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MasterChef Junior kicked off its eighth season premiere on March 17, 2022. The reality cooking series saw 16 contestants, who were ameteur chefs from ages 8 to 13, compete with each other to win the famous title. The show is hosted by judges Gordon Ramsay, Daphne Oz, who is replacing Chris Tosi, and Aaron Sanchez.
Not only will the contestants win the luxurious MasterChef Junior title, they will also win a cash prize of $100,000. Though the winner won't be able to access the prize until 18 years of age, they'll still be leaving the competition with bragging rights.
While season 8 of MasterChef Junior premiered on Fox in the month of March 2022, the show began filming almost three years ago, in the summer of 2019. In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 13-year-old reality star contestant A’Dan Lisaula looked back on his experience filming the show and said,
“I feel like I’ve grown two feet since then.”
Not only does the champion win the title of MasterChef Junior and the grand cash prize, but also the season's second-best prize: a brand-new complete Vikings kitchen, a full set of kitchen tools, countertop appliances, and a trip to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to dine in one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants.
Details on when and where MasterChef Junior season 8 was filmed
In the series, contestants are asked to cook with high-end cookware with the challenge of creating five-star level meals in just a span of 60 minutes.
The show was shot three years ago when judge Daphne was still pregnant with her fourth child Giovanna "Gigi" Ines Jovanovic, who turns three later this year.
The delayed premiere and release of the show also saw the younger version of the contestants, who have grown up quite a bit since filming and production wrapped. A'Dan Lisaula, who was 10 at the time of filming, said,
“When I was 10, I was a little bit cocky. I am more humble now. I know what my limits are. And my cooking has elevated since then. I want to elevate it even more."
The reality TV competition was filmed at an old Costco in the San Fernando Valley of California. The set is also home to other shows from Fox, including Hell's Kitchen. This was the first time that the competition was filmed there, as in the past, MasterChef Junior was filmed at Walt Disney Studios.
Although the kids weren't allowed to get any form of help from the adults, Gordon told Deadline in 2017 that the contestants had access to some of the best culinary tools one could have in the kitchen.
He shared,
“I run a culinary Thunderdome, and they’re not plastic knives; they’re the best Japanese knives in the world. Thankfully, safety protocols are enforced for exactly that reason. It’s the real deal. One slip of the knife and their fingers could be off.”
Fans eagerly awaited the season of MasterChef Junior, and this time the show has promised some very interesting challenges, including cooking a meal for diners at a historic renaissance fair and participating in a WWE-themed episode, among many others. The show will also debut Gordon Ramsay's daughter Tilly for a doughnut challenge.
