"Neat!" — MasterChef: Dynamic Duos fans react to former Junior contestants Kayla and Ryan Kate's audition

MasterChef: Dynamic Duos aired a new episode, a second round of auditions, on May 28, 2025. It saw ten new teams enter the kitchen, hoping to defeat their opponents and secure the white apron. Among them were Kayla and Ryan Kate, MasterChef Junior season 3 contestants. Kayla and Ryan Kate shared that they stayed in contact after the show ended and continued cooking.

For their audition, the team of former participants prepared a pan-seared sea bass with lemon garlic spinach, sautéed cherry tomatoes, white beurre blanc, and toasted breadcrumbs. They were pitted against Darce and Courtney, animal ER nurses, who had presented the panelists with a vegan lomo saltado with lion's mane mushrooms, rice, and aji amarillo paste.

Despite the latter's efforts, Ryan Kate and Kayla managed to secure the win and advance to the next round of the competition. MasterChef: Dynamic Duos fans on X shared their opinions on their audition, appreciating their participation.

"Oh. WE got some #MasterchefJunior veterans here. Neat!" a fan wrote.

"Oh s**t we got old Junior contestants here," another fan commented.

"Aww those 2 girls are from Masterchef Junior," a netizen tweeted.

MasterChef: Dynamic Duos fans were pleased to see Kayla and Ryan Kate compete again and hoped they would go far in the competition.

"Ryan Kate & Kayla from Masterchef Junior!" a user reacted.

"Okay gonna need Kayla and Ryan Kate to go through and win the whole thing cause that would be so iconic," a person commented.

"Go Ryan Kate & Kayla Masterchef Jr Alum," another fan wrote.

"Okay now I'm gonna need those two to win, that way we have two Junior contestants winning the main show. Yes I love iconic stuff," one user posted.

Other MasterChef: Dynamic Duos fans criticized Joe for finding flaws in their dish.

"He wasn't even a judge on that Junior season these two girls were on," a person reacted.

"Joe makes it seem like they wouldn't still be cooking after all this time," another netizen commented.

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The MasterChef: Dynamic Duos judges appreciate Kayla and Ryan Kate's dish

While speaking with Gordon, Kayla and Ryan Kate reflected on their season 3 run, saying that they became "celebrities" after returning to school from the show. However, they clarified that they returned to showcase their skills once again. MasterChef: Dynamic Duos stars Kayla and Ryan Kate mentioned that they wanted to pursue cooking in the long run, as a profession.

Soon after, Joe appeared and tasted one of the elements of their dish. He then asked the MasterChef: Dynamic Duos contestants if they had tasted it, pointing out that it needed more salt. Meanwhile, Gordon worried about the thickness of Kayla and Ryan Kate's sauce.

While tasting their dish, Gordon complimented them for presenting a "visually beautiful" dish that highlighted their "finesse." However, he criticized them for covering the fish with tomatoes, noting that it made the fish soggy.

Tiffany, on the other hand, appreciated their "light spinach" and the buttery taste of the beurre blanc. Joe liked the taste of the breadcrumbs, saying that they added crunch to the dish and enhanced the overall flavor of the dish.

After much deliberation, the judges advanced Ryan Kate and Kayla to the next round, eliminating Darce and Courtney. The MasterChef: Dynamic Duos panelists mentioned that Darce and Courtney's vegan saltado needed more seasoning; however, Joe appreciated its overall taste. Consequently, it was a close battle between the two teams.

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MasterChef: Dynamic Duos episodes are available to stream on Hulu.