'MasterChef Junior' Renewed for Second Season
Calling all young, aspiring chefs! Fox has just ordered a second helping of "MasterChef Junior," a series that debuted this year to wonderful ratings and brought in a new audience and class of competitors.
The show features young cooks from the ages of 8 to 13 and puts them together in a fierce competition similar to the style of the adult-version, the original "MasterChef." Kids are judged in the same way by celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot. The debut season, which aired this year, was a huge success and drew in audiences of all ages.
"'MasterChef Junior' is one of the few shows on television that the entire family can truly enjoy together, and I can't wait to see what Gordon, Joe, Graham, and the next round of rambunctious, ridiculously talented junior chefs cook up in Season Two," Fox President Kevin Reilly said in a statement.
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Casting is already underway, with auditions being held across the country in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas.
Last season, 13-year-old New Yorker Alexander Weiss took home the $100,000 prize and trophy, along with the title of first MasterChef Junior. It wasn't an easy competition for the teen, but he managed to put away all his competition and keep his cool. He battled the series' other front-runner, Dara, in the two-part finale but managed to edge her out.
"It was a big shock," Weiss told Vulture.com. "I had no idea who it was going to be. Dara definitely took the appetizer round, I definitely took the entrée, but our desserts seemed so close. It was hard to tell. We both had one small criticism, so it was very close."
Weiss added that he had received offers to intern from Ramsay and Elliot and planned to do his best to take them up on their offers. Meanwhile, he still has to finish high school before going to culinary school, which he plans to use the majority of the $100,000 for.
