MasterChef Australia fans outraged over detail in service challenge: 'Not enough'

MasterChef Australia 2024 has wasted no time in throwing the new batch of hopefuls straight into the proverbial fire with the second episode featuring a service challenge for a group of former contestants. Among the returning chefs were Julie Goodwin, Sashi Cheliah, Khanh Ong and Emelia Jackson who were all there to enjoy the dishes prepared by the purple and burgundy teams with Jamie Oliver acting as head chef.

The challenge was to create a three-course meal heroing ingredients selected by the judges - mushrooms for entrée, cashews and capsicums for the main course, and grapefruit for dessert. Up for grabs for the winning team was the chance to compete for immunity in the next cook - so the stakes were high.

Several fans pointed out that it was a pretty big deal to introduce such an intense challenge so early on, but their indignation at this was swiftly replaced by horror at something else entirely and that thing was scallops. Or, more specifically, the number of scallops the burgundy team proposed serving as an entrée.

"ONE SCALLOP??" one incredulous fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) along with a GIF of Katherine Heigl mid-labour in Knocked Up as she screams 'GET OUUUTTT'!

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"One scallop 😱," another added, this time using a GIF from Grey's Anatomy to prove their point.

"You can’t just serve Khanh one scallop!" another tried to reason. "He’s just come back from being starved in the jungle!" - referring to the chef's recent stint on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (despite MasterChef being shot before I'm A Celebrity).

"I'm sorry, ONE scallop per person for entree??" pondered one viewer.

Another chimed in saying, "I can’t believe they thought one scallop was acceptable!!" while another joked, "Cost of living crisis - you get one scallop on MasterChef."

Despite the offending question, the Burgundy team won the intense challenge thanks to their scallop and mushroom dashi entrée (don't worry, they served three per person in the end), fish cashew curry and meringue with grapefruit curd, chantilly cream, grapefruit & Aperol caramel, fruit salsa and an Aperol & lime pouring syrup.

Andy Allen reflects on returning without Jock

Meanwhile, Andy Allen - the only returning judge from previous seasons following Melissa Leong's exit and the death of Jock Zonfrillo - spoke to Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little on the Carrie & Tommy show about his initial reservations about coming back to film the hit show after losing his co-star and best friend.

"It’s nearly a year. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and other times it feels like it was a long, long time ago. It was hard. It was really hard. I didn't actually know if I was going to do it (MasterChef) again," Andy said.

He continued, “I just didn’t know if I’d be able to get through it. I just didn't know if I'd be able to do it justice, to give the show what it needed because there was so much grief attached to that kitchen."

However, fans could not be happier that he did return with viewers taking to X to express their appreciation.

"Can't imagine how hard it was for Andy to step back into the kitchen. So many memories," one person wrote.

"Andy 🥲🥲🥲 I'm glad you're still on board ❤️," said another.

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Andy also revealed to Carrie and Tommy that the first scene of the season had been the hardest to film saying, "I’m literally the only person in that kitchen. Just myself, no contestants."

It was a situation not lost on the audience with one fan writing, "Those little snippets of Jock... no more Melissa... Andy standing in the kitchen alone as the contestants came in... all plucked at the heart strings just now. But anyway, we're BACK."

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