MasterChef: Season Nine; The Judges Battle It Out on the FOX Premiere

CR: Michael Becker / FOX. © 2017 FOX Broadcasting.

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 Singer

Arizona
Peoria Darrick Krause Engineer

California
Los Angeles S.J. College Student Sal Maida Architect
San Francisco Imani Browning Server
Sylmar Cynthia Smith-Allen Bey Accounting Assistant

Cayman Islands
Nik Stewart Model

China
Tianjin Bowen Li Pilot

Florida
Miami Shanika Patterson Event Promoter Sid Hoeltzell Food Photographer
Opa-Locka Ashley Mincey Professional Grocery Shopper

Georgia
Atlanta Camerron Dangerfield Financial Analyst

Illinois
Chicago Farhan Momin Dental Student Julia Danno Sales Manager

Iowa
Iowa City Matt Houck Optometrist
West Des Moines Samantha Daily College Student

Kentucky
Louisville Gerron Hurt English Teacher

Louisiana
Shreveport Mark Myers Jr. Firefighter

Maine
Rockport Mark Ingraham Dishwasher

Maryland
Laurel Tye Hall Brown Associate Professor

Massachusetts
Orange Lindsay Haigh Trial Attorney

Michigan
Grand Rapids Alecia Winters Daycare Owner

Nevada
Las Vegas Jannie Lam Cocktail Server

New Jersey
Cherry Hill Stephanie Willis Bartender

New York
Brooklyn Maya Rose Lederer Personal Assistant
Mamaroneck Daniela Savone ESL Teacher
Westchester Frank Tufano Bartender

North Carolina
Clayton Hope McFarland Health Care Administrator
Four Oaks Jody Rhodes Hunting Guide
Raleigh Juni Cuevas Disability Analyst

South Carolina
Columbia Olusola Ogbomo Bus Driver

South Africa
Butterworth Markheavens Tshuma Retail Manager

Tennessee
Nashville Mark Medlin Business Owner

Texas
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 Law

Virginia
Fairfax Eric Clingan Criminal Defense Attorney

Wisconsin
Neenah Emily Hallock Food Research Analyst

MASTERCHEF 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?