MasterChef Australia (season 1)
Encyclopedia
The first season of the Australian reality television series MasterChef Australia
Masterchef Australia
MasterChef Australia is a Logie award winning Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as...

began on 27 April 2009 and aired on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...

, concluding on 19 July 2009 when Julie Goodwin
Julie Goodwin
Julie Goodwin is an Australian cook and singer who came to public attention when she won the inaugural season of MasterChef Australia in 2009, defeating artist Poh Ling Yeow in the final.- MasterChef Australia :...

 was crowned the winner. The season was hosted by Sarah Wilson
Sarah Wilson (journalist)
Sarah Wilson is an Australian journalist and television presenter most notable for presenting the first season of the competitive cooking show MasterChef Australia....

.

Contestants

Contestant Age State Occupation Status
Melissa Lutton 39 QLD
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

Newspaper publisher, graphic designer Eliminated 1st
on 7 May 2009
Pasquale "Nic" Ciampa 38 VIC
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

Wine shop owner Withdrew
on 10 May 2009
Linda Kowalski 21 VIC
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

Student Eliminated 2nd
on 11 May 2009
Brent Parker-Jones 40 VIC
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

Food photographer Eliminated 3rd
on 14 May 2009
Michelle Darlington 46 NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

Book store owner, photographer Eliminated 4th
on 18 May 2009
Joshua Catalano 25 WA
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

Fishmonger Eliminated 5th
on 21 May 2009
Kate Rodrigues 20 WA
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

Law student Eliminated 6th
on 28 May 2009
Aaron Thomas 21 VIC
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

Student Eliminated 7th
on 1 June 2009
Trevor Forster 37 WA
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

Navy Submariner Eliminated 8th
on 4 June 2009
Sandra Morena 36 QLD
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

Mum Eliminated 9th
on 11 June 2009
Eugenia "Geni" Papacostas 58 QLD
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

Teaching assistant Eliminated 10th
on 15 June 2009
Tom Mosby 39 QLD
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

Solicitor Eliminated
on 6 June 2009
(returned with second chance)

Eliminated 11th
on 2 July 2009
Sam Ciaravolo 24 VIC
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

Call centre manager Eliminated 12th
on 6 July 2009
Andre Ursini 28 SA
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

Project Manager Eliminated 13th
on 9 July 2009
Lucas Parsons
Lucas Parsons
Lucas John Kendall Parsons is an Australian professional golfer.Parsons was born in Orange, New South Wales. As an amateur, he won both the Australian and New Zealand Amateur Championships in 1991...

39 NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

Ex pro-golfer, coffee shop owner Eliminated 14th
on 13 July 2009
Julia Jenkins 23 VIC
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

Marketing Eliminated 15th
on 14 July 2009
Justine Schofield 23 NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

Sales Executive Eliminated
on 25 June 2009
(returned with second chance)

Eliminated 16th
on 15 July 2009
Chris Badenoch 41 VIC
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

Beer merchant Eliminated 17th
on 16 July 2009
Poh Ling Yeow
Poh Ling Yeow
Poh Ling Yeow is a Malaysian-born Australian artist, actress, celebrity chef and runner-up in MasterChef Australia.- Background :Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1973 into a fifth-generation Chinese family, Yeow attended SMK Convent Bukit Nanas. She emigrated to Australia at age 9 with her...

35 SA
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

Artist Eliminated
on 18 June 2009
(returned with second chance)
Runner-up
on 19 July 2009
Julie Goodwin
Julie Goodwin
Julie Goodwin is an Australian cook and singer who came to public attention when she won the inaugural season of MasterChef Australia in 2009, defeating artist Poh Ling Yeow in the final.- MasterChef Australia :...

38 NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

Office manager for husband's I.T. business Winner
on 19 July 2009

Special guests

  • Manu Feildel
    Manu Feildel
    Manu Feildel is a French celebrity chef most widely known for his participation in Australia's cookery competition programs Ready Steady Cook , MasterChef Australia and My Kitchen Rules although he also achieved a solid reputation as a head chef at the restaurant Bilson's before moving to open his...

     - Celebrity Chef Challenge 1
  • Martin Boetz - Celebrity Chef Challenge 2
  • Peter Evans - Celebrity Chef Challenge 3
  • Frank Shek - Masterclass 3
  • Alex Herbert - Celebrity Chef Challenge 4
  • John Torode
    John Torode
    John Torode is an Australian-born British celebrity chef specialising in Australasian food. He runs Smiths of Smithfield and several other restaurants scattered throughout London's Smithfield market....

     - Guest judge, Invention Test 4
  • Guy Grossi - Celebrity Chef Challenge 5
  • Ben O'Donoghue
    Ben O'Donoghue
    Ben O'Donoghue is an Australian chef and television personality. Currently he is one of the hosts and contestants of The Best in Australia airing on LifeStyle Food.-Early years:...

     - Celebrity Chef Challenge 6
  • Donovan Cooke/Tam Kin Pak - Celebrity Chef Challenge 8
  • Emmanuel Stroobant - Celebrity Chef Challenge 9
  • Adrian Richardson - Celebrity Chef Challenge 10
  • Armando Percuoco - Guest judge, Formal Dinner Challenge
  • Margaret Fulton
    Margaret Fulton
    Margaret Isobel Fulton OAM is a British-born Australian food and cooking 'guru', writer, journalist, author, and commentator...

     - Guest judge, Formal Dinner Challenge
  • Jacques Reymond - Guest judge, Formal Dinner Challenge
  • Cheong Liew
    Cheong Liew
    Cheong Liew is one of South Australia's best known chefs. He first moved from Malaysia to Melbourne in 1969 to study electrical engineering, but instead became a chef....

     - Guest judge, Formal Dinner Challenge
  • Luke Mangan - Guest judge, Finals Week Elimination Challenge 1
  • Matt Moran - Celebrity Chef Challenge 7 & Guest judge, Finals Week Elimination Challenge 2
  • Bill Granger - Guest judge, Finals Week Elimination Challenge 3
  • Donna Hay
    Donna Hay
    Donna Hay is an Australian food stylist, author, and magazine editor.She is best known as the author of 14 bestselling cookbooks, including Off the Shelf, Modern Classics , The Instant Cook, Christmas, and Instant Entertaining. Selling over 3 million copies worldwide, her books are known for their...

     - Guest judge, Finals Week Elimination Challenge 4
  • Curtis Stone
    Curtis Stone
    Curtis Stone is an Australian celebrity chef, author and television personality, nicknamed "The Quiet Terminator" by fans following his performance on The Celebrity Apprentice 3.-Background:...

     - Guest judge, Seafood Team Challenge, Grand Finale

Many of the guest chefs returned for the announcement of the winner, while Moran also presented a dish for the Pressure Test during the finale.

Episodes

Ep#/Wk-Ep# Original airdate Episode Title / Event Total viewers Nightly Ranking Weekly Ranking
(Sun/Overall Mon-Fri)
Week 1
1/01-1 Monday 27 April 2009 Series Premiere: Audition 1 - Sydney and Adelaide 1,428,000 7th 14th
2/01-2 Tuesday 28 April 2009 Audition 2 - Brisbane and Perth 1,056,000 17th 52nd
3/01-3 Wednesday 29 April 2009 Audition 3 - Melbourne 994,000 15th 57th
4/01-4 Thursday 30 April 2009 Top 50 Part 1 1,068,000 11th 50th
5/01-5 Friday 1 May 2009 Top 50 Part 2 954,000 10th 64th
Week 2
6/02-1 Sunday 3 May 2009 Top 20 Revealed 1,098,000 9th 39th
7/02-2 Monday 4 May 2009 Top 20 Cooking Challenge 1,237,000 8th (1,154,000) 28th
8/02-3 Tuesday 5 May 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 1 - Manu Feildel beat Sam 1,159,000 9th
9/02-4 Wednesday 6 May 2009 Sushi Restaurant Team Challenge - Winner: Red Team 1,241,000 5th
10/02-5 Thursday 7 May 2009 Team Elimination - Having lost the challenge, the blue team contemplated who to eliminate. Michelle considered voting out Sam as a strategic move, and others for Nic and Kate for their lack of assistance, but the majority of the team decided to vote out Melissa as she "can't even chop." 982,000 14th
11/02-6 Friday 8 May 2009 Masterclass 1 - Cooking with the masters - Lamb Rack with Pomme Puree, Pain Perdu with Chocolate Mousse. 1,016,000 7th
Week 3
12/03-1 Sunday 10 May 2009 Invention Test 1 - Italian theme 1,472,000 3rd 6th
13/03-2 Monday 11 May 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Julie, Aaron and Linda landed in the Bottom 3 for their disasters in the invention test. They were asked to make an apple tart with Julie's being deemed the best. The judges then chose Linda to be eliminated as besides her poor dish, she proved too inconsistent. 1,331,000 4th (1,172,000) 28th
14/03-3 Tuesday 12 May 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 2 - Martin Boetz beat Brent 1,252,000 8th
15/03-4 Wednesday 13 May 2009 Seafood Banquet Team Challenge - Winner: Red Team 1,191,000 10th
16/03-5 Thursday 14 May 2009 Team Elimination - The Blue Team, headed by Brent, faced elimination. Chris was criticised by Curtis Stone for overcooking the salmon and Brent for lacking organisation. In the end, the Blue Team decided to vote out their leader Brent, as they believed his poor direction let them down. 1,007,000 14th
17/03-6 Friday 15 May 2009 Masterclass 2 - Class is in - Poached Egg Salad with Tomato Tea (consume), Roast Saddle of Rabbit with White Bean Puree. 1,030,000 8th
Week 4
18/04-1 Sunday 17 May 2009 Invention Test 2 - Chinese theme 1,456,000 3rd 9th
19/04-2 Monday 18 May 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Michelle, Sam and Kate had to cook squid in their challenge. Despite not having the time to cook her squid, Kate managed to produce the best of the three. Michelle's was deemed worse than Sam's and she was sent packing. 1,388,000 4th (1,248,000) 25th
20/04-3 Tuesday 19 May 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 3 - Julia beat Peter Evans 1,291,000 7th
21/04-4 Wednesday 20 May 2009 Food Critics Team Challenge - Winner: Blue Team 1,291,000 7th
22/04-5 Thursday 21 May 2009 Team Elimination - At elimination, most of the team felt that Joshua's abilities were inadequate and believed that he was the main flaw in determining their loss. Almost all the team, with the exception of Julie, voted for Joshua, sending him home. 1,146,000 6th
23/04-6 Friday 22 May 2009 Masterclass 3 - Soufflés and stir-fries - Chilli and Fennel Squid, Chinese Mushroom Stir-fry with Tofu, Chocolate and Jaffa Soufflé 1,083,000 6th
Week 5
24/05-1 Sunday 24 May 2009 Invention Test 3 1,671,000 2nd 2nd
25/05-2 Monday 25 May 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Trevor, Sam and Tom were asked to make a sticky date pudding with praline. There were only minor flaws in each but overall Tom's was deemed the best. The judges chose to spare Sam and Trevor as the differences between the dishes were too trivial. 1,443,000 3rd (1,318,000) 21st
26/05-3 Tuesday 26 May 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 4 - Alex Herbert beat Chris 1,276,000 8th
27/05-4 Wednesday 27 May 2009 Royal Easter Show Team Challenge - Winner: Red Team 1,338,000 6th
28/05-5 Thursday 28 May 2009 Team Elimination - At elimination, Sandra and Kate both received an equal number of votes, Sandra for her service and Kate for her lack of cooking skills and leadership qualities. Kate being the team leader decided to vote herself out, to pursue a pastry apprenticeship outside MasterChef. 1,219,000 4th
29/05-6 Friday 29 May 2009 Masterclass 4 - The perfect chip - Snapper in a Bag and Chunky Chips, Risotto with Pumpkin and Goat’s Cheese, Rib Eye Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Spinach 1,239,000 4th
Week 6
30/06-1 Sunday 31 May 2009 Invention Test 4 - British theme 1,565,000 3rd 8th
31/06-2 Monday 1 June 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Aaron, Sandra and Julie faced elimination and had to make paella. Sandra produced the best whilst Aaron's overconfidence saw him neglecting to taste, and hence, did not achieve a correct balance of spices. Ultimately, he was sent home. 1,473,000 2nd (1,359,000) 16th
32/06-3 Tuesday 2 June 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 5 - Guy Grossi beat Justine 1,278,000 8th
33/06-4 Wednesday 3 June 2009 Fresh Seafood Team Challenge - Winner: Red Team 1,485,000 3rd
34/06-5 Thursday 4 June 2009 Team Elimination - Sam was scolded by the judges for producing the worst of the dishes of the Blue Team and Trevor was criticised for his choice to use bait as ingredients for the meal. In the end, Trevor's choice to use the bait, which made the food "taste like the bottom of a boat," was enough to see him sent home. 1,237,000 4th
35/06-6 Friday 5 June 2009 Masterclass 5 - Lemon Goodness - Lobster Bisque, Tuscan Vegetable Soup, Roast Chicken with Buttery Potatoes, Lemon Diva cupcakes. 1,217,000 4th
Week 7
36/07-1 Sunday 7 June 2009 Invention Test 5 1,427,000 2nd 11th
37/07-2 Monday 8 June 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Tom, Poh, Chris and Julie had to make Croquembouche. Despite an unsettling start, Poh went on to produce the best dish. Julie came in second leaving Tom and Chris as the two worst. In the end, Tom was eliminated. 1,802,000 2nd (1,474,000) 8th
38/07-3 Tuesday 9 June 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 6 - Lucas beat Ben O'Donoghue 1,357,000 8th
39/07-4 Wednesday 10 June 2009 Martini Club Team Challenge - Winner: Red Team 1,509,000 3rd
40/07-5 Thursday 11 June 2009 Team Elimination - Geni was the teams top performer with most of the guests stating her Fig and Duck Lady Cigars as "the best dish all night", whilst Andre and Sandra were criticised, Sandra for not aiding enough and Andre for producing the worst of the dishes. In the vote, Geni became the decider, and with "a heavy heart" she voted out friend Sandra as she believed "she belonged with her family." 1,323,000 4th
41/07-6 Friday 12 June 2009 Masterclass 6 - Sweet treats - Fetta Blini with Smoked Beetroot, John Dory on the Bone with Vvegetables, Coffee éclairs with Vanilla Cream Filling 1,246,000 4th
Week 8
42/08-1 Sunday 14 June 2009 Invention Test 6 - Two course meal 1,962,000 1st 1st
43/08-2 Monday 15 June 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Geni, Poh and Andre were in the bottom three and had to make salmon terrine. Again, Poh produced the best dish of the three. Geni, with her injured thumb, could not cope and produced the worst dish, which ultimately saw her eliminated. 1,728,000 2nd (1,619,000) 5th
44/08-3 Tuesday 16 June 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 7 - Matt Moran beat Justine 1,467,000 6th
45/08-4 Wednesday 17 June 2009 Wedding Challenge - Sam and Poh for elimination 1,883,000 1st
46/08-5 Thursday 18 June 2009 Taste Test Elimination - Poh and Sam named ingredients in a pot of minestrone. Poh incorrectly guessed 'barley' and was sent home. 1,399,000 3rd
47/08-6 Friday 19 June 2009 Masterclass 7 - Cocktail hour - Kingfish Skewers with Zucchini Salad, Piña Colada, Prawn Saganaki, Raspberry Tart 1,309,000 4th
Week 9
48/09-1 Sunday 21 June 2009 Hong Kong - Arrival/Dim Sum Challenge 1,934,000 1st 2nd
49/09-2 Monday 22 June 2009 Hong Kong - High Tea/Rainbow Fish Challenge 1,781,000 2nd (1,666,000) 4th
50/09-3 Tuesday 23 June 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 8 - Tam Kin Pak beat Julie 1,596,000 2nd
51/09-4 Wednesday 24 June 2009 Hong Kong - Mystery Steamer Challenge and Super Challenge - Julie and Justine for elimination 1,852,000 2nd
52/09-5 Thursday 25 June 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Justine and Julie landed in the bottom 2 and had to make a sweet and sour duck stir fry. Justine, despite being a frontrunner, produced the worst dish and was sent packing. 1,524,000 2nd
53/09-6 Friday 26 June 2009 Masterclass 8 - Fried Rice, Hot Salami Pizza, Seared Scallops with Braised Pork Belly, Lemon and Date Scones 1,380,000 3rd
Week 10
54/10-1 Sunday 28 June 2009 Invention Test 7 - Three course meal, 'Romance' theme - No contestants up for elimination. 1,891,000 1st 1st
55/10-2 Monday 29 June 2009 Dream Restaurant Challenge 1,669,000 3rd (1,576,000) 7th
56/10-3 Tuesday 30 June 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 9 - Emmanuel Stroobant beat Andre 1,465,000 7th
57/10-4 Wednesday 1 July 2009 HMAS Kanimbla Challenge - Poh, Justine and Tom returned to the competition. Sam and Tom for elimination. 1,718,000 1st
58/10-5 Thursday 2 July 2009 Taste Test Elimination - Tom and Sam had to guess ingredients with Tom incorrectly naming "thyme." This saw him sent home for the final time. 1,442,000 3rd
59/10-6 Friday 3 July 2009 Masterclass 9 - Crepes Suzette, Twice Baked Cheese Souffle, Braised Lamb Shanks, Open Beef Kofta 1,434,000 2nd
Week 11
60/11-1 Sunday 5 July 2009 Invention Test 8 - 'Christmas in July' theme 1,979,000 1st 1st
61/11-2 Monday 6 July 2009 Pressure Test Elimination - Sam, Poh, Chris and Andre had to cook a combination of panna cotta, passionfruit emulsion ("passionfruit slick") and filled macaroon biscuits. Poh was deemed the best, followed by Chris while Andre and Sam struggled. Sam failed to produce adequate biscuits and only Andre's panna cotta was up to the judge's standards. Despite achieving 2 out of 3 of the requirements for the dish at a fair standard, Sam's mediocre dish was not enough to save him and he was sent home. 1,804,000 1st (1,686,000) 4th
62/11-3 Tuesday 7 July 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge 10 - Adrian Richardson beat Julie 1,664,000 2nd
63/11-4 Wednesday 8 July 2009 Matt Preston's Formal Dinner Challenge - The contestants had to cook for a dinner party hosted by Matt Preston for four leaders of the Australian food industry, Armando Percuoco, Margaret Fulton, Jacques Reymond and Cheong Liew. The five of them assessed the contestants' dishes, with the two worst performers being nominated for elimination. Justine came in first with 47/50 for her duck dish, Julie second with her spiced orange layer cake scoring 45/50, with Poh third with 42/50 for her floss curry and coconut laced crepes. Chris and Andre were the worst two performers. Chris scored lowest with 33/50 for his steak, and Andre 37/50 for his gnocchi. 1,924,000 1st
64/11-5 Thursday 9 July 2009 Taste Test Elimination - Andre and Chris, had to guess ingredients in a pot of Sri Lankan curry. After reaching the halfway point, Andre struggled and guessed "curry powder". It was not in the dish, and Andre was eliminated. 1,550,000 1st
65/11-6 Friday 10 July 2009 Master Class 10 - Pork and Fennel Sausages with Baked Beans, Roast Salmon and Artichokes with Red Wine Sauce, Chocolate Cigar with Sabayon 1,392,000 2nd
Week 12 - Finals Week
66/12-1 Sunday 12 July 2009 Invention Test 9 - In the first challenge of the Finals Week, the contestants were asked to cook a meal under ten dollars using ingredients bought from the pantry that was converted into a supermarket. Only Julia and Poh impressed the judges while the other contestants were given harsh criticism for making dishes that were too simple (Julie and Lucas both made Potato and Leek Soup, Chris a French Onion Soup and Justine with a Roasted Bell Pepper Omelette) and also failed to have the "refined" level of taste for MasterChef Finals Week. Julia won the challenge and chose the core ingredient for the invention test: goat. In the end, Justine, Julia and Chris pleased the judges with their goat dishes. Despite their dishes being deemed the best two, Julia and Justine had minor flaws (burnt pastry, overcooked goat respectively) and for this, Chris was ultimately deemed the winner. For his prize, he was given a view of the dish they were to cook in the Mystery Box eliminator challenge the next day, thereby giving him an advantage over the other contestants to plan his dish. 1,978,000 1st 2nd
67/12-2 Monday 13 July 2009 Elimination Challenge 1 - The contestants had to make two pies - one sweet and one savoury, making their own pastry. Almost all the contestants struggled to make time, with only Poh and Chris being able to prepare both their pies to a suitable standard before judging. In the end, Lucas was criticised for neglecting to use "the most simple seasoning" - salt, and was also scolded for his poor presentations of both his pies. Julia was applauded for her pastry but heavily chastised for leaving part of her pies uncooked. Chris was commended for his surprising Fish Pie and Lime Tart while Justine was faced strong criticism for failing to balance the filling, which the judges praised, with suitable pastry. Julie was reprimanded by the judges for her "Puddle Pie" which the judges deemed as one of the worst, however, they believed that her other pie, a Chicken and Mushroom pie was up to a suitable standard. Poh produced two pies that were deemed as some of the best visually; guest Judge Luke deemed her vegetable and blue cheese pie the best, while all the judges favoured her rhubarb, hazelnut and chocolate 'open sandwich
Open sandwich
An open sandwich, also known as an open face/faced sandwich, Ulrich Sandwich, bread baser, or tartine, consists of a single slice of bread with one or more food items on top.- In various countries :...

' pie. After discussion, the judges deemed Lucas, Julia and Julie as producing some of the worst pies in the bunch. They chose to spare Julia first as they believed her Chocolate Pie was stronger, then chose Julie as she produced one good pie whilst Lucas produced two poor ones. Lucas was the first finalist sent home.
The judges then deemed Poh, Justine and Chris as the Top 3 and chose Poh for her presentation and for producing the best tasting pies of the finalist and her ability to "modernise" the pie theme; the use of hazelnut, chocolate and rhubarb in a pie, Matt highlighted as never having been done with success until now. She, like Chris was given an advantage: to choose the theme for the following eliminator.
2,119,000 1st (2,193,000) 1st
68/12-3 Tuesday 14 July 2009 Elimination Challenge 2 - As Poh had won the pie challenge she designated Malaysian as the theme and picked coconut cream and ling fish for the core ingredients. The contestants had 90 minutes to make two courses. Guest judge Matt Moran told Chris he had been following his progress during the competition and thought some of his dishes had been brilliant. However, at this stage he’d expect Chris’ food to be better; his ling fried rice dish didn’t appeal to Matt whatsoever. George said Chris’ pannacotta was too hard. Gary said Poh’s petai with sambal and fish custard was a fresh and vibrant dish. George thought it was interesting and tasty. Matt said her dessert of glutenous rice dumpling with coconut pandan leaf stuffing didn’t look appealing but its flavour packed a punch. Gary told an upset Julia that the fish in her Malaysian broth was raw. Matt said the broth was too intense with no connection to Malaysian food and the fish wasn’t cooked enough. Matt said he had been worried about the use of zucchini and udon noodles in Julie’s vegetable coconut curry because it wasn’t Malay but he could taste some nice Malaysian flavours in the dish. Gary told Julie the ling which she had served with peanut sauce wasn’t cooked properly. Gary said the sauce of her fish dish was good, with a nice depth of flavour. George told Justine her sauce was zippy, gutsy and he loved the colour. Matt thought Justine’s rice pudding was delicious.
The judges told the contestants Justine and Poh had made the best meals, with Poh the winner of the challenge. Matt told Poh her dessert was the “killer” dish of the day. Chris, Julia and Julie had made the worst dishes. Chris was told he was safe and then Julia was eliminated. As the winner of the challenge Poh was again given an advantage for the following challenge. She was able to see and taste the pressure test dish the contestants will cook in the next challenge and was given the recipe to study overnight.
2,191,000 1st
69/12-4 Wednesday 15 July 2009 Elimination Challenge 3 - The third elimination challenge emulated the pressure test challenge where the contestants had to make a several layered 'Chocolate Mousse' cake. In the end, Julie was the only contestant who managed to add all the decorations to the dish and Chris was the finalist deemed to have produced the best cake. Poh and Justine both struggled and the judges were shown to have a difficult time deciding. Guest judge Bill Granger praised Poh's superb palette whilst he also favoured Justine's technical abilities.
Ultimately, the judges considered Poh's effort to be slightly better and Justine was the next finalist to leave in a teary elimination.
2,231,000 1st
70/12-5 Thursday 16 July 2009 Elimination Challenge 4 - The final elimination round before the final saw the contestants cooking the dishes they would include in self-authored recipe books with cookbook writer Donna Hay acting as the guest judge. Poh chose a traditional Chinese Malaysian style book that would include unusual, exotic recipes while Chris' book included hearty meals that utilised beer, and sought to fulfil a "snout to tail" approach to cooking animals. Julie's idea was a home recipe cookbook that would inspire other families. This impressed Donna Hay greatly and she stated that she wished to "steal (the idea)." In the end, Poh's dishes impressed the judges with presentation and taste, despite being described as "acquired," and was deemed the best of the three. She was then given a place in the Finals while Julie and Chris landed in the Bottom 2. Julie struggled due to her poor time management which saw her unable to complete any of her dishes while Chris's completed dishes were not visually accepted by Donna Hay and in the main disappointed taste-wise. Ultimately, what Julie had managed to cook coupled with her cook-book idea was enough to save her and Chris was subsequently eliminated. 2,360,000 1st
71/12-6 Friday 17 July 2009 Masterclass Reunion - The Top 20 contestants were reunited in the final Masterclass and revealed what they have been up to since leaving the show. Poh and Julie also challenged George and Gary to a Mystery Box Challenge. 1,950,000 1st
Finale
72/13-1 Sunday 19 July 2009 Finale Night - Poh and Julie competed against each other in three rounds consisting of a Taste Test, an Invention Test and a Pressure Test. Points would be earned for each test, with the winner decided based on the final tally after the three tests.
The Taste Test featured a beef bourguignon, with Julie naming 12 correct ingredients versus Poh's 11. The Invention Test pitted Poh's Hainanese chicken rice against Julie's sage and garlic chicken. The Pressure Test involved the finalists recreating a chocolate tasting plate, a signature dish by Matt Moran.
3,313,000 2nd 2nd
72/13-1 Sunday 19 July 2009 Winner Announced - Julie was announced as the winner, beating Poh on overall points (82 to Poh's 75). 3,745,000 1st 1st

Elimination chart

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Finale Week
Mystery Box Challenge Winner None None Chris Poh Tom Julie Chris Poh None Andre Poh |Julia None
Invention Test Winner None Sam Brent Julia Chris Justine Lucas
Justine
Justine None None Andre Justine
Julie
None Chris Poh None
Celebrity Chef Challenge None Lose:
Sam
Lose:
Brent
Win:
Julia
Lose:
Chris
'Lose:
Justine
'Win:
Lucas
'Lose:
Justine
None Lose:
Julie
Lose:
Andre
Lose:
Julie
None
Julie IN Btm 3 IN Geni IN Btm 2 Btm 3 IN Win WINNER
Poh IN Melissa IN Top 3 Joshua Top 3 IN Trevor Btm 4 Sandra Btm 3 Btm 2 Top 3 Btm 4 Top 3 Win Win Win
Chris IN IN IN Joshua Top 3 Btm 2 IN Win Immune IN Win
Justine IN IN IN IN Win Win Win Top 3 Top 2 Btm 2
Julia IN Melissa IN Brent Btm 3 Btm 2
Lucas IN Melissa IN Brent Top 3 IN Sandra IN Pass to Finale (Ep 38) Btm 2
Andre Top 20 IN Team Win IN Brent IN Joshua IN Team Win IN Trevor IN Sandra Btm 2 Win Win IN Btm 2 Btm 2 Eliminated (Ep 64)
Sam Top 20 Melissa IN Brent Btm2 Team Win Btm 2 Sandra IN Trevor IN Team Win IN Btm 2 Win Btm 2 Btm 2 Eliminated (Ep 61)
Tom Top 20 IN Team Win Top 3 Team Win IN Team Win Btm 3 Kate Top 3 Team Win Btm 2 Eliminated (Ep 37) Btm 2 Re-Eliminated (Ep 58)
Geni Top 20 IN Team Win Top 3 Team Win IN Joshua IN Team Win IN Trevor IN Sandra Btm 2 Eliminated (Ep 43)
Sandra Top 20 IN Team Win IN Team Win IN Team Win Top 3 Kate Btm 3 Team Win IN Andre Evicted (Ep 40)
Trevor Top 20 IN Team Win IN Brent IN Team Win Btm 2 Sandra IN Sam Evicted (Ep 34)
Aaron Top 20 Btm 2 Team Win Btm 2 Brent IN Joshua IN Team Win Btm 2 Eliminated (Ep 31)
Kate Top 20 Top 3 Michelle IN Brent Btm 2 Team Win IN Sandra Evicted (Ep 28)
Joshua Top 20 Top 3 Melissa IN Brent IN Aaron Evicted (Ep 22)
Michelle Top 20 IN Kate IN Brent Btm2 Eliminated (Ep 19)
Brent Top 20 IN Melissa Aaron Evicted (Ep 16)
Linda Top 20 IN Team Win Btm 2 Eliminated (Ep 13)
Nic IN Melissa
Melissa Btm 2 Nic
Notes None None None None
Evicted None None Melissa
7 of 10 votes
to evict
Linda Brent
7 of 8 votes
to evict
Michelle Joshua
5 of 7 votes
to evict
None Kate
4 of 7 votes
to evict
Aaron Trevor
4 of 5 votes
to evict
Tom
1st Elimination
Sandra
3 of 4 votes
to evict
Geni Poh
1st Elimination
Justine
1st Elimination
Tom
Re-Eliminated
Sam Andre Lucas Julia Justine
Re-Eliminated
Chris
Poh
75 points
to win

Julie
82 points
to win

In Week 1, nobody from the top 20 was eliminated. During this week the judges selected the twenty finalists from the top 50.
In Week 2, nobody was eliminated after the Invention Test. Instead, the bottom 2 chefs had to clean up all the dishes from the challenge.

In Week 5, nobody was eliminated after the pressure test challenge as judges chose to spare Sam and Trevor as the differences between the dishes were too trivial.

In Week 5, the vote was tied 3 to 3 for Sandra and Kate. As Team Captain, the tiebreaking vote went to Kate. She voted to send herself home

In Week 7, Justine and Lucas won the Invention Test as a pair. However, only one of them was allowed to compete in the Celebrity Chef Challenge. Justine voluntereed Lucas to go.

In Week 8, there was not a team challenge. Instead, the contestants competed in a wedding challenge. The top 4 performers advanced, whereas the bottom 2 performers went into a taste test elimination.

In Week 9, the remaining chefs went to Hong Kong. In the Dim Sum Challenge, Sam won and elected to take Justine on his reward with him. In the High Tea/Rainbow Fish Challenge, contestants divided into groups of Justine/Julie/Andre and Chris/Sam. Julie won by outcooking finalist Lucas. In a pre-elimination challenge, Chris won immunity and won the power to select teams for elimination. He selected Justine/Julie and Sam/Andre.

In Week 10, Sam and Julie were the bottom 2 performers in the Invention Test, but were spared going into elimination. In a special Dream Restaurant Challenge, Chris won and received a reward. In the elimination challenge, former eliminated contestants Justine, Poh, and Tom returned. went into a taste test elimination.

In Week 11, Justine and Julie won the Invention Test as a pair. However, only one of them was allowed to compete in the Celebrity Chef Challenge. Julie won a coin flip and won the right to compete against a Celebrity Chef.

Poh and Julie competed against each other in three rounds consisting of a Taste Test, an Invention Test and a Pressure Test. Points would be earned for each test, with the winner decided based on the final tally after the three tests.

Allegations of vote rigging

Large numbers of viewers have raised allegations that the voting on the season one finale of MasterChef was fraudulent after Julie Goodwin won the crown. After the show talkback radio had been inundated with calls, both for and against the verdict, and the finale also became a top trending topic on social networking site Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

, where many users said they felt “deflated” and “ripped off” by the final episode of the hit show. Similar allegations were raised when contestants were eliminated throughout the season.
Judge Matt Preston has denied that eliminations were rigged or the result of a popularity contest, and asserted that Julie had won the title because she was the better cook on the night. Goodwin herself has also asserted that her victory was not the result of rigging, insisting that the professional integrity of the three judges would be damaged if it was.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK