After months of pressure tests, mystery boxes challenges and enough frantic countdowns to raise our collective blood pressure, MasterChef has crowned its 2026 winner.
Vinnie Gibaldi was handed the highly sought-after trophy and $250,000 prize money after defeating Petro Papathomas in Sunday night’s grand finale.
But while viewers were thrilled for Vinnie, the finale also left some fans feeling slightly conflicted.
Their issue wasn’t with the winner, but with the significant difference between the prizes awarded to the season’s top three contestants.
Petro received $40,000 for placing second, while third-place contestant Aaron was awarded $10,000.
Despite each amount being a significant chunk of money, those watching at home believed that the runner-up and third-placed contestant deserved a larger slice of the prize-money pie — after all, they did put their lives on hold and managed to survive months in one of television’s most demanding kitchens.
Why are MasterChef fans unhappy with the prize money?
Social media was flooded with fans congratulating Vinnie on his well-deserved win, but several couldn’t resist pointing out one detail that irked them.
“Congratulations Vinnie, you were both amazing cooks,” wrote one viewer. “My only gripe is the prize money for second and third should be heaps better!”
The fan suggested that second place should receive $100,000, while the third-place prize should be increased to $50,000.
Another fan agreed with the sentiment, saying Petro deserved to take home more after managing to make it to the very end.
“The prize money is not distributed evenly,” they commented. “The second MasterChef contestant, in this case Petro, should have got much more than $40,000.”
“I agree with [the] prize money someone mentioned,” another added. “Should be more for second and third.”
When you place the amounts side-by-side, it’s not difficult to see why eyebrows were raised. Vinnie’s $250,000 prize money was six times the amount Petro received, despite the two entering the final challenge on equal footing.
Aaron, on the other hand, walked away with four times less than the runner-up and 25 times less than the winner.
Not everyone agreed with the backlash
Other viewers argued that Petro’s $40,000 was still worth celebrating, especially because he was within arm’s reach of walking away with the title.
“Sometimes it’s just not your day,” wrote one fan. “Petro is a mighty fine cook and $40K is a great runner-up prize. Congratulations to Vinnie.”
During Sunday night’s finale, Petro and Vinnie faced two challenges that ultimately determined who would take home the title.
The first was a mystery box filled with ingredients selected by some of the season’s celebrity guests.
The second was an intense pressure test set by internationally renowned pastry chef Cherish Finden, who challenged the pair to recreate her Chinese Afternoon Tea spread — comprising nine individual petit gateaux — in just five hours.
In the end, Vinnie managed to pull ahead, finishing with 80 points out of a possible 90, while Petro received 67.
What will Petro do with his MasterChef prize money?
Despite missing out on the $250,000 grand prize, Petro certainly didn’t walk away from MasterChef empty-handed.
If the plans he shared with WHO before the finale are anything to go by, there is no shortage of ideas competing for a portion of it.
Petro revealed that his ultimate goal is to launch a halloumi and taramasalata business, along with a series of pop-up dining experiences.
“I’d use the remainder of my food dreams of opening my halloumi and taramasalata business and getting my pop-ups started,” he told WHO.
He would also love to spend time gaining experience in professional kitchens around the world.
“I’d take a few months off to work in kitchens around the world and learn as much as I can about different cuisines and how different kitchens are run,” he said.
He also wanted to give back to the community by personally funding food events that support organisations he truly believes in.
“I’d love to do some fundraiser food events funded by myself for community groups like my local church and other causes I feel strongly about.”
But perhaps his most ambitious promise involved reuniting the entire cast somewhere slightly more glamorous than the MasterChef kitchen.
“I promised the contestants early on that if I won, I would book an Airbnb in Greece for a week and host everyone,” he revealed before the finale. “So, if I win, I’ll be following through with that promise!”
Petro may not have secured the full $250,000 needed to tick off every item on that list, but his $40,000 runner-up prize could still provide a healthy starting point.
Has MasterChef Australia always awarded these amounts?
While it caused a bit of a flurry, the large gap between the prizes isn’t new to this season.
In 2025, winner Laura Sharrad also received $250,000, while runner-up Callum Hann was awarded $40,000, and third-place contestant Jamie Fleming took home $10,000.
The same amounts were awarded to the top three contestants in both 2023 and 2024.
Whether Channel 10 will reconsider the split in future seasons remains to be seen. But after watching the contestants cook through stress, exhaustion and dishes containing approximately 700 tiny elements, viewers clearly think making the top three deserves a little more dough.
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