MasterChef Australia 2026 is back with a new bunch of faces — and this season is made up of all newbies. But Jean-Christophe Novelli warned us that despite the fact that none of this year’s cast have ever stepped foot in the MasterChef kitchen before, it doesn’t mean they’re lacking serious talent.
“This year, the level of execution was epic from day one. It was fascinating to see how determined they all are. I respect that they are so pumped, even just at having a chance to cook on MasterChef Australia,” the judge tells Chattr.
This year, the auditions returned. Which meant that after a rigorous application process, 40 passionate home cooks were selected and filmed the first few episodes. Judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe tasted creations from each of the shortlisted contestants, and whittled them down to just 24, who became the official MasterChef Australia 2026 cast.
“The auditions are essential, absolutely,” Jean-Christophe tells Chattr. “This is where we see the raw passion before any refinement. There are nerves, excitement, sometimes a little chaos, but it is real, it is honest. It reminds us why we love cooking, and it makes the whole journey more meaningful. It’s the essential step to warm up before getting into the real deal of the competition. In my professional life it was like having an apprenticeship, this step was very crucial.”
So, now that the top 24 MasterChef Australia contestants are set in stone, read on to find out more about them.
Vinnie Gibaldi
Growing up in a big Italian family, food has always been a massive part of Vinnie’s life — his dad owned a restaurant on Melbourne’s famous Lygon street. He’s works as a nurse and dreams of opening a small panini shop called “Vinnie’s Panini’s”, where everything would be made from scratch.
Petro Papathomas
So far, Petro’s cooking style incorporating a mix of greek and mediterranean flavours has really impressed the judges. His love of food has been ingrained since an early age, as he learnt to cook by watching his mum, Georgia and grandmothers Sophia and Christina — who are all of Greek/Cypriot heritage.
Pat McGarry
Pat works as a council worker, but his real passion lies in cooking for the people around him. His approachable personality and hearty dishes give him classic fan-favourite energy. During COVID Pat opened a pop up burger shop that often sold out, and he dreams of opening his own cafe one day.
Olaolu Olorunnimbe
Olaolu was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, before moving to England to attend boarding school at age 12. Despite the move, Olaolu is focussed on his roots, and loves proudly showcasing Nigerian flavours in the MasterChef Australia kitchen.
Miin Wei-Looi
Miin grew up in Penang, Malaysia with two older brothers, and was raised in a Chinese Malaysian family. He’s hoping to represent his Malaysian heritage on the show and his dream is to create his own sauces and pastes, that everyday Aussies can use to create delicious, home-style traditional Malaysian dishes.
Megs Steel
HR consultant Megs Steel is heavily inspired by Jamie Oliver, Megs loves the way he makes cooking feel exciting and achievable. She lost her mum at 19 to cancer, and she knows going on MasterChef would make her proud.
Grace King
Grace has grown up around her food, her parents co-owned a Melbourne restaurant with chef Karen Martini. She remembers being allowed into the kitchen by the chefs with her siblings as a child to create their own pizzas and taste the sorbet.
Lydia Kamperos
Lydia is big on home cooking, and since her two children have left the nest and recent moved out, she only has her husband left to cook for. Throughout her children’s lives, she’s spent every holiday and special occasion cooking huge feasts and her home was always full of extended family visiting. She hopes to impress the judges with her years of experience and credits Australian Woman’s Weekly cookbooks as one of the tools she used to learn to cook.
Luke Harris
At just 19, Luke is the youngest contestant in the competition, but you’d never guess it from his cooking. The WA student stunned the judges with a highly technical Bombe Alaska during auditions and has been dominating screen time ever since. While Luke’s dishes may be complex, he loves off the cuff cooking. He credits both of his parents with being were strong cooking influences. Find out more about Luke Harris here.
Lucy Mansfield
Web designer Lucy is another contestant with cooking in her blood. Her dad David co-owned a bakery and managed a cheese shop at Adelaide’s Central Market. Lucy’s mum was adopted from Vietnam as an orphan during the war, and after visiting the country, Lucy strengthened her ties with Vietnamese culture, and wants to represent it on MasterChef. Prior to MasterChef she’s already made an imrpession in the food world, with a big following on social media.
Kanika Gadyok
Born in Delhi, India, Kanika’s dishes are heavily influenced by her cultural background and love of feeding people. She nailed the art of flavours by watching Indian street vendors and studying heritage style recipes. She’s ready to impress the MasterChef judges, often joking that if she rolls up her sleeves, spices will fall out!
Jeff Lam
Jeff — affectionately dubbed MasterJeff by Jean-Christophe — was born in Hong Kong and his family migrated to Australia in the 80s. He loves creating dishes that evoke feelings of nostalgia and warmth like a hearty stew or a flavour-filled curry.
Jackie Yu
Sydney-based tech recruiter Jackie impressed the judges early with her delicate chiffon cake. Prior to MasterChef, she’s dabbled in food styling and her cooking style blends precision with nostalgic flavours and she likes to incorporate a blend of Asian and European flavours.
Jack Hosking
Events manager Jack is a MasterChef superfan who’s been watching the show for as long as he can remember, even recreating the infamous Snow Egg when he was just 11 years old. He credits former contestant Callum Hann with sparking his passion for cooking, and recently met the chef, who encouraged him to apply for the show.
Hannah Johnson
WA contestant and mum of four, Hannah, is a homemaker with a passion for comforting, flavour-packed dishes. Her warm presence in the kitchen makes her instantly likeable.
Emily Sue
Growing up surrounded by a family-run small Chinese restaurant sparked Emily’s love of food from a young age. The youth worker hopes to combine cooking and community work in the future.
Dot McHugh
Dot’s passion for cooking is inherited from her foodie parents, and she’s growing up eating good food, crediting mum Michelle with teaching her everything she knows in the kitchen. She describes her cooking style as as freestyle, creative and flavourful.
Casper Kenworthy
Canberra-based Casper first started cooking out of necessity after moving out at 17, but it quickly became an obsession. The technology consultant brings a polished and inventive approach to the competition.
Belinda Gosden
Belinda began a cooking apprenticeship at 19 and learned a lot, but ended up leaving mid way through to pursue a romance. She’s had multiple careers over the years, including work as an air hostess, traveling the world and sampling many cuisines.
Bella Di-Conza
At just 20 years old, Bella is one of the youngest contestants this season. The agriculture student is passionate about baking and preserving her Nonna’s treasured family recipes. Desserts are her speciality, as she loves the science and structure behind sweets.
Annabel Lloyd
After years working as a registered nurse, including during the COVID pandemic, Annabel found comfort in cooking. She loves to cook food that is generous and produce-driven, leaning on bold flavours and restaurant techniques.
Alyona Iljuhhina
Born in the former USSR and raised in Estonia, Alyona brings a strong no-waste philosophy into the MasterChef kitchen. The clinical research manager has a thoughtful approach to food that’s heavily inspired by her upbringing.
Alita Harvey-Rodriguez
Alita works as a chief operating officer in the tech industry, but outside of work she’s all about big flavours and family cooking. Interestingly, Alita credits being bitten by a tiger snake four times with propelling her skills in the ktich. She said the incident made her want to avoid the outdoors and spend more time in the kitchen.
Aaron Kher
The Melbourne-based medical product specialist grew up surrounded by Malaysian, Chinese and Nyonya flavours thanks to his grandparents. Aaron has already emerged as an early standout thanks to his calm confidence and refined cooking style, and the impressive Malaysian and Chinese dishes he’s served up so far.
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday 7pm and Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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