"Such a shame": Fans upset after judges eliminate Shayne in MasterChef Episode 8 

Shayne and Gordon Ramsay (Image via Instagram/@shayne__wells75)

MasterChef Season 12 returned for another mouth-watering episode on Wednesday night. This week, the 16 remaining contestants were tasked with a unique challenge.

They had to present the judges Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bastianich, alongside guest Tiffany Derry, with a dish inspired from a different country with a Southern twist. One chef's time in the kitchen came to an end after the challenge, and sadly it was Shayne Wells.

Episode 8 of MasterChef Season 12 featured the contestants going on a little globetrotting with their cuisine. Each contestant had to pick out a hidden flag stuck on the globe. The country they received was where they had to inspire their dishes from.

Shayne drew the Ethopian flag and had to prepare a Southern fusion dish inspired by the Ethopian cuisine. He was a little concerned about his choice right from the start. Judge Joe revealed that the 18-year-old had received the hardest country.

Shayne decided to prepare a Chicken Fried Steak marinated in coffee with some Collard Greens, along with tumeric-inspired potatoes and cabbage. Ramsay shared that Ethiopian food is all about spices. He said:

"Ginger, cardamom and cumin. The dish has to be full of flavor."

During his confessional, the young MasterChef contestant shared,

"Being from Texas, I feel pretty confident on the Southern aspect of the dish. But when it comes to fusion, I'm lost. I've never been to Ethiopia, I've never eaten Ethiopian food. And now I've got to incorporate an Ethiopian and Southern fusion. That's crazy."

Unfortunately, Shayne found himself in the bottom three alongside Bowen Li and Bri Baker. Presenting Shayne's dish to the judges, Ramsay shared that it wasn't the young contestant's strongest plating performance. The celebrity chef also shared that the contestant shouldn't have cut the steak before plating.

Aaron revealed that the dish lacked seasoning, while Tiffany shared that there was a lack of execution. Joe added that Shayne's life experience was missing in his dish. After a quick delibiration, the judges came to a mutual decision. They declared that it was none other than Shayne who was being eliminated this week.

Fans who watched the episode took to social media to share their reaction to the young MasterChef contestant's elimination.

---

Fans sad that Shayne got eliminated in MasterChef Season 12, Episode 8

Taking to Twitter, fans shared that it was a shame that Shayne was eliminated this week. Some also added that he had more potential than some of the other contestants and that they wanted him to last longer in the competition.

---

More information on what happened this week in MasterChef Season 12, Episode 8

Shayne wasn't the only contestant to face trouble during their challenge. Bowen also fell apart mid-way through his cooking. The 28-year-old contestant had to cook a Southern fusion dish inspired by Israel.

He decided to make a herb sauce with Mediterranean flavors along with lamb and Pan Fried Grit Cake. Bowen shared that he was going to focus on the flavors and the lamb because it was the main protein of his dish. But with merely 27 minutes to go, the MasterChef contestant was yet to put his lamb in the oven, which worried the judges.

Eventually, the stress got to Bowen as well. Luckily for him, with the limited time available, he was able to cook the lamb and save himself from elimination.

MasterChef airs every Wednesday night at 8 pm ET only on Fox. Readers can check your local listings for more information.