back to work with the amazing production team, and to play my role in seeing the contestants do as I have done. 2024 will be the start of a new chapter, and it will be surreal – yet brilliant – to share this moment with my fellow judges, Poh, Sofia and Jean-Christophe.”
Sofia Levin: Food and travel journalist
Another new face in the judge’s line-up is Sofia Levin. The culinary travel journalist and food reviewer said the following on joining the MasterChef Australia team:
“The first season of MasterChef Australia aired the same year I started writing about food. By the time I graduated from journalism, I was sharing lesser-known food stories, while the show was exposing the nation to cuisines and cultures they had never considered before. Becoming a judge on MasterChef feels like two parallel paths converging, and I am giddy with excitement at the people I get to stand beside.”
Jean-Christophe Novelli: French chef, restauranteur and television personality
Rounding out the four judges is Jean-Christophe Novelli – a French chef, author, and restaurateur.
“Fostering culinary talent is something I have cared about for many years, and it is a passion I am excited to share in the MasterChef Kitchen. Australian cuisine has a remarkable reputation on the world stage, and it will be a great privilege to meet and mentor the country’s top home cooks on their journeys to greatness,” he said.
What is the MasterChef judging process really like?
Ahead of MasterChef Australia’s 2024 debut, Lifehacker Australia spoke with celebrity chef and judge Jean-Christophe Novelli, who gave us the rundown on the dynamic between the judges, saying they all bring “a different angle on a dish,”:
“We are very different, we have edge, experience, convictions – which is great,” Novelli said.
“…You’ve got Andy, he’s the legacy, his voice is very unique. Sofia is very eloquent, she’s quite rich in delivering all the differences, [and is] very well experienced, of course. Then you have Poh, every time she speaks I’m just [gawking], she’s very precise with chefs and she’s a very good artist… so basically the four of us are like four Dysons rolling over all the crumbs!”
Novelli also explained what the process of judging is like:
“In terms of doing the job, as a judge on the best TV cooking competition show… you have to be yourself. You have to find the best dish, the best cook and they are there. Whittled down from 50,000 [applicants] to just 22. You’ve got the best of the best, basically.”
The chef added that most of the time he ignores what the other judges are saying (in a positive way):
“What I tend to do is completely blank [the judges] when they speak… I don’t want to be distracted by anyone, because you can’t be seduced by what they say because they speak fantastically,” he said.
What makes for a winning MasterChef dish?
With so many contestants plating up so many fantastic dishes every episode, the judges don’t have an easy task.
When it comes to the specifics of what Novelli is looking for in a contestant’s dish, the judge said his analysis begins even before he’s tasted the food:
“My judging session starts from the moment the name is called, the dish is picked up from the bench and [they] are walking towards us. I’m [looking at] the way they hold the plate, the way they stand, how they place the plate down and then I’m open to the first imminent smell, aroma, flavours and so on. I get a sense of, obviously, the taste, [but] I look at the textures, the visuals…” he explained.
Novelli said a common mistake many of the amateur cooks make is to “overdo it”:
“A lot of them come in with a finishing visual of the dish, rather than focusing on giving love to each of the ingredients… Be yourself, don’t try to be someone else, don’t try to impress, and use your intuition because food is like a human being, you have to take it day after day. Sometimes the simpler you are [the better],” he said.
Which MasterChef guest judges can we expect in 2024?
Jamie Oliver: Celebrity chef, author
The first guest judge of MasterChef 2024 was announced in November 2023, with Network 10 sharing that Jamie Oliver would return to the kitchen for Season 16. He is set to appear on the series as a guest judge for two weeks.
The English celebrity chef is a hugely popular name these days and he has authored many books as well as opened a number of restaurants in the past.
“Returning to the MasterChef kitchen and spending time in Australia makes me very happy. I think MasterChef Australia is the best food show in the world – amazing production values and an incredible story of transformation,” he said.
“I love seeing how the contestants constantly surprise themselves about what they can achieve. More than that, MasterChef connects Aussies to food and the joy of cooking and that can only be a positive thing.”
We will keep a keen eye out for updates on other guest judges joining MasterChef Australia in 2024.
Other confirmed guests
All you have to do is head on over to the MasterChef AU Instagram page to get a hint at which other celebs are hitting the kitchen this time around. Take a look at a preview of who is showing up this season in the tease below.
Why did Melissa Leong leave MasterChef?
If you’re wondering about Melissa Leong, it was confirmed that she will be bringing her expertise to Dessert Masters going forward. This means that, no, she won’t be joining MasterChef Australia in 2024. On the announcement of MasterChef Australia‘s new judges, she shared the below:
“Over the past four years, MasterChef Australia has infused my life with something truly magical. It has provided me with life-changing experiences that have given me the courage to continue to put myself outside of my comfort zone.
“It is with great enthusiasm and warmth that I welcome new faces Sofia, Poh, and Jean-Christophe, to this very special family, I know they will make it theirs in their own special way, as we did.”
If you’d like to keep reading, check out our write-up on the contestants joining the series this year here.
Lead Image Credit: MasterChef Australia/ Instagram
This article has been updated since its original publication date.
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