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MasterChef is set to return with Season 12 on Wednesday, May 25, at 8.00 pm ET on Fox. This time, the summer's most-watched cooking show has contestants coming "Back to Win," with chefs from previous years coming together to compete against each other to try and win the title once more.
Culinary legends Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, and Joe Bastianich will judge the reality cooking competition. The television program is gearing up for an exciting All-Stars season where an arduous but equally exciting journey awaits the contestants.
The 11th season finale aired in September 2021, where Kelsey Murphy was crowned the best cook in America.
Season 12's cheftestants are yet to be announced, but the two who competed on MasterChef Junior are now back to compete as adults. The winner will win a $250,000 grand prize and a state-of-the-art Viking kitchen.
Rumored net worth of MasterChef Season 12 judges
Gordon Ramsay is back with Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bastianich for Season 12. The trio has been a fan favorite since their chemistry in Season 9 in 2018.
While Ramsay has been the judge for all the seasons until now, Sanchez joined full time in Season 8, and Bastianich returned in Season 9 after initially judging Seasons 1-5.
Gordon Ramsay
With $220 million net worth and $60 million as salary per year, Gordon Ramsay is the richest judge on MasterChef Season 12 "Back to Win." The British chef, restaurateur, writer, television personality, and food critic is known for his fiery personality in the kitchen, which has left many contestants scared of his temper and criticism.
In 1998, Ramsay opened his restaurant called Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London's Chelsea. From there on, it was just an upwards journey for the chef as he launched his US-based TV show Hell's Kitchen, which premiered on Food Network.
His first foray into television was through two documentaries: Boiling Point in 1998 and Beyond Boiling Point in 2000. In 2004, he appeared in two British television series, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen.
In 2010, the 55-year-old produced and judged the US version of MasterChef and starred in a travelogue about his India visit, followed by a series set in Asia.
Over the years, Ramsay has added many television shows under his cap. His salary per episode is $225,000, and the Johnstoneborn star earns around $45 million from his media and restaurant sales.
In mid-July 2019, he sold a 50% stake in his North American holding company to Lion Capital. It plans to spend $100 million launching 100 Gordon Ramsay restaurants in the United States between 2020 and 2025.
In 2012, the celebrity purchased a home worth $6.75 million in Bel Air, Los Angeles. The mansion measures 7,413 square feet and has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a swimming pool, and a luxury kitchen.
The MasterChef judge also owns a home in London for $3.5 million and three houses at a combined total of $13 million in the English seaside town of Fowey.
Joe Bastianich
The American television personality, food writer, and restaurateur has a net worth of $15 million. He was born in Astoria, Queens, New York, in September 1968 and is best known as a culinary judge on shows including MasterChef, MasterChef Italia, and MasterChef Junior.
At four years old, Bastianich's parents purchased their first restaurant named Buonavia. At 11, they bought Villa Seconda and soon sold their first two restaurants to open Felidia in Manhattan.
After graduating from Boston College and working on Wall Street, Joe joined his parents and convinced them to open Lidia's Kansas City in 1993.
After his parents' divorce, the 53-year-old's father transferred his share to Joe and his sister Tanya.
Bastianich teamed up with chef Mario Batali to open Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca and continued to open seven more restaurants in New York City. They have also opened restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Singapore.
Aaron Sanchez
The American chef, television personality, and entrepreneur has a net worth of $4 million. The culinary judge was born in El Paso, Texas, in February 1976.
The 46-year-old is part owner of the Mexican restaurant Mestizo in Kansas City, Kansas. He has competed in shows like Iron Chef and The Next Iron Chef.
Sanchez co-hosted the television series Heat Seekers with Roger Mooking and has also been a guest judge on Food Network's hit series Chopped. He has also been featured on the TV series Chefs vs. City with Chris Cosentino.
The MasterChef judge studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. His other notable television appearances include Melting Pot, Boy Meets Grill, and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay.
Tune in on Wednesday to Fox to catch the first episode of MasterChef Season 12, "Back to Win." Previous contestants will be competing with even more rigor than they had in their respective seasons to fight for the coveted title and the cash prize.
It will be interesting to see the mix of cheftestants from the past seasons of the reality cooking competition.
