MasterChef Italia
MasterChef Italia is the Italian version of culinary talent show MasterChef. The first edition was aired from 21 September to 7 December 2011 on Sky Uno.
The judges are chefs Bruno Barbieri, Carlo Cracco, Antonino Cannavacciuolo by the fifth edition and restaurateur Joe Bastianich. Voiceovers are made by Simone D'Andrea and Luisa Ziliotto. Carlo Cracco quit the program after the end of 6th season and was replaced by Antonia Klugmann in the 7th. Antonia Klugmann was in turn replaced by Giorgio Locatelli for Season 8.
MasterChef Italia winners earn €100,000 in gold coins and gets to publish a recipe book.
The success of the first edition included parodies of the program, including The Scoured, Crozza in Wonderland and Made in Sud with the parody Mastrochef
Format
- Mystery Box Challenge: Participants have to prepare a dish following the instructions of the judges and the ingredients contained in their Mystery Boxes. The judges taste the three most interesting dishes, and the winner is given an advantage for the next challenge.
- Invention Test: the participants have to re-create a dish decided by the judges or, often, by a guest. The winner of the Mystery Box Challenge is given an advantage over the other participants, which could go as far as being exempted from the challenge. The duration of this test is variable, and here the judges, after tasting all dishes, nominate the winner of the test and the three cooks with the worst outcome, and between them at least one is eliminated.
- Team Challenge: In this test, the candidates are divided into two teams and have to prepare dishes to be served in a particular situation, usually outside MasterChef's kitchen, and for a considerable number of people, ranging from 100 to 10. MasterChef Italia has visited several locations in Italy and abroad, including Norwegian fjords, the Vatican, Naples. The winner of the invention test can choose the components of either teams and, at times, the courses to prepare, or have other particular advantages, such as advice from local chefs. The winning team will be voted upon by the guests they prepared food for, by simple majority.
- Pressure Test: The members of the losing team will compete against each other in a task, usually with a very strict time limit, until at least one of them is eliminated.
- The Final: In the Season Finale, the two remaining participants face each other in a 2-hour long duel, during which they have to serve their own degustation menu, composed of at least four courses.
Season One
Elimination table
Season Two
In February 2012 Sky Italy opened up the casting for the second edition.The winner of the second edition was attorney Tiziana Stefanelli. Unlike the previous edition, the first MasterChef aired on Sky One from 13 December 2012 to 21 February 2013. On days 19, 20 and 21 November 2012, three special introductory episodes had aired: Joe Bastianich: Family Affairs, Carlo Cracco:The Squaring Of The Egg and Bruno Barbieri: Chef 7-Star. In addition, the three judges were guests in an episode of X Factor Italy, of That Heavenly Goal! and The Barbarian Invasions.
Season Three
In February 2013 casting opened for the third edition. The race started 19 December 2013 and ended on 6 March 2014. The winner of the third edition was Francesco Federico Ferrero, a medical intern. Unlike the other two editions, the winner was announced live at the General Stores in Milan. The season will be broadcast again on Cielo, a DTV channel, in September 2014.Season Four
In February 2014 casting opened for the fourth season scheduled for the second half of 2014 again on Sky Uno. Filming of these episodes will begin in June. Masterchef Italy started on 18 December 2014 and the winner was Stefano Callegaro. The winner's name was leaked by the media and published before the final episode of the season.Season Five
In February 2015 casting opened for the fifth season started on December 18, 2015 on Sky Uno. By this season there was a new entry, Antonino Cannavacciuolo as a new judge. The Season Finale aired on March 3, 2016 and the winner was Erica Liverani.Season Six
In February 2016 casting opened for the sixth season scheduled for the second half of 2016 on Sky Uno. The winner of this season was the youngest ever, Valerio Braschi.Season Seven
In February 2017 casting opened for the seventh season scheduled for the end of the year. The 7th season started airing in December 2017 until April 2018. Carlo Cracco was replaced by the first woman judge, Antonia Klugmann. This edition was won by Simone Scipioni.Season Eight
The 8th season of Masterchef started airing in December 2018 until April 2019. Antonia Klugmann left Masterchef after only one season, being replaced by chef Giorgio Locatelli. The winner was Valeria Raciti from Sicily. She then published the book "Amore curiosità istinto. La mia cucina felice".Season Nine
The 9th season of Masterchef started airing in December 2019. Joe Bastianich left Masterchef after eight seasons, Bruno Barbieri is now the only judge left from the original cast.Contestants
Elimination Table
This cook won the competition.
The cook won the individual challenge.
The cook didn't have to compete in that round of the competition and was safe from elimination
The cook is safe after the first stage of the Skill Test.
The cook is safe after the second stage of the Skill Test.
The cook is safe after the third stage of the Skill Test.
The cook was on the winning team in the Team Challenge and directly advanced to the next round.
The cook was on the losing team in the Team Challenge, did not compete in the Pressure Test, and advanced.
The cook won the Team challenge and is safe.
The cook competed in the Pressure Test and advanced.
The cook is safe after a run-off.
The cook was one of the bottom entries in an individual challenge, will skip the team challenge and go straight to Pressure Test.
The cook was one of the bottom entries but wasn't eliminated.
The cook was eliminated from MasterChef
This cook finished as a runner-up in the finals.