MasterChef Germany has had one of the most unusual journeys of any franchise worldwide — launching, cancelling, relaunching, cancelling again, and relaunching once more across three different networks over 15 years. Here’s the complete winners list across every era: Sat.1’s Deutschlands MeisterKoch, Sky’s MasterChef, and Sport1’s MasterChef Germany revival.
Quick Reference: All MasterChef Germany Winners
| Era / Season | Year | Network | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deutschlands MeisterKoch (S1) | 2010 | Sat.1 | Jessica Dilworth | — |
| MasterChef (Sky, S1) | 2016–17 | Sky 1 | Melody Weis | €100,000 |
| MasterChef (Sky, S2) | 2017–18 | Sky 1 | Karen Fritzenschaft | — |
| MasterChef (Sky, S3) | 2019 | Sky 1 | Tobias König | €50,000 |
| MasterChef Germany (Revival) | 2025 | Sport1 | Tugba Bayraktar | — |
Era 1: Deutschlands MeisterKoch (2010)
Germany’s very first taste of the MasterChef format arrived on Sat.1 in August 2010 under the title Deutschlands MeisterKoch (“Germany’s Master Chef”), hosted and judged by Tim Raue, Thomas Jaumann, and Nelson Müller.
Jessica Dilworth, from Saarbrücken, was crowned the winner, beating runner-up Martin Mierbrück and third-place finisher Sally Sarhensen. Unfortunately, the show struggled with low ratings and was moved from its original Friday evening slot to Saturday afternoon — a shift that ultimately doomed the format. Sat.1 opted not to renew it for a second season, making this a rare single-season launch for such a major global franchise.
Era 2: MasterChef Returns on Sky (2016–2019)
After a six-year gap, the format made its comeback on Sky 1, this time under its original international title, MasterChef (often referred to as MasterChef Germany/Deutschland). This marked Sky’s very first original German production, following the classic format of narrowing 120 amateur home cooks down to a “Master Class” of 20 finalists.
Season 1 (2016–2017): Melody Weis
Melody Weis, from Berlin, won the inaugural Sky season on 31 January 2017, beating out 120 competing hobby cooks. Cooking under the motto “Kochen bedeutet Liebe” (“Cooking means love”), she took home €100,000 and her own published cookbook, MasterChef – Das Siegerkochbuch mit Melody Weis. She planned to use her winnings to pursue her dream of opening her own restaurant.
Judges: Ralf Zacherl, Sybille Schönberger, Justin Leone
Season 2 (2017–2018): Karen Fritzenschaft
Karen Fritzenschaft, from Kempten, won Season 2, with judge Nelson Müller joining the panel this season alongside Zacherl and Schönberger.
Judges: Ralf Zacherl, Sybille Schönberger, Justin Leone, Nelson Müller
Season 3 (2019): Tobias König
Tobias König, from Hilden, won the third and final Sky season after an intense head-to-head finale against runner-up Katharina, delivering a five-course menu that impressed the judges — including handmade ravioli, veal with cauliflower purée and passion fruit, and a basil ice cream dessert with white chocolate cake and raspberry mousse. He took home €50,000 and planned to use the winnings for a culinary trip around the world.
Judges: Ralf Zacherl, Nelson Müller, Maria Groß
After three seasons, Sky discontinued the format once again.
Era 3: MasterChef Germany Revival on Sport1 (2025)
After another multi-year hiatus, MasterChef Germany made its latest comeback in 2025, this time on the free-to-air sports channel Sport1, streaming via Joyn. The revival ran for 41 episodes from 24 February to 9 May 2025, with a new judging panel: Robin Pietsch, Felicitas Then, and Mike Süsser.
Tugba Bayraktar was crowned the winner of this new era on 9 May 2025, though the season notably struggled with very low TV ratings at times.
Judges: Robin Pietsch, Felicitas Then, Mike Süsser
MasterChef Celebrity Germany
A celebrity spin-off also aired on Sky, with the final coming down to a showdown between Jochen Schropp and Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht — Schropp ultimately won the title.
Fun Facts About MasterChef Germany
- Three networks, three relaunches: Few MasterChef franchises worldwide have bounced between as many broadcasters — Sat.1 (2010), Sky (2016–2019), and Sport1 (2025)
- Single-season false start: Deutschlands MeisterKoch is one of the only MasterChef editions globally to air just one season before being cancelled outright
- Judge continuity: Ralf Zacherl is the only judge to span multiple eras of the Sky run, judging all three seasons
- Full circle moment: Season 2 winner Karen Fritzenschaft returned to hand over chef jackets to the Season 3 finalists
FAQs
Who won the first German MasterChef? Jessica Dilworth won Deutschlands MeisterKoch in 2010 on Sat.1.
How much prize money do MasterChef Germany winners receive? It has varied by era — €100,000 (Sky Season 1), €50,000 (Sky Season 3), with other seasons’ amounts less publicly documented.
Why did MasterChef Germany change networks so many times? Each previous run was cancelled due to ratings challenges, leading the format to relaunch on a new broadcaster each time — Sat.1, then Sky, then Sport1.
Who won the most recent MasterChef Germany season? Tugba Bayraktar won the 2025 Sport1 revival season.
Is there a Celebrity MasterChef Germany? Yes — a celebrity edition aired on Sky, won by actor Jochen Schropp.