MasterChef Australia 2026 is back on our screens for another year, and as new contestants battle it out for the ultimate cooking title, the heat in the kitchen is already warming up.
With a brand new season comes 24 of Australia’s most talented home cooks are being thrown into high-stakes challenges, including Pressure Tests, Mystery Box challenges, Service Challenges and, of course, those dreaded elimination challenges, all led by this year’s MasterChef Australia judging panel — Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, and Jean-Christophe Novello.
Of course, MasterChef has made global headlines with a very royal announcement: Meghan Markle is appearing as a guest judge. Not only will Meghan’s arrival keep these cooks under pressure, but Robert Irwin, Jimmy and Jane Barnes, Jimmy Wong and Maggie Beer are slated to throw some local star power into the mix.
While MasterChef is set to follow the format that audiences know and love, this season is all about the contestants’ personal journeys, as many of this year’s contestants draw from crossroads in their lives — whether that be career changes, family influences, migration and loss — as critical to their cooking identity.
As we know, there can be only one winner of MasterChef, which means two contestants will pip their fellow contestants at the post and face off at the grand finale. There, one of them will be crowned the winner of MasterChef and walk away with $250,000, the title, and more culinary opportunities than you can shake a stick at.
So, the countdown is on: let’s see who can handle the heat in the MasterChef kitchen as it’s turned up to fever pitch, and who is sent home packing. If the latest instalment is anything like previous seasons, there’s likely going to be some shocking and heartbreaking eliminations along the way.
Read on to find out who left MasterChef so far.
Who has been eliminated from the MasterChef kitchen so far?
Megs Steel
Megs Steel was the first MasterChef contestant to be eliminated from the 2026 season. Credit: Ten.
Megs Steel is a 40-year-old HR consultant from Queensland. Unfortunately, she became the first contestant to be eliminated from the competition.
For Megs, securing a white apron on MasterChef was the realisation of a long-held dream. With a deep passion for catering, she had always had a dream to open her own restaurant called Megs Place.
Unfortunately, Megs Steel’s journey in the competition was cut short, making her the first contestant to be eliminated this season. During a challenge that asked the contestants to create a dish to represent them as home cooks, Megs served undercooked prawns, which the judges thought was clearly unsatisfactory and she was swiftly sent packing.
“I’m absolutely gutted, but I’ve taken so much, I’ve learned from everyone here, so I just really wanted to thank you all, it was everything I hoped and a million times more,” Megs said upon her elimination.
While the MasterChef judges were clearly disappointed to see her depart, Poh Ling Yeow noted that they looked forward to seeing her restaurant dreams come to fruition.
Reflecting on her exit in a confessional, Megs admitted, “I’m definitely heartbroken that I didn’t get to stay longer,” adding that she was “sad” that she had not had the opportunity to fully showcase her skills.
“I’m extremely grateful. This is a place where dreams are made of, and I had that for a short time.”
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday 7pm and Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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