What time will MasterChef Season 12 Episode 8 air? Release date, surprise guest, and more details explored

Fox's MasterChef Season 12 is set to return with an all-new episode, and the battle is getting tougher with every passing week. Only 16 contestants remain, and this week they will battle against each other for the coveted immunity spot and a chance to avoid elimination.

MasterChef: Back to Win features contestants from previous seasons who faced an early end to their journey in the famed reality TV competition. They not only get another chance at redemption, but the winner also gets a huge cash prize of $250,000.

Faced with a new challenge every week, the contestants must impress the judges with their unique dishes. The contestant with the most impressive dish will receive immunity from the following week's challenge, and the contestant with the least impressive dish will be eliminated. So far, four talented contestants have been sent home. This season, the series also features two contestants who made their debut on MasterChef Junior.

This week, the contestants face a new challenge and will fight for their chance to remain in the competition by pulling out all the stops. MasterChef Season 12 will air Episode 8 at 8.00 pm ET on Fox. Here's what to expect from the upcoming episode.

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What can fans expect from MasterChef Season 12 Episode 8?

The top 16 contestants face an all-new unique challenge this week. The episode will also feature an uber-cool chef as the guest judge. Top Chef alum Tiffany Derry will make an appearance as the guest judge, and the challenge will revolve around what Tiffany is best known for, Southern Fusion.

After presenting the judges with the best dish last week, Amanda received the immunity pin and has directly advanced to the Top 15. The contestant previously made it to the 13th spot during Season 6 of the show.

The remaining 15 contestants will take a virtual culinary trip around the world in a unique cooking challenge. Each contestant will have to draw a flag out of a globe. They will then have to present a fusion dish featuring the country that the flag represents.

The official synopsis for this week's episode reads:

"The 16 remaining chefs are challenged to cook a Southern cuisine dish inspired by complex flavors from countries around the world; Gordon welcomes award-winning chef and Southern fusion restaurateur Tiffany Derry to the kitchen."

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Here's a recap of what happened in the previous episode of MasterChef Season 12

In Episode 7, the contestants battled against each other in a vegan challenge. Although many were excited, a few contestants were extremely nervous. To put them at ease, judge Gordon Ramsay presents a demonstration of his vegan beef wellington.

The contestants had an hour to prepare their dish, and they also had to pick fresh ingredients from the garden outside. With just 30 minutes to go, the judges were worried that Samantha's potatoes weren't even boiling. Unfortunately, she was unable to salvage the situation and found herself in the bottom three, alongside Fred and Shelly.

Samantha presented the judges with her Stuffed Potato Cake with Mushroom Filling and Vegan Sour Cream. Chef Ramsay called her dish "minimalistic." Aaron believed that it tasted like something one would get out of the frozen aisle in a grocery store. Samantha's dish did not meet expectations, and the judges decided to eliminate her from the competition.

MasterChef Season 12 airs every Wednesday night at 8.00 pm ET only on Fox. Readers can check their local listings for more information.