Here’s how they make all the TV magic happen.

We’re only weeks away from the MasterChef Australia 2025 finale, with just eight contestants left vying for the $250,000 prize money.

The winner of this season is among those eight contestants but they don’t know that they’ve won yet.

The show, including the finale, are filmed months in advance of when they air on TV.

It’s long been rumoured that the show films two alternative finale endings, where the top two contestants react to being crowned the winner, and then the winner finds out they’ve won alongside the rest of Australia when the finale airs on Channel 10.

Now, a MasterChef Australia insider has confirmed that’s exactly how the finale works.

Here’s everything we know about the behind-the-scenes details of the MasterChef finale.
(Credit: Channel 10)

MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA ALWAYS FILMS TWO FINALE ENDINGS

In 2022, three-time MasterChef contestant Sarah Todd told Yahoo! Lifestyle that two alternative endings are filmed for each season’s finale.

“We want the show to do well, and we want to keep the excitement for everyone watching, so I understand why they do it. It’s best for everyone,” she told the publication. “As much as I think I’m a very honest person, would I keep it a secret from my mum? Probably not.”

And now MasterChef judge Andy Allen has confirmed it.

“It’s the only way to get a true winner,” he told TV Tonight this week. “You can try and contain the 200 people I suppose, with friends, family, crew, if you wanted to gamble it.”

“But I think there is so much on the line with this show, the last thing anyone wants is for a production that goes for six months, airs for three months [and then get spoiled]. It’s the only real way to keep it under our hats.”

CONTESTANTS ARE TOLD ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AHEAD OF TIME

When you watch the show on TV, contestants are often briefed about a challenge or cook off just minutes before they have to gather their ingredients and equipment and start cooking against the clock.

In reality, the contestants are usually briefed about the challenge, or the theme or ingredients, the night before so they can start prepping their menu.

“Contestants are given the heads-up on the challenges, themes [and] recipes the night before filming, so they can research techniques and recipes,” an unnamed source told New Idea in 2020.

The source also claimed that producers choose which contestants to tell in advance so they can plan the content before the cameras start rolling.

“In particular, Poh was told about the 90-minute Gordon Ramsay challenge,” the source said.

“Poh and the producers sat down to plot how it would play out on air, plus promos and publicity if she did the 90-minute cake. It worked out perfectly.”
Credit: Channel 10.

THE RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK IS REAL

Once the timer goes off, the contestants must step away from the benches and stop working on their plates.

“[After the dish is completed], it is minded by a professional food team so it’s kept in a safe food environment and to make sure you’re not touching your food before it’s judged,” former contestant Lynton Tapp told Mamamia in 2020.

“When time is called, you have your producer and a food producer at your bench watching you. Once time is called, that’s it. There’s no touching your dish.”

THE FOOD THE JUDGES TASTE IS OFTEN COLD

The judges often end up tasting cold food by the time the film crew has transitioned from filming the challenge to filming the judges’ reactions.

“Some things do get reheated if it’s like a sauce,” former judge George Calombaris told Nova back in 2015. “But when we say, ‘Stop cooking’ we do a quick wander of the room and taste stuff out of their pot.”

George said the judges then have to fake it for the camera.

“It has always been cold and it always will be cold, but we taste everything hot off-camera,” he previously told the Daily Mail. “So at the end of the cook, you (viewers) don’t see that — no one sees that apart from the three of us and the executive producer.”

“We will go around the room and the three of us will taste everything hot out of their (contestants) pot first.”