It’s all about unfinished business on MasterChef Australia 2025, as some of the most unforgettable contestants who were left hungry for more return for another epic Back to Win season.
From 2012’s Audra Morrice to more recent standouts like 2023’s Declan Clearly and 2024’s Sav Perera, the MasterChef Australia 2025 cast is stacked with fan favourites and some serious culinary talent, all stepping back into the kitchen for one more shot at the coveted trophy.
The chefs will once again have to face high-stakes Pressure Tests, Mystery Box Challenges, Service Challenges and, of course, those dreaded elimination rounds.
Whether they narrowly missed the title the first time around or bowed out too soon, these returning chefs are hungrier than ever to prove they’ve got what it takes.
Standing between them and the crown is the formidable panel of MasterChef Australia judges: the ever-charming Andy Allen, food critic Sofia Levin, beloved cook Poh Ling Yeow, and multi-Michelin-starred French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. And of course, there’ll be a surprise guest judge or two along the way, including Gordon Ramsay, who’s set to make an appearance this season.
The last MasterChef: Back to Win season in 2020 saw chef and cake designer Emelia Jackson (who originally placed third in Season 6) take out the win, walking away with a $250,000 cash prize and the title of MasterChef champion.
Sadly, however, in the race to make one chef’s MasterChef dream come true, we’ll have to say goodbye to contestants along the way. You can catch up on everything that happens in each MasterChef Australia 2025 episode here.
So, who has left the MasterChef Australia 2025 kitchen so far? Scroll through to find out.
Everyone who has left MasterChef Australia 2025
Steph De Souza
Steph De Souza was put up for an elimination cook after Jamie guessed the wrong ingredient in the taste test. Jamie’s team was told that they were able to cook anything they like, but the pantry was only made up of ingredients from the taste test.
While Jamie struggled with his overcooked duck, Steph seemed relatively happy with her Crispy Pork Belly with Belachan Sauce.
However, the judges weren’t on the same page. They said that there was too much Belachan in the caramel sauce, and that the fat hadn’t rendered on the pork.
“I was actually really happy with my dish. So it’s always disappointing when you go out on something that you like,” Steph told Chattr in a post-elimination interview.
Looking back on her dish, Steph said that despite her elimination, she was proud of what she served the judges..
“I still stand by it, which is probably stupid,” Steph laughed. “I really liked it. I really honestly felt that the sauce kind of balanced out the fattiness of the pork, but you know, everyone’s got different palettes, and I do like things that are really funky and really strong.”
Sav Perera
Fan favourite Sav Perera was eliminated during the Episode 6 Pressure Cook round.
Sav was put up against Ben, Sarah and Darrsh after the squid dish she cooked in the Mystery Box round wasn’t big enough for all of the judges to try.
During the elimination round, Sav forgot to chill her chocolate tin, which meant that it didn’t have enough time to form a shell, and bent out of shape when she tried to take it out of the mould.
Cath Collins
Cath Collins, who finished fifth on MasterChef Australia 2023, was the first Back to Win 2025 contestant eliminated.
Cath chose to cook a Japanese-inspired dish: marinated Japanese grilled mushrooms, furikake, pickled wakame, smoked soy cream, and shiso gel on the hibachi. However, her cooking method caused some of the mushrooms to burn, which led to her elimination.
Cath told Chattr in a post-elimination interview that she was “just devastated” to be the first person sent home from the competition. She said that it “never, ever entered” her mind that she’d be gone so early.
Pete Campbell
The first departure for 2025 was a particularly sad one. At the beginning of the episode, Andy Allen announced that Pete Campbell was leaving MasterChef Australia.
“Before we kick things off, I’ve got some news,” the MasterChef judge began. “Due to personal reasons, Pete is unable to continue in the competition, and we wish him nothing but the best.”
A Network 10 spokesperson told Chattr that Pete left the show due to a medical diagnosis, which Pete has since confirmed is cancer.
“During production of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, Pete Campbell received a diagnosis that required him to step away from the competition to focus on his health,” they began.
“The MasterChef family supports Pete in his recovery and hopes to see him back doing what he loves in the kitchen very soon.”
Shortly after Episode 3 of MasterChef Australia 2025 aired, Pete took to Instagram to confirm that this departure was due to being diagnosed with cancer.
“Didn’t even get to cook for the judges! But you know what they say… ‘if you have cancer, you should go get chemo,’” he wrote.
“A massive thank you to everyone messaging and checking in, you’re all so nice.”
MasterChef Australia season 17 airs in 2025 on 10 and 10Play.
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