MasterChef Argentina is Telefe’s amateur edition, produced with BoxfishTV. It launched on 6 April 2014 and quickly became a ratings hit. This is separate from MasterChef Celebrity Argentina, which I covered earlier.
Quick Reference
| Temporada | Año | Ganador/a | Subcampeón/a | Premio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014 | Elba Rodríguez | Pablo Fekete | $250.000 |
| 2 | 2015 | Alejo Lagouarde | Not confirmed in my sources | $350.000 |
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Network | Telefe (also aired on Monte Carlo TV in Uruguay and Discovery Home & Health) |
| Production | Telefe with BoxfishTV |
| Time slot | Sunday to Thursday, 22:30 |
| First broadcast | 6 April 2014 |
| Filming | Telefe studios, Buenos Aires |
| Host | Mariano Peluffo |
| Judges | Germán Martitegui, Donato De Santis, Christophe Krywonis |
| Extra prizes | Own cookbook plus a one-year scholarship at the Mausi Sebess culinary institute |
Season 1 (2014): Elba Rodríguez
Elba Rodríguez won the first season, beating runner-up Pablo Fekete. The season started with 16 finalists, and the winner took the MasterChef title, 250,000 pesos, a cookbook and the Mausi Sebess scholarship.
Others eliminated along the way included María José Poretta, Federico Silva, Roberto Ríos, Óscar “Coto” Fernández, Ángela Raad, Mohamed Alaa, Gaia Bidin and María Sol Bazzolo.
Season 2 (2015): Alejo Lagouarde
Alejo Lagouarde won the second season in 2015, with Mariano Peluffo hosting. The prize rose to 350,000 pesos. I couldn’t confirm the Season 2 runner-up or an exact finale date from the sources I found.
Judges
- Germán Martitegui, one of Argentina’s best-known chefs
- Donato De Santis, the Italian-born chef and TV personality
- Christophe Krywonis, the French-born chef who judged the original run and was later replaced on the panel by Damián Betular
Martitegui and De Santis stayed with the franchise into the celebrity editions.
What Came Next
| Edition | Year | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| MasterChef Junior (S1) | 2015 | María Sassola, age 13 | — |
| MasterChef Celebrity (S1) | 2020-21 | Claudia Villafañe | $1.000.000 |
| MasterChef Celebrity (S2) | 2021 | Gastón Dalmau | $1.200.000 |
| MasterChef (S3) | 2023 | Rodolfo Vera Calderón | $10.000.000 |
Argentine media count seven winners across all editions since 2014. The 2023 regular season was hosted by Wanda Nara, who later took over the celebrity edition too.
Fun Facts
- Rising prizes: from 250,000 pesos in Season 1 to 10,000,000 in Season 3, although inflation explains much of the jump.
- Junior edition: María Sassola won the first junior season aged 13, and Argentine press counts her as the franchise’s third winner overall.
- Judges carried over: Martitegui and De Santis have sat on every edition.
FAQs
Who won MasterChef Argentina Season 1? Elba Rodríguez, in 2014.
Who won Season 2? Alejo Lagouarde, in 2015.
Who hosted the original seasons? Mariano Peluffo.
What do winners receive? The MasterChef title, a cash prize, their own cookbook and a one-year scholarship at the Mausi Sebess institute.
Is this the same as MasterChef Celebrity Argentina? No. That is a separate celebrity edition with its own winners.