MasterChef Australia All-Stars aired for just one season, in 2012, as a charity special for returning contestants from the first three seasons. It has not come back, though the franchise later ran Back to Win (2020) and Fans & Favourites (2022) with a similar returning-contestant idea.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Network | Network Ten |
| Premiere | 26 July 2012 (some sources list 25 July) |
| Finale | 19 August 2012 |
| Episodes | 19 |
| Contestants | 12 returning favourites |
| Winner | Callum Hann |
| Runner-up | Chris Badenoch |
| Final score | 70 points to 62 |
| Judges | Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, Matt Preston |
| Narrator | Nicholas McKay |
| Filmed at | Alexandria, Sydney, the original MasterChef kitchen |
Who Won?
Callum Hann, the Season 2 runner-up, was named winner on 19 August 2012 with 70 points to Chris Badenoch’s 62. Callum had come second to Adam Liaw in 2010, so this was a second chance at the title. The Masterchef fandom wiki reports that he raised $20,000 for Cancer Council Australia.
How It Worked
Nobody was cooking for a personal prize. Each contestant played for a charity of their choice, and winning a challenge earned money for it:
- The opening croquembouche challenge, set by Adriano Zumbo, won the Yellow team $20,000 in total, or $5,000 per contestant.
- Individual challenge winners earned $5,000 for their charity.
- A mystery box challenge used ingredients chosen by famous chefs, including Heston Blumenthal’s dry ice, Rick Stein’s spanner crab and a sea urchin picked by Anthony Bourdain. Marion Grasby’s crab and sea urchin soufflé won $10,000 for her charity.
- Eliminated contestants who hadn’t raised anything still earned a default $5,000 for the Chris Riley Foundation.
- Kate Bracks won a challenge in Episode 15 that put her straight into the finale.
Returning Cast
The cast included Julie Goodwin (Season 1 winner), Kate Bracks (Season 3 winner), Poh Ling Yeow, Justine Schofield, Chris Badenoch, Marion Grasby, Jonathan Daddia, Aaron Harvie and Callum Hann. The 2010 winner, Adam Liaw, was a notable absentee.
Why It Matters
- It was the last production shot in the original Alexandria kitchen, home to all the earlier seasons.
- It aired during the 2012 Summer Olympics, right after the Season 4 finale in which Andy Allen won.
- Julie Goodwin returned to the franchise again in 2022, finishing 5th in Fans & Favourites.
FAQs
How many seasons of MasterChef Australia All-Stars have aired? One, in 2012.
Who won it? Callum Hann, with 70 points to Chris Badenoch’s 62.
Who judged it? Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston.
What was the prize? Money went to charity rather than the contestants, with $20,000 reported for the winner’s charity.
Have later seasons brought contestants back? Yes, Back to Win (2020) and Fans & Favourites (2022), though those were full competitions rather than charity specials.