MasterChef Australia 2026

MasterChef Australia 2026

The iconic cooking competition is back with a fresh group of passionate amateur cooks, spectacular challenges and an impressive line-up of guest judges.

Twenty-four home cooks from across Australia enter the MasterChef kitchen hoping to transform their love of food into a life-changing career. Throughout the season they face demanding mystery boxes, invention tests, pressure tests and team challenges, with only one contestant ultimately claiming the MasterChef Australia 2026 crown.

Returning judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli guide the contestants through every stage of the competition, sharing their expertise while pushing each cook to reach new heights.

The season also welcomes an outstanding collection of guest judges and mentors. Favourite culinary personalities including Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone, Adriano Zumbo and Rick Stein return to inspire contestants, while Justine Schofield revisits the competition that launched her television career.

Joining them are a range of special guests from outside the food world, including Robert Irwin and Jimmy and Jane Barnes, alongside popular online food creators such as Andy Cooks, DimSimLim, Victoria Minell from Recipes by Victoria, and Lily Huynh from biteswithlily.

MasterChef Australia 2026 Contestants

Aaron Kher
Alita Harvey-Rodriguez
Alyona Iljuhhina
Annabel Lloyd
Belinda Gosden
Bella Di Conza
Casper Kenworthy
Dot McHugh
Emily Sue
Grace King
Hannah Johnson
Jack Hosking
Jackie Yu
Jeff Lam
Kanika Gadyok
Lucy Mansfield
Luke Harris
Lydia Kamperos
Megs Steel
Miin Wei Looi
Olaolu Olorunnimbe
Pat McGarry
Petro Papathomas
Vinnie Gibaldi

Final Week

Following the episode broadcast on Sunday, 19 July 2026, viewers were told that the competition had entered its final week. Channel 10 did announce a Grand Final date. Contestants remaining:

Aaron Kher
Annabel Lloyd
Casper Kenworthy
Petro Papathomas
Vinnie Gibaldi

As the competition reaches its climax, the finalists face their toughest challenges yet as they compete for the MasterChef Australia trophy and the opportunity to launch a career in the food industry.