MasterChef Legends Season 11, also dubbed as MasterChef Legends, began in June 2021 with fifteen contestants, one of the lowest numbers in MasterChef US history. Gordon Ramsay emphasized that the drop in numbers would help the judges get “straight to the heartbeat, the real meat on the bones, trimming the fat.”
Despite the effort to get straight to the juicy part, there were plenty of controversies surrounding MasterChef: Legends. A slow format, no outside challenges due to the pandemic, and the judges allegedly being too soft on the contestants all contributed to the dissatisfaction of the fans.
However, the most controversial element of MasterChef Season 11 was the finale when Kelsey Murphy was chosen over Autumn Morretti and Suu Khin. Many fans believe that the winner’s last selection was biased on the part of the judges.
What Is the MasterChef Season 11 Controversy?
Many fans consider MasterChef America Season 11 to be controversial due to its selection of winners in the final episode. While Kelsey was chosen to win the season, many felt that the decision was unfair to Autumn, who was a consistent performer throughout the episodes.
During the final taste-testing, the judges commented that Autumn’s dishes were “wickedly good.” She was the only contestant who never fell to the bottom three and had a consistently good performance throughout the season.
The final task was to serve an incredible three-course menu worthy of the grand prize. Autumn decided to lean into Japanese cuisine as all three of her courses contained Eastern influences. Suu also served up Burmese-style delicacies. Kelsey’s cooking style wasn’t based on a specific cuisine, but she focused on various techniques and classic dishes.
The three finalists also competed in a surprise challenge with canapes. Kelsey’s was too salty for Gordon, and Curtis thought the brioche could be more crisp. Suu’s had a beautiful fragrance with a super heavy body. Autumn had the best reviews on her dish, which was called Loyal, and Joe said she nailed it.
According to the judges, Autumn had the best canape, Kelsey nailed the appetizer, and Suu presented the best entrée.
Finally, Kelsey was chosen as the winner, much to the chagrin of fans. Judges had previously reminded contestants not to play safe in the later stages of the competition. Kelsey made classic ‘safe’ dishes, including French and Italian cooking techniques, and perfected them.
MasterChef fans think the final decision was biased because Kelsey played to what the judges liked, while Suu and Autumn made new and creative dishes with foreign influences.
Nonetheless, it all comes down to how the dishes taste. It was the judge who tasted them, giving them the power to make the decision. Autumn undoubtedly had the best overall performance and confident dishes to show in the finale, and Suu also went above and beyond, but the judges found Kelsey had executed the classic dishes to perfection.
Yet, don’t let that stop you from rooting for your favorite chef. Tell us who you support in the comment below and why you think they deserve the MasterChef title.
