MasterChef Portugal first brought the global cooking format to Portuguese television in 2011, later switching networks and hosts for its second season. Here’s the complete breakdown of the show’s first two champions, judges and prizes.
Quick Reference: MasterChef Portugal Winners (Season 1–2)
| Temporada | Canal | Ano | Vencedor/a | Apresentador/a |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RTP1 | 2011 | Lígia Santos | Sílvia Alberto |
| 2 | TVI | 2014 | Rita Elói Neto | Manuel Luís Goucha |
Season 1 (2011): Lígia Santos
MasterChef Portugal premiered on RTP1 on 9 July 2011 and ran for 11 episodes until 17 October 2011. Lígia Santos was crowned the very first MasterChef Portugal champion, beating out the competition under judges Chef Cordeiro, Justa Nobre and Ljubomir Stanisic.
Lígia’s win was genuinely life-changing — she gave up her career as a civil engineer entirely to pursue cooking professionally, crediting the show’s success for making that leap possible. A decade on, she remains one of the franchise’s most celebrated success stories.
Judges: Chef Cordeiro, Justa Nobre, Ljubomir Stanisic
Apresentadora (Host): Sílvia Alberto
Season 2 (2014): Rita Elói Neto
After a gap of several years, MasterChef Portugal returned for Season 2, this time switching networks to TVI and running from 8 March to 31 May 2014 across 13 episodes. Rita Elói Neto won the season, beating runner-up Sónia in the final, with other notable finalists including Leonor Godinho, Luís Portugal, and Filipe.
As her prize, Rita earned a place to study at a prestigious culinary school in Madrid, Spain. She went on to work under chef Rui Paula at Casa de Chá da Boa Nova in Leça da Palmeira, before eventually opening her own restaurant in Setúbal together with her sister — a true full-circle culinary journey.
Judges: Manuel Luís Goucha, Rui Paula, Miguel Rocha Vieira
Apresentador (Host): Manuel Luís Goucha (who also judged this season)
What Made These Seasons Different?
- Network switch: Season 1 aired on public broadcaster RTP1, while Season 2 moved to commercial channel TVI — a shift that also brought an entirely new judging panel and host
- Host doubled as judge: Uniquely, Season 2 host Manuel Luís Goucha also served as one of the three judges, a format choice not repeated in later seasons
- Career transformations: Both winners experienced major professional pivots — Lígia left engineering entirely, while Rita used her prize to train internationally before opening her own restaurant
MasterChef Portugal: What Came After Season 2?
The franchise continued to grow across multiple networks and formats over the following decade:
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| 7 | Rui Lemos (“the purée king”) |
| Recent (RTP1 era) | Sahima Hajat |
| Recent | Maria Inês Melo |
The show also later returned to RTP1, with newer judging panels featuring chefs like Ricardo Costa, Noélia Jerónimo, Diogo Rocha, Juliana Penteado, Rui Paula and Pedro Pena Bastos across different seasons.
Other spin-offs include MasterChef Júnior Portugal and holiday specials, such as a 2018 Christmas edition won by Luís Portugal (a former Season 2 finalist).
FAQs
Who won the first season of MasterChef Portugal? Lígia Santos won Season 1 in 2011, later leaving her engineering career to pursue cooking full-time.
Who won MasterChef Portugal Season 2? Rita Elói Neto won in 2014, going on to open her own restaurant in Setúbal.
Which channel aired MasterChef Portugal? Season 1 aired on RTP1; Season 2 moved to TVI before the show later returned to RTP1 for subsequent seasons.
Who hosted MasterChef Portugal Season 2? Manuel Luís Goucha hosted — and also served as a judge — for Season 2.
Is MasterChef Portugal still airing? Yes — the franchise has continued for multiple seasons since, including a notable Season 7 win by Rui Lemos.