MasterChef fans says the opening sequence used to be a good way to get to know the contestants.

MasterChef judges

Many MasterChef fans have shared that they are sad the show no longer features this ‘iconic’ moment. Photo: Ten

This year’s season of MasterChef has certainly had its fair share of backlash – many people aren’t loving the judges, the contestants or even the challenges. But there’s one thing people have been talking about since 2023.

That’s right, the beloved theme song! MasterChef fans loved (or loved to hate) hearing Katy Perry’s ‘Hot N Cold’ at the start of every episode for 14 seasons, with each of the contestants getting their moment to shine as they did random things in the kitchen.

The pop track became so synonymous with the series that the hitmaker herself made an appearance as a guest judge on season 12 in 2020, surprising contestants and viewers alike. However, Channel 10 made the unexpected decision to remove the intro altogether for the show’s fifteenth season, with the home cooks no longer flipping frying pans or throwing flour at the camera.

We’re now in our third season without the theme song, and fans just can’t get over it.

One Reddit user wrote this week, “I miss the intro,” adding they loved seeing all the contestants looking happy while in the kitchen, describing it as giving the show “energetic vibes before starting an episode”.

“One of my favourite parts of the series,” another agreed, jokingly adding, “I guess they couldn’t pay for the rights now that Katy needs astronaut money.”

“Truly missed,” a third said. “I loved seeing them doing fun stuff!”

“More than the song, I’m missing the slo-mo intro sequence of contestants having fun on camera,” someone else added. “This is a good way to learn who is who.”

“Having no music and introductions gives us more air time with the judges and the cooks,” one viewer said, with another responding, “Or more ads!”

“It was so unfitting, yet so iconic,” another quipped.

“I miss it! I sing it to myself every time the episode starts,” one person shared.

“I can handle a different song, but I feel the intro sequence is a vibe and I’m sad they’ve changed it,” yet another wrote.

'Hot N Cold' became so synonymous with the series that Katy Perry herself made an appearance as a guest judge on season 12 in 2020, surprising contestants and viewers alike. Photo: Ten

‘Hot N Cold’ became so synonymous with the series that Katy Perry herself made an appearance as a guest judge on season 12 in 2020, surprising contestants and viewers alike. Photo: Ten
A source told Yahoo Lifestyle at the time that Channel 10 decided to drop the theme song in 2023 because, as some viewers had speculated, the licensing fees became too expensive after using it for 14 years.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the network said “the decision was made to get into the action faster at the top of each episode”.

Interestingly, international viewers would be unaware that ‘Hot n Cold’ has been used as the theme song as it has always been replaced with a different song for copyright reasons. Instead, MasterChef Australia airs in India, Canada, the UK, the Middle East and New Zealand, among other countries, with an untitled pop song containing the lyrics: “Burning up in my heart, like a flame, like a bright shooting star.”

Channel 10’s decision to remove ‘Hot n Cold’ as its theme song is similar to what happened to the show’s rival, My Kitchen Rules. The Channel Seven cooking competition used Kesha’s hit song ‘Tik Tok’ as its theme from seasons 1 to 3 before replacing it with Justice Crew’s ‘Best Night’ and ultimately dropping an intro altogether.

Meanwhile, the renovation series House Rules went through three different pop songs by OneRepublic, Little Mix and American Authors until they decided not to have an intro. Farmer Wants A Wife also cycled through pop tracks by Ronan Keating, Taylor Swift, Michael Bublé, Calvin Harris and Jason Derulo before they stopped using a theme song in 2020.