The MasterChef Australia confessionals are one of the most integral parts of the show — they reveal to viewers how contestants were actually feeling in the moment shown on our screens and what they were thinking — but how do they work?
Confessionals are often considered part of the “magic” of reality TV, which means information about how they actually work behind the scenes is rarely shared. However, a former reality TV producer has spilled the tea on how they’re filmed.
“I’ve worked on loads of cooking shows similar to MasterChef Australia and we get contestants to do a master interview after the cook is done,” the producer told Chattr.
Viewers are typically shown contestants reacting strongly to certain moments as though they’re experiencing them in real time. However, the producer explained that contestants are simply reminded of what happened before recording their responses.
“The contestants are asked to speak in present tense as if it’s happening, and sometimes we prompt them. For example, we might give them the start of the sentence. ‘So I walk in and see…’ which the contestant then repeats and continues.
“It’s similar to other shows like The Block, where contestants do big master interviews about their entire week. Everything just gets cut up in the edit suite afterwards. It’s the magic of TV!”
How long are MasterChef filming days?
While viewers are shown MasterChef Australia episodes that are whittled down to 60 to 90 minutes, former contestant Andre Ursini has revealed just how long filming days actually are.
“They were long days, but it wasn’t like they were heavily active. So you’d get off the couch in the green room, so you’re doing nothing, you’re lying around, and then you have to get up and you’re in the most intense environment for 75 minutes [during a cook],” he told Chattr. “You go from zero to a million miles an hour, and then the adrenaline dump after is just nuts. It’s so unusual, and it’s so hard.
“It’s really, really challenging. It’s such a strange environment, and each person who goes through that deserves a clap.”
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Wednesday on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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