MasterChef Australia fans shocked by horrifying footage of 'mean' and 'harsh' Canadian judges screaming at contestants

Daily Mail​

06-06-2025

MasterChef Australia fans have been left puzzled by resurfaced footage of judges from the Canadian franchise shouting at their wide-eyed contestants after spitting out their food.
The YouTube channel MasterChef global recently re-uploaded footage of Canadian judges Michael Bonacini, Claudio Aprile, and Alvin Leung giving their season one contestants a brutal roasting.
The judging trio, who have helmed the Canadian series since 2014, are known for their demanding and sometimes intense critiques, particularly by blue-haired chef Alvin.
At the start of the clip, Alvin grimaces in disgust after he takes a bite out of contestant Megan Toth's smelt quiche.
He proceeds to chew the bite loudly and then throw his fork down in disgust, before storming out.
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'That is why I only watch [MasterChef] Australia,' one viewer commented as the footage was shared to Reddit for discussion.
'Nice judges and nice contestants. No shouting and no chest thumping.'
In stark contrast to the unfavourable comparisons of Married at First Sight Australia to the 'tamer' UK and US formats — Channel Ten's MasterChef has been hailed by viewers as a beacon of positivity.
As the clip continues, judge Claudio joins his colleague in spitting out a bite of the second dish into a napkin.
'This looks like I want to watch the show from my couch fish cakes,' he tells a male contestant.
'That's a garnish? It looks like compost!'
Alvin, who is a renowned Canadian chef known for his "X-Treme Chinese" cuisine and often referred to as "The Demon Chef", was even harsher.
'Why would you puree a beautiful fish like that and turn it into mush?' he asked the same contestant, before completely losing his temper.
At the start of the clip, Alvin is seen grimacing in disgust after he takes a bite out of contestant Megan Toth's smelt quiche. He proceeds to throw his fork down in disgust, before storming out
'Is this a joke? This is MasterChef Canada,' he said, before shouting, 'and you give me this?!'
Alvin is the owner of Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant.
Viewers flocked to Reddit to compare the Australian and UK MasterChef judges to their North American counterparts.
'MasterChef Aus still has drama. MasterChef UK has the least. And USA is...' one wrote.
'Yeah, most of the other versions overdramatise the judging, and encourage the judges to be total d***s,' another agreed before providing an example.
'MasterChef US: "Holy s***, this is horrible, and your dead mother would be ashamed at the way you've butchered her recipe." [Tosses plate across the room].
'MasterChef AU: "Well, you're asparagus is pretty on point, and I liked the use of saffron, but you've got to be more careful about your seasoning and you're cooking times. This definitely wasn't your best." [Gives crying contestant a hug].'
'It's why I only watch the Australian version anymore,' they concluded.
Viewers flocked to Reddit to compare the Australian and UK MasterChef judges to their North American counterparts
While MasterChef Australia fans have sometimes complained that judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Sofia Levin 'baby' the contestants or 'are too nice' - viewers agreed this is preferable compared to the shouting in Canada's version.
'The judges on MasterChef AU are genuinely some of the kindest. Even when a dish doesn't turn out well, they still manage to give feedback in such a polite and empathetic way,' another viewer added.
'And It's not just the current set of judges, even in the earlier seasons they always maintained that warmth and encouragement. In contrast, MasterChef Canada feels so much harsher.
'From this clip, the judges come across so blunt and rude. I get that presentation might be lacking in some dishes, but the way the criticism is delivered its just feels unnecessarily harsh.
'Honestly, it makes the whole viewing experience feel tense rather than enjoyable. I don't think I will ever enjoy watching this Masterchef Canada.
'It just takes the joy out of it.'
'I'm in Canada and I love watching the Australian feed because it's so wholesome,' another agreed.
'The Canadian version is so mean. The judges are mean and they push the contestants to fight against each other. There's a lot of bullying.'
'The US version is just as hideous if not worse ... honestly unwatchable. Again, the Australians have made this programme the best version possible,' praised another MC Australia fan.
Canadian viewers said that while chef Alvin has improved his temperament and judging style over time, they despised how their format appeared to copy the 'hideous' approach of the US version.