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 Cannavacciuolo by the fifth edition and restaurateur Joe Bastianich (judge of MasterChef U.S.). Voiceovers are made by Simone D'Andrea and Luisa Ziliotto for the first five editions, Stefania Nali for the sixth and seventh and Ilaria Egitto from the eighth. Carlo Cracco quit the program after the end of 6th season and was replaced by Antonia Klugmann in the 7th. Antonia Klugmann was in turn replaced by Giorgio Locatelli for Season 8.
MasterChef Italia winners earn €100,000 in gold coins and get to publish a recipe book (published by RCS Rizzoli).
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: participants have to prepare a dish following the instructions of the judges and the ingredients contained in their Mystery Boxes. The judges taste the three most interesting dishes, and the winner is given an advantage for the next challenge. Invention Test: the participants have to re-create a dish decided by the judges or, often, by a guest (including renowned figures such as Marco Pierre White, Masaharu Morimoto and Matt Preston). The winner of the Mystery Box Challenge is given an advantage over the other participants, which could go as far as being exempted from the challenge. The duration of this test is variable, and here the judges, after tasting all dishes, 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 (sometimes the others are sent directly to the Pressure Test). Team Challenge: in this test, the candidates are divided into two teams (or challenge each other) and have to prepare dishes to be served in a particular situation, usually outside MasterChef's kitchen, and for a considerable number of people, ranging from 100 to 10. MasterChef Italia has visited several locations in Italy and abroad, including Norwegian fjords, the Vatican, Naples. The winner of the invention test can choose the components of either teams and, at times, the courses to prepare, or have other particular advantages, such as advice from local chefs. The winning team will be voted upon by the guests they prepared food for, by simple majority. Pressure Test: the members of the losing team will compete against each other in a task (or set of tasks), usually with a very strict time limit, until at least one of them is eliminated. Duel: if foreseen, the worst competitor in the Invention Test and the worst competitor in the Pressure Test or the two worst competitors in the Pressure Test compete in a very demanding test with very little time available, at the end of which one of the two is eliminated. Skill Test: present since the ninth edition and alternated in the episodes with the sequence of Team Challenge and Pressure Test, requires the competitors to take a surprise exam on a specific skill, divided into three steps, each assigned to a judge, where the worst is eliminated. Golden Mystery Box: the competitors must create a dish using all or some of the ingredients found inside a box, often with unexpected events and additional rules that make everything more difficult, regarding the particular cooking technique or the obligatory or prohibited use of a particular ingredient or tool. At the end of the test, the judges move between the stations to observe the dishes and then taste the best dishes, usually more than 3. The winners go up to the balcony and directly access the outdoor test or the next Skill Test. Black Mystery Box: the competitors must create a dish using all or some of the ingredients found inside a box, often with unexpected events and additional rules that make everything more difficult, regarding the particular cooking technique or the obligatory or prohibited use of a particular ingredient or tool. At the end of the test, the judges move between the stations to observe the dishes and the winning competitor receives a lesson in the MasterChef Magazine. The judges then call the worst dishes, and the 3 worst will face a Pressure Test. Stress Test: introduced in the thirteenth edition, competitors must pass a skills exam in 10 minutes, to demonstrate that they are able to work under pressure. The test is led by a "shadow" chef whose identity is revealed shortly before the start of the test. The Final: in the Season Finale, the two (or three) remaining participants face each other in a 2-hour long duel, during which they have to serve their own degustation menu, composed of at least four courses.
Season One The first season of MasterChef Italy aired from 21 September to 7 December in 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.
Contestants Contestant Age Occupation Origin Status Place Fred Reitsma 58 Trade agent Livorno, TuscanyEliminated 1st 18th Paolo Vidoz 40 Former boxer and farmer Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia GiuliaEliminated 2nd 17th Marìka Gennari 30 Athlete Novara, PiedmontEliminated 3rd 16th Davide Spadoni 23 Employee La Spezia, LiguriaEliminated 4th 15th Diego Spatari 40 Skipper Florence, TuscanyEliminated 5th 14th Alessandro de Sio 27 Bartender Salerno, CampaniaEliminated 6th 13th Agnese Malatesti 33 Event organizer Rome, LazioEliminated 7th 12th Giada Serra 20 Oriental language student Varese, LombardyEliminated 8th 11th Anna Lupi 48 Former dancer Verona, VenetoEliminated 9th 10th Enea Mazzoleni 23 Architectonic restorer Bergamo, LombardyEliminated 10th 9th Chiara Orioli 26 Personal trainer Brescia, LombardyEliminated 11th 8th Alberico Nunziata 34 Air Force sergeant Rome, LazioEliminated 12th 7th Federico Stefanini 28 3D Graphic designer Parma, Emilia-RomagnaEliminated 13th 6th Giuseppe Danny D'Annibale 30 Engineering student Rome, LazioEliminated 14th 5th Immacolata Imma Gargiulo 38 Housewife Naples, CampaniaEliminated 15th 4th Ilenia Bazzacco 38 Housewife Treviso, VenetoEliminated 16th 3rd Luisa Cuozzo 23 Political science student Naples, CampaniaRunner-up 2nd Spyros Theodoridis 37 Employee Modena, Emilia-Romagna 1st
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^ The second season of Masterchef on Sky One | DavideMaggio.it 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.MasterChef Italy 2012 promotional video In addition, the three judges were guests in an episode of X Factor Italy, of That Heavenly Goal! and The Barbarian Invasions.
Contestants Contestant Age Occupation Origin Status Place Giorgio Gramegna 32 Graphic designer Novara, PiedmontEliminated 1st 18th Regina Finocchiaro 23 Engineering student Acireale, SicilyEliminated 2nd 17th Margherita Rigotti 26 Unemployed Trento, Trentino-Alto AdigeEliminated 3rd 16th Federico Bonadies 33 Engineer Bari, ApuliaEliminated 4th 15th Giorgio Anthony Ruggeri 29 Agriculture student Ragusa, SicilyEliminated 5th 14th Letizia Fidotti 24 Law student Rome, LazioEliminated 6th 13th Guido D'Eramo 48 Plumber Rome, LazioEliminated 7th 12th Suien Sani 25 Unemployed Pistoia, TuscanyEliminated 8th 11th Agnese Gullotta 22 Psychology student Misterbianco, SicilyEliminated 9th 10th Michele Bendini 34 Veterinarian Città di Castello, UmbriaEliminated 10th 9th Nicola Dragani 41 Kitchen hand Pescara, AbruzzoEliminated 11th 8th Paola Galloni 39 Housewife Milan, LombardyEliminated 12th 7th Daiana Cecconi 53 Housewife Follonica, TuscanyEliminated 13th 6th Marika Elefante 27 Educational Sciences student Naples, CampaniaEliminated 14th 5th Ivan Iurato 35 Employee Comiso, SicilyEliminated 15th 4th Andrea Marconetti 37 Computer programmer Vimodrone, LombardyEliminated 16th 3rd Maurizio Rosazza Prin 33 Painter and copywriter Como, LombardyRunner-up 2nd Tiziana Stefanelli 41 Lawyer Rome, Lazio 1st
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. 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.
Contestants Contestant Age Occupation Origin Status Place Margherita Cicinelli 18 High school student Giovinazzo, ApuliaEliminated 1st 20th Haeri Youn 31 Housewife Pioltello, LombardyEliminated 2nd 19th Daniele Pietrobelli 29 Videogames developer Schio, VenetoEliminated 3rd 18th Giovanna Walendziak 35 Employee Altavilla Vicentina, VenetoEliminated 4th 17th Jessica Rizzetto 25 Worker Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia GiuliaEliminated 5th 16th Giorgio Deriu 25 Law student Melendugno, ApuliaEliminated 6th 15th Laura Castrataro 48 Unemployed Rocchetta a Volturno, MoliseEliminated 7th 14th Michele Guida 45 Worker Ordona, ApuliaEliminated 8th 13th Ludovica Baiocco 30 Housewife Montecosaro, MarcheEliminated 9th 12th Marco Gianfreda 39 Director Rome, LazioEliminated 10th 11th Emma Sarr 27 Unemployed Fossano, PiedmontEliminated 11th 10th Beatrice De Tullio 23 Management student Pescara, AbruzzoEliminated 12th 9th Michele Cannistraro 35 Foreman Rozzano, LombardyEliminated 13th 8th Alberto Naponi 69 Retired Cremona, LombardyEliminated 14th 7th Rachida Karrati 48 Seamstress Sorisole, LombardyEliminated 15th 6th Eleonora Federici 35 Gemologist Pavia, LombardyEliminated 16th 5th Salvatore Russo 40 Sea captain Piano di Sorrento, CampaniaEliminated 17th 4th Enrica Della Martira 32 Sales representative Florence, TuscanyEliminated 18th 3rd Almo Bibolotti 39 Dog hotelier Bari, ApuliaRunner-up 2nd Federico Francesco Ferrero 39 Nutritionist doctor Turin, Piedmont 1st
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.
Contestants