MasterChef Australia: The Professionals aired just one season, in 2013, and has never returned. It was a spin-off built for working chefs rather than home cooks, based on the BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals. It also took the AACTA Award for Best Reality Television Series in 2014.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Network | Network Ten |
| Premiere | 20 January 2013 |
| Finale | 17 March 2013 |
| Episodes | 25 |
| Contestants | 18 professional chefs |
| Winner | Rhys Badcock |
| Runners-up | Rhett Willis and Sarah Knights |
| Prize | $200,000 plus a world tour working in celebrated kitchens |
| Judges and hosts | Matt Preston and Marco Pierre White |
| Narrator | Lofty Fulton |
| Filmed at | Melbourne Showgrounds |
| Premiere viewers | About 1.165 million |
Who Won?
Rhys Badcock, a 29-year-old head chef from New South Wales, won the title on 17 March 2013. He beat two fellow head chefs in the final, Rhett Willis (33, Queensland) and Sarah Knights (27, NSW).
The final round was a service challenge. Each finalist designed a full entrée, main and dessert for 120 guests, all of them professional chefs, and picked two assistants from the 15 eliminated contestants. Rhys scored 16 for the round, for a total of 50. Sarah also scored 16, for a total of 48, and Rhett scored 17, also finishing on 48.
Rhys was born in 1983 on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and now splits his time between Byron Bay, NSW, and Broome, Western Australia.
Final Standings
| Place | Chef | Age | State | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rhys Badcock | 29 | NSW | 50 |
| 2nd (joint) | Rhett Willis | 33 | QLD | 48 |
| 2nd (joint) | Sarah Knights | 27 | NSW | 48 |
Michael Demagistris (VIC) and Nathan Brindle (NSW) were eliminated just before the final.
Judges
- Matt Preston, the food critic who was also a judge on the main MasterChef Australia show
- Marco Pierre White, the British chef who brought a famously tough standard to the panel
Where the main show has Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, this spin-off had only these two, and they both judged and presented.
Format
The series ran on a weekly structure, with mystery box challenges and team service challenges. The worst performer on the losing team went home, and in Week 6 the winning team competed for an Immunity Pin instead of facing elimination. Guest chefs from earlier episodes were among the 120 professional diners at the final.
Related Spin-Offs
The main franchise has several other spin-offs:
- Celebrity MasterChef Australia, won by Eamon Sullivan (2009) and Nick Riewoldt (2021)
- Junior MasterChef Australia, won by Isabella Bliss, Greta Yaxley and Georgia Eris
- MasterChef Australia All-Stars (2012), a three-week charity special with returning contestants from the first three seasons
- Dessert Masters, a separate show for professional pastry chefs
FAQs
How many seasons of MasterChef Australia: The Professionals have aired? One, in early 2013.
Who won it? Rhys Badcock, a head chef from NSW.
What was the prize? $200,000 plus a world tour working in celebrated kitchens.
Who judged it? Matt Preston and Marco Pierre White.
Is there a second season? No second season has been produced.