MasterChef viewers share same issue as Finals Week starts
The BBC competition has entered the last stages
What did you miss?
MasterChef sparked debate online as Finals Week got under way, with viewers complaining about the finalists jetting off to Singapore.
The current series of the BBC show has entered its last stages, with just four chefs left in the competition - Chris Willoughby, Abi Kempley, Brin Pirathapan and Louise Lyons Macleod. In Monday night's episode (May 20), the hopefuls - along with judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace - went to Southeast Asia.
However, the move left plenty of fans complaining, with some questioning the cost and others asking the point of taking the cooks out of their comfort zone.
What, how, and why?
The episode started with the four chefs whipping up traditional meals in one of Singapore's markets, under the watchful eyes of Torode and Wallace. They later visited Pangium, an exclusive restaurant in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
One viewer posted on X: "@BBC is it really necessary to take the 4 finalists to Singapore!!!!!! I'm presuming the licence fee is paying for this while you make cuts to lots of other programmes."
"Why not fly the father of Singapore cuisine to London?" asked someone else. "Glad I personally defunded the BBC some years ago." "A lovely licence fee payers jolly for the boys," quipped someone else.
However, other fans said that MasterChef probably costs about the same when it is based in the UK, thanks to high living prices. "Nobody tell them that the flight and accommodation to Singapore is one of the cheaper aspects of the show..." joked one.
Another posted: "Do not get me started. I would guess they get put up in London for a fair bit of it and that will cost WAY more!"
"Yeah, and how much do they pay John and Gregg?" asked someone else. "And how many people are put up in London. Which is way more expensive than most other places in the world. I’m just saying I think the final four deserve the trip and you’re not going to change my mind."
Others suggested it may have been more rewarding to see the contestants perfecting dishes they were skilled at.
One wrote: "MasterChef tonight. Right, you're all qualified chefs, that we are now going rip you out of what you're used to, cook Singaporean food, and then get judged on it by major Singaporean judges?"
"What’s the point of this round?" wondered another. "Would have been more entertaining/challenging for them to do British street food."
What else did MasterChef viewers say?
While countless viewers were gripped as the contestants tackled a different cuisine, there were others who admitted they found Finals Week less interesting than the early stages.
"Despite all the marvellous food, finals week is less entertaining than the first introduction rounds," said one. Another posted: "I find these visits to far flung counties, along with serving up unheard of dishes at posh dinners/hotel the most boring part of MasterChef."
