MasterChef Italia

MasterChef Italia is the Italian version of culinary talent show MasterChef. The first edition was aired from 21 September to 7 December 2011 on Sky Uno.

The judges are chefs Bruno Barbieri, Carlo Cracco, Antonino Canavacciuolo by the fifth edition and restaurateur Joe Bastianich (judge of MasterChef (U.S. TV series)). Voiceovers are made by Simone D'Andrea and Luisa Ziliotto. Carlo Cracco quit the program after the end of 6th season and was replaced by Antonia Klugmann in the 7th.

The first winner, Spyros Theodoridis, won €100,000 in gold coins and has published a book (published by RCS Rizzoli) with original recipes.

The success of the first edition included parodies of the program, including The Scoured, Crozza in Wonderland and Made in Sud with the parody Mastrochef

Format

• Mystery Box Challenge: In 45 minutes, competitors must produce a dish using all or some of the ten ingredients revealed at the opening of the boxes. The three judges taste the three most interesting dishes, and the winner is given an advantage for the next challenge.
• Invention Test: the three judges assign a theme to which the chefs must create a dish, and the winner of the Mystery Box Challenge will be able to choose which of the three proposed items will have to be used by the rest of the competitors. In the second edition, for the first time, the winner was also sometimes granted immunity by the judges. The duration of this test is variable, and here the three judges, after tasting the dishes (all shown), both nominate the winner of the test (who can choose their own team in the challenge in external as well as having other benefits) and the three cooks with the worst outcome, and between them at least one is eliminated (or the one who will have to undergo a duel).
• Team Challenge: In this test the candidates are divided into two teams (or challenge each other) and must prepare the dishes to be served in a particular situation. The winner can choose dell'Invention test components of a team and, if applicable, the dishes to prepare, or have a particular advantage. One or more defendants will judge the best team, while the worst will have to undergo the Pressure Test.
• Pressure Test: this test (or set of tests) is required among the competitors of the team that lost the challenge. Typically, the cooks are asked to cook one or multiple dishes in a short time, and the chef with the worst dish is either eliminated, or must participate in The Duel.
• The Duel: the worst competitor in the Elimination Test must challenge the worst in the Pressure Test and the loser will be eliminated.

Season One

The first season of MasterChef Italy aired from 21 September to 7 December 2011 on 2011 on Sky and saw Spyros Theodoridis come out the winner. In addition, on 21 and 28 December, two special episodes were aired dedicated to the background and to the comments of the protagonists.

Season Two

In February 2012 Sky Italy opened up the casting for the second edition.

The winner of the second edition was attorney Tiziana Stefanelli. Unlike the previous edition, the first MasterChef aired on Sky One from 13 December 2012^[1] to 21 February 2013. On days 19, 20 and 21 November 2012, three special introductory episodes had aired: Joe Bastianich: Family Affairs, Carlo Cracco:The Squaring Of The Egg and Bruno Barbieri: Chef 7-Star.^[2] In addition, the three judges were guests in an episode of X Factor Italy, of That Heavenly Goal! and The Barbarian Invasions.

Season Three

In February 2013 casting opened for the third edition. The race started 19 December 2013 and ended on 6 March 2014. The winner of the third edition was Francesco Federico Ferrero, a medical intern.^[3] Unlike the other two editions, the winner was announced live at the General Stores in Milan. The season will be broadcast again on Cielo, a DTV channel, in September 2014.

Season Four

In February 2014 casting opened for the fourth season scheduled for the second half of 2014 again on Sky Uno. Filming of these episodes will begin in June. Masterchef Italy started on 18 December 2014 and the winner was Stefano Callegaro. The winner's name was leaked by the media and published before the final episode of the season.

Season Five

In February 2015 casting opened for the fifth season started on December 18th 2015 on Sky Uno. By this season there was a new entry, Antonino Cannavacciuolo as a new judge. The Finale aired on March 3rd 2016 and the winner was Erica Liverani.

Season Six

In February 2016 casting opened for the sixth season scheduled for the second half of 2016 on Sky Uno. The winner of this season was the youngest ever, Valerio Braschi (18 years old).

Season Seven

In February 2016 casting opened for the seventh season scheduled for the end of the year. The 7th season started airing on December 21st 2017 and it's currently airing. Carlo Cracco left the show and was replaced by the first woman judge Antonia Klugmann.

Spin-Off Celebrity Masterchef Italia

In 2017 was aired the first season of Celebrity Masterchef Italia endend with the victory of Roberta Capua, an Italian showgirl.

Spin-Off Junior Masterchef Italia

On 16 April 2013 it was announced the MasterChef inspired spin-off, MasterChef Italy Junior, would involve children between 8 and 13 years of age. The casting began on 17 April 2013. The judges are Bruno Barbieri, Lidia Bastianich and Alessandro Borghese. The first season was broadcast from 13 March to 10 April 2014. Three edition of the Spin-off program where created.

Note

External links

• Official Website of MasterChef Italy
• Official MasterChef Italy on Facebook
• Official Account of MasterChef Italy on Twitter
• Official Account of MasterChef Italy on Instagram
• MasterChef Italia on IMDb