Spoiler alert!

MasterChef Australia is back for a new season, Back to Win, with the show bringing back past contestants, giving them a second (or third) shot at taking home the trophy.

The competition is already heating up, with the stakes a lot higher as contestants battle it out to impress judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Here’s who has left the 2025 MasterChef Australia competition so far…

Darrsh Clark

Season 16

To round out Viral Week, social media superstar Andy Cooks tasked the MasterChef contestants to create a jaw-dropping cheese pull – with the bottom five dishes going into a second round to create a crowd-pleasing cross-section of a dish of their choosing.

Unfortunately for season 16 star Darrsh, his blue cheese dipping sauce lacked the pull the judges were looking for in the first round, while the pistachio praline stuffed inside a choux bun he made for round two was too thin.

“I was looking forward to the idea in my head, but unfortunately, it didn’t execute,” Darrsh told 10 Play.

“Every millimetre that it could have risen was a chance that I could stay, but there just wasn’t enough space in the choux. I did try and plate it up as best as I could and try to pivot, but it wasn’t enough.”

Now out of the MasterChef kitchen, Darrsh and his housemate Dave, who is also a MasterChef alum, are taking on the cookie business with their business Crumb Club in the coming days.

“We’ll have three classics and three wild cards to rotate,” Darrsh said, noting some experiemental flavours include chicken and rosemary.

But his favourite at the moment is lemon cheesecake.

“I’m so over cookies right now because all we do is eat them every night, but that one I could eat over and over again!” he shared.

“I’m very excited for Crumb Club and hope to see everyone at the launch.”

Tim Bone

Season 11

Toastie legend Tim Bone bit off a little more than he could chew by trying to cook a confit duck Maryland in just 75-minutes. Unfortunately for the boy from Ballarat, this decision saw him eliminated from the competition.

Speaking to Woman’s Day after leaving the MasterChef kitchen, Tim said he’s extremely proud of what he achieved in his second season.

“I think MasterChef was harder this time around,” he shared. “Last time I just flew by the seat of my pants and didn’t know what to expect and it was all really exciting and fresh.”

“This time was a little more relaxing, but I think I put a lot more pressure on myself this time because coming back [into MasterChef], your reputation is on the line and you’re also cooking against chefs who have had their own restaurants and cooking shows for years… the standards were high and I got in my own head.”

Now out of the MasterChef kitchen, Tim will be focusing on continuing to build his budding toastie empire in his home town of Ballarat… and he has big plans!

“Now that I’ve been eliminated, all my efforts are going to go into the shop… I just feel so blessed that I can make toasties for a living and I have MasterChef to thank for that,” Tim said.

“I’ve got dreams to do a dessert toastie, I’ll start offering soup with my toasties over winter and I’ll start offering more ready-made meals.”

Tim also dreams of following in fellow MasterChef alum, Callum Hann, and opening up his own cooking class for adults and kids in Ballarat.

“I think kids learning to cook is such a great skill… so that’s the dream.”

Rue Mupedzi

Season 15

The queen of desserts from Season 15, Rue crumbled in the latest pressure test in the MasterChef kitchen.

Guest judge Blayne Bertoncello tasked the crew to recreate his Variations of Sourdough and Strawberry with Elderflower and Balsamic dessert, and all was going well until Rue’s strawberry gum emulsion split and became too runny.

Reflecting on her second series on MasterChef, Rue told Woman’s Day she’s glad she came back for the ‘baptism of fire’ the show provided.

“The second time around was hard because of the other cooks. I was cooking against people that have been out of the MasterChef kitchen for years and years… but I really held my own against them,” Rue shared.

“My proudest moment this season would have to be the dessert I did with Depinder for the French challenge… that was such a great moment that did our team proud and was called out to be the dish of the day.”

While she’s not entirely ruling out coming back for a third stint on MasterChef, Rue said she’ll be getting some more experience under her belt before returning to the MasterChef kitchen.

Later this year, Rue will be heading to Europe for six months to master the art of making pastries.

“The goal is to go to France, create some amazing food, eat some delicious treats, explore Europe and then come back to Perth,” said Rue.

“I’ll be working in pastry for six months to a year to get a bit more experience so that when I come back, I can establish something of my own in Perth like maybe a dessert bar or patisserie bar!”

Rhiannon Anderson

Season 15

A last minute decision to add minced lobster into the dumpling dough for her wontons was the death knell for Rhiannon Anderson’s second series of MasterChef Australia.

Cooking for guest judge Josh Niland, Rhiannon initially felt super confident creating an Asian-style beef broth and lobster wontons, but became rattled when the minced lobster split some of the wontons as they hit the plate.

Speaking to Woman’s Day, Rhiannon said she’s incredibly proud her efforts this season.

“I’m just so proud that I got to go back on the show with my health issues to be honest, and push through,” the Season 15 runner up shared.

“It was a struggle and I was very sore and swollen every day but I pushed through, and I’m so happy with what I achieved and the dishes I put up.”

While her bestie from Season 15, Declan, was back in the kitchen with her again, Rhiannon says she’s picked up a few new best friends on Back To Win.

“Sarah Todd has become one of my complete best mates and I absolutely adore her… I’ve already got Declan and he’s one of my besties anyway!” said Rhiannon.

“I’d love to work with Sav, Steph and Andre again too, there’s just so many amazing people this season.”

Now out of the MasterChef kitchen, Rhiannon and her husband Dean are planning to hit the road to showcase Australia’s farmers on her YouTube channel.

“We’re hitting the road in November and our first stop is Tasmania where we’ll be for two months,” Rhiannon said.

“Then we’ll head to South Australia for two months, then WA for four months and then all the other states for two months each… so a minimum of 14 months on the road!”

Jimmy Wong

Season 8

It’s been a decade since Jimmy Wong lost a pressure test set by Nigella Lawson in season eight, and now a mishap with a chocolate shell for a sculptural Balloon Puppy cake has taken him out of the running for Back To Win.

But despite ending up with “roadkill” in last night’s challenge set by renowned pastry chef Steven He, Jimmy said it’s been an honour being back in the MasterChef kitchen.

“The magic you feel when you step into the MasterChef kitchen is unparalleled to anything that’s happened in my life,” he told Woman’s Day.

“To have the opportunity to come in here with 23 other amazing chefs is also just a thrill.”

While he didn’t have his sister Theresa competing alongside him this time around, Jimmy has found a new collection of culinary cousins.

“We’ve got so many incredible MasterChef alumni that are here as well, so I’ve found a lot of foster sisters that were looking after my back,” Jimmy shared.

“Audra [Morrice] and Alana [Lowes] are two amazing human beings that have been a big part of my journey… they have such incredible skills in the kitchen, and as friends, I’ve had such rich experiences with them.”

While his journey on MasterChef may be over for now, Jimmy said he’s looking forward to getting back to uncovering the stories of food, and the incredible people behind the world’s best dishes for his fans on social media.

Matt Hopcraft

Season 7

Season seven alum Matt served up a Bombe Alaska to honour the Anzacs, while also nodding to his past as a dentist in the Australian army for seven years.

Unfortunately though, the judges thought the meringue component of the dessert had a “slightly gritty” texture, sending him home in the process.

Speaking to Woman’s Day, Matt said he’s proud he returned to the MasterChef kitchen and put himself out there again.

“The competition has evolved so much over the last ten years and the quality of the people coming in now is just phenomenal,” he shared.

“I look at some of the contestants from the recent seasons like Darrsh and Rue, and the food they were cooking in their seasons is far ahead of the stuff we were doing ten years ago… the calibre of people in there now is super high.”

Now out of the MasterChef kitchen, Matt says he’s going to take a break before heading into his next adventure.

“Food [for me] has been this journey around healthy eating and how that links to our heath, and as a healthcare professional I think that’s really important,” Matt told.

“I look at someone like Alice Zaslavsky who has spent a lot of her time encouraging people to cook more, eat healthily, so I’d like to do something along those lines.”

Steph de Sousa

Season 11

Initially pegged as a top contender in season 17 of MasterChef Australia, fan-favourite Steph de Sousa’s instincts for fermented foods let her down in the ‘One Inch Cube Taste Test’.

“It was so much fun and I just loved every second of it,” the 52-year-old told Woman’s Day.

“It’s so nice to be able to get in the MasterChef kitchen and cook again. To make some good food, meet some fun people and just enjoy the experience!”

In the pressure test, Steph cooked a pork belly dish with a celeriac, green apple and fennel coleslaw and finished off with a caramel sauce.

With no fish sauce, the Air Fryer Queen used a fermented shrimp paste instead, which the judges said overpowered the rest of the dish.

“I really love strong, funky flavours, I love fermented food and I really enjoyed my dish,” Steph says.

“It’s just the luck of the draw, isn’t it? A bad cook on the wrong day.”

Sav Perera

Season 16

Sav sadly felt the heat in the pressure test on a Kirsten Tibballs dessert. The 31-year-old took to Instagram with a post recapping her experience.

“The funny thing about the @masterchefau kitchen is that even when you don’t want you to call the curtain, your body and mind will remind you that sometimes, you just need to walk away. Was I going to exit giving up? No way – the one thing I’ve not done in this kitchen is give up on myself. Doing two seasons back to back is a special kind of madness though — and I’m one glad I said yes to.

“Today I conducted myself & walked away in a way that would make my parents and my loved ones proud. My mum was not a quitter, neither am I, and I am so very proud of myself. I spent a lot of time last year afraid of taking pride in my successes. And maybe this is who I’ve become after MasterChef: a person unafraid to be proud of herself. A person who firmly knows her life’s work is in food.

“As chaotic as that was, there really is no shame I have going home on a @kirstentibballs dessert. It was an honour to have a chance to attempt this incredible recipe. My congrats to @foodie_ben @sarahtodd and my season 16 homie @darrshclarke. You guys did so well today

“As always, all the love to @pohlingyeow @andyallencooks @sofiaklevin and @jeanchristophe_novelli for all the warmth I’ve been given all through last year and this time around. How lucky we are to have you four across the bench.

“I walk away as a version of Sav that’s shown up authentically and unapologetically, that has honoured her mother & her culture again & again, a version of Sav that has made new friends and isn’t so burdened by grief.

“I am grateful, proud & I can finally unclench,” she finished.

Cath Collins

Season 15

In the first elimination episode of the season, Cath farewelled the MasterChef kitchen after burning a key component of her Japanese dish, mushrooms, on the grill.

Sadly, the burnt taste overpowered the rest of the dish, jeopordising her chance at taking home the trophy.

The 54-year-old took to Instagram on her departure. She wrote, “Devastated that I have gone out on a dish that I love… Cooking at home is so much easier with a glass of wine in my hand😜

“Proud that I was brave and went back to MasterChef knowing how hard it was going to be.

“Grateful for meeting the MasterChef legends that I now call family… good luck everyone, I can’t wait to see what you do.

“I’m even more grateful for my beautiful family and friends. Thank you darling Brad, Alex, Abby & Ted🐾”

Pete Campbell

Season 13

Pete put up a good fight in season 13 of MasterChef Australia, coming second in his nail-biting competition.

The 40-year-old shared his shock diagnosis with Woman’s Day. He had been bravely battling Hodgkin lymphoma, causing him to withdraw from the competition to undergo chemotherapy.

“The diagnosis was a complete shock. Given I had no other symptoms and felt completely healthy, I asked (kinda begged) the doctor if I could start treatment after the competition,” he shared.

“She told me I’d possibly die. That’s when the severity of the situation really hit me and replaced the disappointment. From there I just wanted to start treatment as soon as possible and get better for my family.”

Pete withdrew from the competition in episode three, sharing to his Instagram, “Didn’t even get to cook for the judges! But you know what they say… “if you have cancer you should go get chemo.

“A massive thank you to everyone messaging and checking in, you’re all so nice X”