If you’ve been waiting all year for MasterChef Australia: Back To Win to start, you’re not alone! The cooking show has been a pantry staple for yonks now, and it’s no surprise producers have managed to attract some high-profile talent onto the show.
From local chefs taking the culinary world by storm, to… *checks notes*… Prince Charles himself, there certainly have been a few rogue appearances.
Let’s take a look back at some of the most iconic and memorable celebs who have graced our screens on MasterChef Australia over the years.
The best MasterChef Australia celebrity guests
Before she went to space, Katy Perry flew Down Under to appear on MasterChef Australia.
Gordon Ramsay
Yep, Mr Idiot Sandwich himself is a regular in the MasterChef Australia kitchen. UK celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay seems to love heading Down Under so much that he’s back again for 2025 in MasterChef Australia: Back To Win. The culinary zaddy will be joining regular judges Andy Allen, Poh-Ling Yeow, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Sofia Levin.
Ramsay is known for his harsh criticism when it comes to cooking, but with his success in the culinary world, MasterChef Australia contestants relish a chance to cook for one of the greats. Plus, he reckons his approach “gets results”.
“I call it as it is. Some people embrace that, some people find that offensive, but what I do is get results. You can’t please fucking everybody,” he told Woman’s Day.
In 2018, Gordon appeared on the show for Gordon Ramsay Week where he introduced a British Box Challenge and Fast Food Invention Test. He also brought a lil’ bit of Hell’s Kitchen to the show, tasking the contestants with a Three-Course Dinner Service Challenge for 50 customers.
Gordon Ramsay with the MasterChef Australia judges.
Prince Charles
Prince Charles made a surprise cameo during MasterChef Australia season 10, and the contestants got their knickers in a twist trying to serve up some delish Aussie grub. Using Australian ingredients, he was served green ants on wallaby tartare and goat cheese mousse topped with bush spices, but the royal oddly refused to eat anything.
Guess he wasn’t in the mood to eat ants that day. Maybe they should have served Prince Charles fairy bread instead!
Nigella Lawson
MasterChef Australia fans got a sweet treat when Nigella Lawson first appeared on the show in season two. She acted as a guest judge for one of the invention test challenges, and must have enjoyed it, because she appeared on the show during two other seasons!
In 2016, we were blessed with Nigella Lawson Week. Contestants were asked to recreate iconic Nigella dishes like her Coffee Panna Cotta and Brookies (a combo of brownies and cookies). We haven’t had her back in Australia since, though she did join the show remotely during the pandemic in 2020.
While she enjoys her role as a guest judge, she told TV Week she wouldn’t be able to compete on MasterChef Australia. “I don’t think I could cope with the pressure,” she explained. “I can deal with pressure in general, and need to write under pressure, but I cannot cook under pressure!”
Katy Perry
Katy Perry has randomly been connected with MasterChef Australia for a looooong time, because her song “Hot N Cold” was chosen by some genius producer for the intro. You know, the one with all the contestants flipping pans or being cute with flour. RIP Katy’s “Hot N Cold” intro, we’ll never forget you.
Her appearance on MasterChef Australia in 2020 was bonkers. Somehow, she managed to make a bunch of dirty quips that made Aussies fall in love with her even more.
When Reece Hignell presented a cake dish for Katy to try, she shook her butt and moulded a napkin so it looked like a pair of boobs.
“You’re the tits, Reece,” she declared.
She also told judge Jock Zonfrillo to feed her another dish by saying, “Party in my mouth. Put it in my mouth, Daddy!”
Can we get Katy back ASAP?! We desperately need more of Katy singing her way around the MasterChef Australia kitchen.
Jamie Oliver
British chef Jamie Oliver is no stranger to the MasterChef Australia kitchen. He’s been on the show as a guest judge and mentor across multiple seasons.
MasterChef Australia 2024 kicked off with two Jamie Oliver weeks, with the very first challenge singling out eventual winner Nat Thaipun. Jamie’s Identity Dish challenge asked contestants to cook something that reflected them. Nat’s Kangaroo Larb with Soy Cured Egg Yolk and Toasted Rice Wafer was deemed the best of the bunch, and she won the season’s only Immunity Pin as well as the opportunity to work at Jamie’s restaurant in London.
It’s possible Jamie will be back for 2025, as he recently told Woman’s Day how much he loves the show.
“I have been doing this stuff for 25 years, and this is the only type of the show in the world that I would do like this,” he said. “The reason I do MasterChef Australia is it’s actually, in my opinion, not a food show. It’s a show about hope and transformation. The food is just foreplay, in my opinion.”
Heston Blumenthal
Heston Blumenthal is another acclaimed chef from the UK. He runs multiple restaurants, including the three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck. He’s known for his creative and groundbreaking dishes, and has even cooked for the late Queen Elizabeth II.
He was the guest judge during the 2015 MasterChef Australia finale, and set a tough challenge for finalists Billie McKay and Georgia Barnes.
The cooks were given five hours to make Heston’s Botrytis Cinerea dessert, made up of 80 ingredients. Judge Gary Mehigan said it was “the toughest dish ever”, and Heston was surprised by how well Billie did. Not only did she end up winning the $250,000 prize, but the celebrity chef also asked her to come and work at the Fat Duck.
Maggie Beer
Aussie chef Maggie Beer is perfect for MasterChef Australia, because like the contestants, she’s self-taught. Coming from Sydney’s Western Suburbs, audiences love her down-to-earth nature and genuine love for food.
She told Woman’s Day that MasterChef Australia is her favourite show, saying it’s the people that makes the difference.
“I love the people and that they’re there to change their lives. They have a dream and have decided to do something about it. I admire them enormously; I find it absolutely inspiring,” she said.
She’s appeared on 12 seasons of MasterChef Australia, so she really does love it!
Queen of the universe Maggie Beer in the MasterChef Australia kitchen.
Curtis Stone
Homegrown chef Curtis Stone has appeared on almost every MasterChef Australia season so far, but his 2024 appearance ruffled a few feathers. Fans reckoned he was a bit “nasty” with his criticism, some saying he was trying to channel his inner Gordon Ramsay.
However, in an interview with Yahoo! Lifestyle, he said he always tries to be a “good mentor” and understand “how much to push”.
“I had a group of guys that were really wanting it, really wanting it a lot. So I gave it to them. And I pushed them, and I made them extend themselves. And I think that, you know, they were really grateful for it at the end of it, and it was really, really fun,” he explained.
Rick Stein
English chef Rick Stein is a regular on MasterChef Australia, popping in as a guest judge from time to time. In 2024, his Seafood Elimination Challenge almost saw eventual winner Nat be eliminated, but she was saved by her Immunity Pin.
He told Woman’s Day he finds it a “great pleasure” to be on MasterChef Australia.
“I do think the [participants] are incredibly stimulated by the competition and all of the past MasterChef winners and contestants have all said that it was a very important experience in their life,” he said.
Kylie Kwong
Local chef Kylie Kwong appeared on two MasterChef Australia seasons as a guest judge and one as a mentor. In 2012, she set an elimination challenge for the cooks: they had to recreate one of her famous dishes. The Steamed Blue Swimmer Crab with Black Beans and Chilli looked both delicious and technically challenging!
There you have it folks, some of the most iconic celebs and famous chefs who have appeared on MasterChef Australia. There’s bound to be some more popping up during MasterChef Australia: Back To Win 2025, so keep your eyes peeled.
If you’re wanting to check out who’s in the cast, we’ve got all the details right here for ya! Let’s just hope the MasterChef Australia contestants don’t start disappearing mysteriously like they did last year.
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win premieres Monday, April 28 at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
