What’s in store for the new season of MasterChef? Today, FOX released new details for the TV show’s upcoming ninth season.
This season will feature a new batch of the nation’s top home cooks battling it out for the title of MasterChef. Judges include Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, and Joe Bastianich.
Season nine of MasterChef premieres on FOX on May 30th at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Read more details below:
In a MASTERCHEF kitchen first, the judges will do battle when Season Nine of MASTERCHEF premieres Wednesday, May 30 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. For the first time ever, the judges – host and award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and renowned restaurateur Joe Bastianich – will choose their favorite home cooks and mentor them throughout the competition. Another all-new two-hour episode of MASTERCHEF airs Wednesday, June 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Then, the series makes its time period premiere on Wednesday, June 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), followed by the series premiere of GORDON RAMSAY’S 24 HOURS TO HELL AND BACK (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).
In the season premiere, the nation’s best home cooks travel to Los Angeles to compete for a spot in the Top 24. That’s when the twist kicks in: the judges each will have eight aprons to hand out to the home cooks whom they deem worthy – and they will then mentor those contestants throughout the competition. However, as in all prior seasons, only one home cook will claim the MASTERCHEF title and the $250,000 grand prize.
Hopefuls auditioned at MASTERCHEF’s open casting calls in Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA; Raleigh, NC; Phoenix, AZ; New York, NY; Miami, FL; Houston, TX; Philadelphia, PA; Las Vegas, NV; Nashville, TN; and Los Angeles, CA, to prove they have the culinary skills to be the next MASTERCHEF. Only one talented home cook will join MASTERCHEF winners Dino Luciano (Season Eight); Shaun O’Neale (Season Seven); Claudia Sandoval (Season Six); Courtney Lapresi (Season Five); Luca Manfe (Season Four); Christine Ha (Season Three), the first-ever blind contestant; Jennifer Behm (Season Two); and Whitney Miller (Season One) in the elite group of MASTERCHEF titleholders.
Below are the hometowns, names and professions of the Home Cooks who will participate in the MASTERCHEF Battle for a White Apron:
State/Hometown Name Profession
Alabama
Slapout Jessica Meuse Country SingerArizona
Peoria Darrick Krause EngineerCalifornia
Los Angeles S.J. College Student Sal Maida Architect
San Francisco Imani Browning Server
Sylmar Cynthia Smith-Allen Bey Accounting AssistantCayman Islands
Nik Stewart ModelChina
Tianjin Bowen Li PilotFlorida
Miami Shanika Patterson Event Promoter Sid Hoeltzell Food Photographer
Opa-Locka Ashley Mincey Professional Grocery ShopperGeorgia
Atlanta Camerron Dangerfield Financial AnalystIllinois
Chicago Farhan Momin Dental Student Julia Danno Sales ManagerIowa
Iowa City Matt Houck Optometrist
West Des Moines Samantha Daily College StudentKentucky
Louisville Gerron Hurt English TeacherLouisiana
Shreveport Mark Myers Jr. FirefighterMaine
Rockport Mark Ingraham DishwasherMaryland
Laurel Tye Hall Brown Associate ProfessorMassachusetts
Orange Lindsay Haigh Trial AttorneyMichigan
Grand Rapids Alecia Winters Daycare OwnerNevada
Las Vegas Jannie Lam Cocktail ServerNew Jersey
Cherry Hill Stephanie Willis BartenderNew York
Brooklyn Maya Rose Lederer Personal Assistant
Mamaroneck Daniela Savone ESL Teacher
Westchester Frank Tufano BartenderNorth Carolina
Clayton Hope McFarland Health Care Administrator
Four Oaks Jody Rhodes Hunting Guide
Raleigh Juni Cuevas Disability AnalystSouth Carolina
Columbia Olusola Ogbomo Bus DriverSouth Africa
Butterworth Markheavens Tshuma Retail ManagerTennessee
Nashville Mark Medlin Business OwnerTexas
Austin Chera Lynn Little Realtor
Houston Cesar Cano High School Teacher Chelsea Sargent Sales Specialist Ralph Xavier Degala Senior Accountant Ryan Cortez Taylor Waltmon Drummer Sales Training Director
San Antonio Jason Beauchamp Business Owner
Orlando Velasquez Family & Criminal LawVirginia
Fairfax Eric Clingan Criminal Defense AttorneyWisconsin
Neenah Emily Hallock Food Research AnalystMASTERCHEF is produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Endemol Shine. Robin Ashbrook, Elisabeth Murdoch, Georgie Hurford-Jones, Gordon Ramsay, Danny Schrader, Yasmin Shackleton, Patricia Llewellyn and Ben Adler serve as executive producers. “Like” MASTERCHEF on Facebook at facebook.com/Masterchef/. Follow the series on Twitter @MasterChefonFOX and join the discussion with #MasterChef. See photos and videos on Instagram @MasterchefonFOX. Follow the judges on Twitter: Gordon Ramsay – @gordonramsay; Aarón Sánchez – @Chef_Aaron; Joe Bastianich – @JBastianich.”
What do you think? Are you a fan of MasterChef? Will you watch season nine?