MasterChef Australia series 16
| Company type | Television series season |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television, Reality cooking competition |
| Founded | April 22, 2024 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Andy Allen, Sofia Levin, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow |
| Products | Cooking competition television show |
| Parent | Network Ten |
The sixteenth installment of the Australian culinary competition MasterChef Australia was revealed in October 2023 and began airing on 22 April 2024 via Network Ten. Returning to the judging panel was Series 4 champion Andy Allen, who has served as a judge since Series 12. With Melissa Leong departing to judge Dessert Masters and the passing of Jock Zonfrillo, the new judges introduced were food author Sofia Levin, acclaimed French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Series 1 runner-up Poh Ling Yeow.
The season culminated with Nat Thaipun securing victory over Josh Perry in the grand finale broadcast on 16 July 2024.
Changes
This season saw an expansion of the judging panel from three to four members while the show’s schedule was condensed to four nights each week. The number of contestants rose to 22, a slight increase from previous seasons but still below the typical count of 24. The audition phase continued to be withheld from broadcast.
The Second Chance Challenge made a comeback, offering eliminated contestants—excluding Lourdes and Stephen—the opportunity to re-enter the competition and avoid elimination on Sundays. At the outset, only one immunity pin was available, reflecting the format used in Series 12.
Top 22
The Top 22 competitors were unveiled on 14 April 2024.
| Contestant | Age | State | Occupation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nat Thaipun | 28 | VIC | Barista | Winner 16 July |
| Josh Perry | 43 | TAS | Butcher | Runner-up 16 July |
| Savindri Perera | 30 | SA | Banking consultant | Third place 15 July Returned 29 May Eliminated 28 May |
| Harry Butterfield | 29 | QLD | Commercial property | Eliminated 9 July |
| Mimi Wong | 25 | NSW | High school teacher | Eliminated 7 July |
| Darrsh Clarke | 31 | WA | Management consultant | Eliminated 2 July |
| Lachlan Whittle | 34 | VIC | Landscape gardener | Eliminated 30 June |
| Sumeet Saigal | 46 | NSW | Sales manager | Eliminated 19 June |
| Alex Crisp | 27 | WA | Sales representative | Eliminated 18 June |
| Gillian Dinh | 31 | NSW | Lettering artist | Eliminated 16 June |
| Josh Clarke | 27 | QLD | Coffee roaster | Eliminated 9 June |
| Sue Bazely | 58 | VIC | Customer manager | Eliminated 5 June |
| David Tan | 30 | QLD | Pharmacologist | Eliminated 2 June |
| 62 | QLD | Tour guide | Eliminated 26 May | |
| 40 | VIC | Financial services | Eliminated 21 May | |
| 39 | NSW | Board game designer | Eliminated 19 May | |
| 22 | VIC | Marketing coordinator | Eliminated 14 May | |
| 30 | NSW | Former nurse | Eliminated 12 May | |
| 26 | VIC | Insurance services | Eliminated 7 May | |
| 29 | NSW | Carpenter | Eliminated 5 May | |
| 28 | QLD | Events manager | Eliminated 30 April | |
| 38 | WA | Primary school teacher | style="background:#f4c7b8;" Elim.28 April |
Future appearances
- Contestants Savindri Perera, Darrsh Clarke, and Snezana Calic returned for another opportunity on MasterChef Australia series 17. Savindri placed twenty-second (eliminated May 2025), Darrsh finished fifteenth (June), and Snezana advanced to seventh place (July). Meanwhile, Nat Thaipun participated as a guest judge.
- Savindri is also slated to serve as a judge on the upcoming MasterChef Sri Lanka series.
Guest chefs
| Week | Guest | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Jamie Oliver Week) |
Jamie Oliver | Premiere episode |
| Team service challenge | ||
| 2 (Jamie Oliver Week) |
Pressure test | |
| 4 | Liam Downes | Pressure test |
| 5 (Trending Week) |
Luke Nguyen | Elimination challenge |
| Vincent Yeow Lim | Mystery Box challenge | |
| Anna Polyviou | Pressure test | |
| 6 | Mikiko Terasaki | Elimination challenge |
| Darren Purchese | Pressure test | |
| 7 | Rick Stein | Elimination challenge |
| Curtis Stone | Elimination challenge | |
| Immunity challenge | ||
| 8 (Sweet Week) |
Adriano Zumbo | Mystery Box challenge |
| Immunity challenge | ||
| Invention test | ||
| Elimination challenge | ||
| 9 | Nagi Maehashi | Mystery Box challenge |
| Hugh Allen | Pressure test | |
| 10 (Hong Kong Week) |
Vicky Cheng | Immunity challenge |
| 11 | Guillaume Brahimi | Pressure test |
| 12 (Finals Week) |
Josh Niland | Pressure test |
| 12 (Grand Finale Week) |
Curtis Stone | Service challenge |
| Clare Smyth | Pressure test |
Elimination chart
... (chart continues with contestant progress and eliminations, maintaining original structure but slightly condensed for clarity)| No. | Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Finals | Grand Finale | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery Box Challenge Winner |
None | Darrsh Harry Nat |
Josh C. Lachlan Lily Nat |
David Harry Juan Stephen Sumeet |
Josh P. Lachlan Mimi |
Lachlan | Harry Josh C. Mimi Nat Savindri Sumeet |
Alex | Mimi | Harry Mimi Nat |
Josh P. | Savindri | None | |||||||||||||||||
| Immunity Challenge |
Nat | Lourdes Savindri Snezana Stephen Sumeet |
Josh P. Mimi Stephen Sue Sumeet |
Lachlan Mimi |
Alex Josh C. Josh P. Snezana |
Alex Darrsh David |
None | Alex Savindri Sumeet |
Alex Mimi Nat Sumeet |
None | Darrsh Mimi Nat |
Josh P. Nat |
Josh P. Savindri |
None | ||||||||||||||||
| Elimination Challenge Winner |
David Harry Juan Nat Snezana |
Savindri Snezana |
None | Darrsh Gillian Savindri Sumeet |
Savindri | Alex Harry Lachlan |
Darrsh | None | Harry | None | Savindri | None | None | |||||||||||||||||
Episodes and ratings
||44/11 -4 ||Wednesday July Food Hero Immunity Challenge "— Dishes inspired by family food heroes ; Nat earned immunity securing final four spot . || ||1220 ,00/< br >700 ,00 ||#9 |- ! colspan ="5" style ="background:#ddd;" || Week12 (Finals Week) |- ||45/12 -1 ||Sunday July Extreme Ingredients Elimination Challenge "— Five challenging ingredients used in balanced dishes ; Mimi eliminated finalizing Top four . || ||1185 ,00/< br >654 ,00 ||#9 |- ||46/12 -2 ||Monday July Golden Ticket to the Semi-Final Mystery Box Challenge "— Personalized mystery boxes with golden ticket prize ; Savindri secured semi-final spot . || ||1357 ,00/< br >746 ,00 ||#9 |- ||47/12 -3 ||Tuesday July Pressure Test: Josh Niland's Flounder Kandinsky "— Fish butchery masterclass followed by replication challenge ; Harry last contestant eliminated before semi-final . || ||1197 ,00/< br >689 ,00 ||#9 |- ! colspan ="5" style ="background:#ddd;" || Week13 (Grand Finale Week) |- ||48/13 -1 ||Sunday July The Fun One! Judges and Final Three Cooking Relay "— Judges swapped roles cooking mystery box dishes judged by semi-finalists followed by relay cook-off featuring miso ; judges prevailed . || ||1169 ,00/< br >678 ,00 ||#11 |- ||49/13-2 ||Monday15 July2024 ||Semi-Final: Service Challenge — Finalists Josh P., Nat and Savindri prepared three-course meals under Curtis Stone’s guidance. Nat and Josh progressed to grand finale while Savindri was eliminated. ||1,,751,,000 /883,,000 ||#4 |- ||50/13-3 ||Tuesday16 July2024 ||Grand Finale — Nat faced Josh Perry in two rounds: creating a black peppercorn dish followed by replicating Clare Smyth’s Core-teser dessert. Nat won the $250,,000 prize plus Crown residency; Josh received $40,,000 as runner-up and Savindri earned $10,,000 for third place. ||1,,779,,000 /
985,,000 ||#3
| Ep#/Wk-Ep# | Airdate (Original) | Episode Title / Event Description | Viewership (National Reach & Total) | Nightly Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | |||||
| 1/01-1 | Monday, 22 April 2024 | Premiere Episode: Identity Dish — Jamie Oliver joined as guest judge for two weeks, tasking contestants with preparing a dish that reflected their identity. Savindri’s Sri Lankan breakfast was highly praised, but Nat secured the immunity pin and a London restaurant experience with her kangaroo larb. | 1,423,000 / 776,000 |
#6 | |
| 2/01-2 | Tuesday, 23 April 2024 | Team Service Challenge with Jamie Oliver — Under Jamie’s guidance, teams served a three-course meal to 40 former contestants. The burgundy team, led by Savindri, won with a well-coordinated menu and earned the chance to compete for immunity. | 1,400,000 / 649,000 |
#6 | |
| 3/01-3 | Wednesday, 24 April 2024 | Finger Food Innovation Test — Contestants had 75 minutes to craft hand-held dishes. The top five dishes earned spots in the immunity challenge. | 1,021,000 / 561,000 |
#10 | |
| 4/01-4 | Thursday, 25 April 2024 | Immunity Challenge: Time vs Ingredients — Participants chose between cooking with one ingredient for 90 minutes or using twenty ingredients within 45 minutes. Savindri won immunity with her tropical squid ceviche. | 1,106,000 / 547,000 |
#7 | |
| Week 2 | |||||
| 5/02-1 | Sunday, 28 April 2024 | Elimination Challenge: Food Dreams — Contestants created dishes inspired by their culinary dreams. James was eliminated after judges criticized his undercooked and overpowering dish. | 1,236,000 / 674,000 |
#8 | |
| 6/02-2 | Monday, 29 April 2024 | Mystery Box Challenge from Jamie Oliver's Parents — Using ingredients selected by Jamie’s parents, contestants cooked while four were sent to the pressure test alongside Stephen who had been unwell. | 1,152,000 / 687,000 |
#11 | |
| 7/02-3 | Tuesday, 30 April 2024 | Elimination Challenge: Cooking With Jamie — Contestants prepared dishes alongside Jamie Oliver. Steph was eliminated for missing key components in her dish. | 1,191,000 / 655,000 |
#9 | |
| 8/02-4 | Wednesday, 1 May 2024 | Team Immunity Challenge at Queen Victoria Market — Four teams designed street food menus to serve a crowd of 1000. The red team prevailed with exceptional vegetarian offerings. | 1,346,000 / 651,000 |
#7 | |
| Week 3 | |||||
| 9/03-1 | Sunday, 5 May 2024 | Elimination Challenge: Inspired by Family — Two elimination rounds focused on family-inspired dishes. Jonathan was eliminated due to a pasta dish lacking refinement. | 1,228,000 / 624,000 |
#9 | |
| 10/03-2 | Monday, 6 May 2024 | '\'Mystery Box Challenge with Hidden Ingredients\'\'\' — Contestants crafted dishes using six visible and four concealed ingredients. Four lowest-scoring dishes faced the pressure test. | '\'
1,171,000 / |
'#10 | |
| '11/03-3 | 'Tuesday, 7 May 2024 | '\'Pressure Test: Jean-Christophe Novelli's Jack in a Box\'\'\' — Four contestants attempted to replicate an intricate Michelin-star dessert. Khristian was eliminated. | '\'
1,247,000 / |
'#9 | |
| '12/03-4 | 'Wednesday, 8 May 2024 | '\'Two-Round Team Immunity Challenge\'\'\' — Eighteen contestants divided into teams cooked with everyday ingredients; Mimi advanced three members to a sweet BBQ immunity cook-off which Lourdes won. | '\'
1,235,000 / |
'#9 | |
| Week 4 | |||||
| '13/04-1 | 'Sunday,12 May2024 | '\'One Inch Cube Elimination Challenge\'\'\' — Blindfolded contestants identified food cubes and prepared dishes with correct ingredients; Lily was eliminated due to inconsistency in her dish. | '\'
1,313,000 / |
'#6 | |
| '14/04-2 | 'Monday13 May2024 | '\'French-Themed Mystery Box Challenge\'\'\' — Held at Bendigo Town Hall featuring French cuisine; four lowest dishes went to pressure test. | '\'
1,391,000 / |
'#10 | |
| '15/04-3 | 'Tuesday14 May2024 | '\'Pressure Test: Liam Downes' Smoked Egg Yolk Raviolo\'\'\' — Four contestants replicated a complex pasta dish; Lourdes was eliminated for over-reducing sauce and overcooking the egg yolk. | '\'
1,189,000 / |
'#12 | |
| '16/04-4 | 'Wednesday15 May2024 | '\'Heirloom Tomato Team Relay Challenge\'\'\' — Four teams cooked heirloom tomato dishes in relay format; the blue team earned immunity. | '\'
1,149,000 / |
'#11 | |
| Week5 - Trending Week | |||||
| '17/05-1 | 'Sunday19 May2024 | '\'Luke Nguyen Ingredient Pairing Elimination Challenge\'\'\' — Two-round elimination using paired ingredients; Juan was eliminated. | '\'
1,152,000 / |
'#8 | |
| '18/05-2 | 'Monday20 May2024 | '\'Vincent Yeow Lim Wok Mystery Box Challenge\'\'\' — Wok-based mystery box judged by guest chef Vincent Yeow Lim; four lowest dishes faced pressure test. | '\'
1,227,000 / |
'#10 | |
| '19/05-3 | 'Tuesday21 May2024 | '\'Pressure Test: Anna Polyviou's Sunny Side Up Dessert\'\'\' — Four contestants recreated a complex dessert; Snezana was eliminated. | '\'
1,170,000 / |
'#10 | |
| '20/05-4 | 'Wednesday22 May2024 | '\'Microwave Hack Immunity Challenge\'\'\' — Contestants employed judges’ microwave hacks to prepare dishes; David claimed immunity. | '\'
1,183,000 / |
'#10 | |
| Week6 | |||||
| '21/06-1 | 'Sunday26 May2024 | '\'Egg-Themed Elimination Challenge\'\'\' — Egg-focused elimination challenge; Stephen was removed for inconsistent seasoning and cooking. | '\'
1,137,000/ |
'#10 | |
| '22/06-2 | 'Monday27 May2024 | '\'Asian Sauces Mystery Box Challenge with Lee Kum Kee Products \'\'\ — Contestants used Lee Kum Kee sauces in their creations; four lowest dishes entered pressure test. | '\'
1,357,000/ |
'#8 | |
| '23/06-3 | 'Tuesday28 May2024 | '\'Pressure Test: Darren Purchese's Cherry Blossom Dessert \' \' \ — Replication of signature dessert; Savindri was eliminated due to dry brownie and unbalanced mousse textures. | ' \'
1 ,282 ,00/< br >668 ,00 |
'#7 | |
| '24/06 -4 | 'Wednesday29 May2024 | 'Second Chance Cook-off— Eight previously eliminated chefs competed for re-entry; Savindri won back her place and immunity. | ' | '1 ,116 ,00/< br >596 ,00 | '#11 |
| Week7 | |||||
| '25/07 -1 | 'Sunday2 June2024 | Rick Stein Seafood Elimination— Two-round seafood elimination challenge; David was eliminated after judges cited flavor imbalance. | '1 ,148 ,00/< br >610 ,00 | '#8 | |
| '26/07 -2 | 'Tuesday June Frankston | Pub Food Service Challenge— Teams prepared elevated pub fare in service challenge; orange team sent to pressure test due to weak side dishes. | '1 ,250 ,00/< br >638 ,00 | '#8 | |
| '27/07 -3 | 'Wednesday June Keeping Up with Curtis Elimination— Contestants replicated Curtis Stone’s pork dish; Sue was eliminated for multiple faults. | '1140 ,00/< br >531 ,00 | '#11 | ||
| '28/07 -4 | 'Thursday June Sauce Immunity Challenge— Creation of international fusion sauces; Sumeet won immunity and first Top10 spot plus secured sauce bottling deal at Coles supermarkets. | '1133 ,00/< br >519 ,00 | '#10 | ||
| Week8 (Sweet Week) | |||||
| '29/08 -1 | 'Sunday June Plant-Based Elimination Challenge— Plant-based meat alternative challenge; Josh Clarke was eliminated finalizing Top10. | '951 ,00/< br >512 ,00 | '#9 | ||
| '30/08 -2 | 'Monday June Adriano Zumbo Jelly Mystery Box Challenge— Dessert mystery box featuring rainbow jellies; Alex earned immunity. | '1424 ,00/< br >716 ,00 | '#8 | ||
| '31/08 -3 | 'Tuesday June Croquembouche Invention Test— Contestants crafted croquembouches; Mimi won immunity with miso-pumpkin crème pâtissière creation. | '1226 ,00/< br >640 ,00 | '#12 | ||
| '32/08 -4 | 'Wednesday June Twins Dessert Challenge— Paired dessert challenge using various appliances; Nat and Sumeet claimed immunity. | '1193 ,00/< br >670 ,00 | '#9 | ||
| Week9 | |||||
| '33/09 -1 | 'Sunday June Coffee-Flavored Dessert Elimination— Coffee pairing dessert challenge; Gillian was eliminated due to over-baking. | '1156 ,00/< br >649 ,00 | '#8 | ||
| '34/09 -2 | 'Monday June Nagi Maehashi Mega Mystery Box— Fast-paced mystery box with numerous ingredients; Alex advanced safely while others faced pressure test. | '1419 ,00/< br >743 ,00 | '#7 | ||
| '35/09 -3 | 'Tuesday June Pressure Test: Hugh Allen Banksia Pod Dessert— Replication of complex dessert by three contestants; Alex was eliminated for texture flaws and underbaking. | '1298 ,00/< br >660 ,00 | '#8 | ||
| '36/09 -4 | 'Wednesday June Bacon and Eggs Invention Test— Surprise elimination reinventing classic bacon and eggs dish; Sumeet was eliminated due to inconsistencies noted by judges. | '1157 ,00/< br >656 ,00 | '#10 | ||
| Week10 (Hong Kong Week) | |||||
| '37/10 -1 | 'Sunday June Hong Kong Mystery Box— Outdoor Asian ingredient mystery box in Hong Kong; Mimi,Nat,and Harry progressed to immunity cook-off. | '1220 ,00/< br >668 ,00 | '#7 | ||
| '38/10 -2 | Monday June Vicky Cheng Immunity Challenge— Recreating chef Vicky Cheng’s daikon radish dish from memory; Nat secured immunity. | 1405 ,00/< br >684 ,00 | #8 | ||
| 39/10 -3 | Tuesday June Dai Pai Dong Service Challenge— Teams ran street food stalls in Hong Kong serving120 customers ; Darrsh earned immunity. | 1236 ,00/< br >658 ,00 | #10 | ||
| 40/10 -4 | Wednesday June Lucky Dip Immunity Challenge— Hong Kong-inspired ingredient selection cook-off ; Mimi won immunity for best dish. | 1018 ,00/< br >522 ,00 | #11 | ||
| colspan ="5" style ="background:#ddd;" | Week11 | ||||
| 41/11 -1 | Sunday June Time Auction Elimination Challenge— Bidding on ingredients trading cooking time ; Lachlan was eliminated after judges found his dish lacked cohesion. | 1064 ,00/< br >612 ,00 | #10 | ||
| 42/11 -2 | Monday July Poh's Everything Mystery Box Challenge "— Nine ingredient mystery box requiring use of all items ; Josh P.won $5000 Harvey Norman voucher ; three sent to pressure test . | 1389 ,00/< br >689 ,00 | #7 | ||
| 43/11 -3 | Tuesday July Pressure Test: Guillaume Brahimi's Royale of Peas with Duo of Crab "— Three contestants replicated complex dish ; Darrsh eliminated due to technical errors . | 1253 ,00/< br >672 ,00 | #9 | ||
- Starting January28,,2024,, OzTAM ratings transitioned focus from metropolitan centres and overnight shares to National Reach and Total viewership figures.