With great culinary challenges, incredible showcases, a trip to Walt Disney Studios and visits from María Pombo and Isabel Aaiún.
It’s time for the youngest members of the household to show on MasterChef Junior 11 that age is not an obstacle to mastering the kitchen. Sophie, Marcos, Nikole, Candela, Leo, Lucía, Nacho, Daniela, Nico, Valentina, Marce, Martina, Paco, Constancia, Fernando, and Ana will experience the greatest adventure of their lives as contestants on the culinary talent show, produced by RTVE in collaboration with Shine Iberia, which returns with plenty of laughter, excitement, and cooking.
Among the participants in this edition, there will be a Cuban eager to open his own restaurant, a young girl from Toledo who is so comfortable in the kitchen that she considers herself an “outstanding cook,” a Valencian aspiring to be a property registrar, a nine-year-old cook who has participated in several musicals, a fan of Ana Mena from Málaga, and a 10-year-old boy who traveled to France to meet his favorite pastry chef, Cédric Grolet.
Teamwork, effort, and passion for cooking will be essential. The jury, composed of Pepe Rodríguez, Samantha Vallejo-Nágera, and Jordi Cruz, will evaluate the contestants, who will accumulate points. At the end of each episode, the ones with the lowest scores will be eliminated. The winner will receive the show’s trophy, 12,000 euros for training, a four-day cooking course at the Basque Culinary Center, and, thanks to the program’s sponsor, a BBVA training scholarship.
Press Presentation
This Tuesday, the Torrespaña building hosted the press conference for the eleventh edition of MasterChef Junior. María Eizaguirre, RTVE’s Director of Communication and Participation, presented the event: “It already smells like Christmas. This press conference is the starting shot. The magic and excitement of MasterChef always bring back great memories.”
Ana María Bordas, RTVE’s Director of Originals, explained, “The goal is to help them develop culinary skills through games, allowing them to grow both in the kitchen and in life. It’s a fun environment, where the judges play an important role as mentors.” She also emphasized the “protective” environment around the kids: “They have a psychologist who assists them to ensure they feel in a very safe space. It’s a fun show where they compete, but the most important thing is to have fun.”
Macarena Rey, CEO of Shine Iberia, thanked RTVE for “continuing to trust in the three editions of the talent show, which are all so different.” “This one with children is like an extended summer camp. This year’s casting is very special, spectacular; they are all so different.” She also announced a new feature: “This year, they will receive, in addition to the usual prizes, a training scholarship thanks to one of our sponsors.”
Pepe Rodríguez stated, “After so many years, I enjoy every edition. In the kids’ version, I have fun; we are parents, teachers…” Samantha Vallejo-Nágera emphasized that they are still children, and “it’s amazing what they say and do.” Jordi Cruz described the 16 contestants as “smart boys and girls who are a delight.” “We have a lot of fun and convey great information to the young ones,” he concluded.
Some of the young chefs, like Valentina, who described her experience as “unforgettable,” attended the presentation. For Marce, “It’s a very good experience to watch, especially for those who come from other countries and want to learn to cook.” Sophie insisted, “You have to watch MasterChef because it’s super fun and there are really cool challenges.”
Inés Hernand, Marina Rivers, and Dabiz Muñoz among other guests
The contestants will cook for influencer María Pombo and attend a private concert by Isabel Aaiún, the breakthrough artist with her song Potra Salvaje. They will meet winners and participants from MasterChef, MasterChef Junior, and MasterChef Celebrity, such as Ángela Gimeno, Loreto Riera, Inés Hernand, Marina Rivers, Tamara Falcó, Mario Vaquerizo, Lorena Castell, and Carmina Barrios. They will also receive advice from chefs like Dabiz Muñoz, Pedro Subijana, Nandu Jubany, Dani García, Roberto Ruiz, Carlos Maldonado, and Ángel León.
Uncommon foods, chocolate toys, and a tribute to the Niño Jesús Hospital
The judges will challenge the contestants with all kinds of tasks. They will learn the secrets of rice, pay tribute to foods that came from the Americas, recreate chocolate toys, and work with uncommon ingredients like mangosteen, okra, and puffed lotus seeds. In one challenge, Lorena Castell will drive a train full of food through the kitchens, while the MasterChef Junior 10 contestants will distribute the ingredients as if they were part of the Three Kings Parade.
In outdoor challenges, they will cook at the Lasarte restaurant with Martín Berasategui and his chef Paolo Casagrande, pay tribute to the medical team and patients at the Niño Jesús University Hospital, and discover the Avengers Campus at Walt Disney Studios.
Through games, the jury will try to raise awareness about the responsible consumption of seasonal foods and the importance of nutrition, sports, and healthy eating. They will participate in traditional games like hide and seek or memorize color sequences. The studio’s display will turn into fun and surprising scenarios: they will travel to the world of the Wizard of Oz, sail on a boat to fish for seafood, enter a spectacular maze, and be amazed at the Museum of Oddities.
More MasterChef Junior
MasterChef Celebrity concluded its ninth season with 36.8 million impressions on Instagram and more than 12 million views on TikTok. Additionally, the hashtag #MCCelebrity reached the top position on X, generating over 16,000 comments per night. In total, MasterChef Spain now has nearly 5.5 million followers across all social media platforms.
The book MasterChef Junior: How to Be a Movie Chef is now on sale, featuring 75 recipes inspired by series and movies. The MasterChef restaurant serves the best dishes from the show, and fans can meet the contestants. Followers of the talent show have the chance to improve their culinary skills with the MasterChef School, led by Jordi Cruz. The official board game and video game are also available for those who want to feel like real contestants.
MasterChef Junior 11 is sponsored by Bosch Appliances and BBVA.
PRESS CONFERENCE
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