MasterChef is meant to be a wholesome show, people! That’s what my colleagues and I keep saying to each other when we see grumblings online about what’s happening (or not happening) on our TV screens. However, the complaints continue, with the latest directed at Vinnie, who was mysteriously missing from Monday night’s episode.
The contestants were tasked with showcasing classic flavour pairs in their dishes, and while many of them sweated it out in the kitchen (with Olaolu’s trifle ultimately missing the mark and sending him home), Vinnie was nowhere to be seen.
And, fans weren’t happy about the unexplained disappearance.
“I sometimes find it unfair that some people who are sick just get to go to the next elimination,” one viewer wrote on Reddit. “I mean, I know people get sick, but sometimes it does feel like a free pass.”
Others questioned how the episode would have played out if he hadn’t been sick and had been in the mix, wondering how it would have affected other contestants and their standings.
However, former MasterChef contestant Juan De La Cruz told WHO that contestants don’t immediately get a “free pass” just because they’re sick, and, instead, they will often fall straight into the elimination round if they miss an episode rather than cruise along.
MasterChef fans had no idea why Vinnie was ‘missing’
During Monday night’s episode, fans were questioning where Vinnie was — especially since he currently holds the immunity pin.
“Did anyone catch Vinnie in this episode? Miss my boy,” one viewer said.
“Vinnie is not in the preview either. What the f–k is going on?” another chimed in.
While it wasn’t made clear to the audience where Vinnie was and why he wasn’t in the episode, WHO understands Vinnie was unwell and couldn’t cook in the challenge.
The ‘severity of the illness’ will seal Vinnie’s fate, Juan claims
After the confusion and complaints, Juan explained to WHO that each sickness and injury that results in a contestant missing a challenge is “assessed individually”, and the outcome of the contestant’s fate will be decided accordingly.
He explained he almost had to miss an episode during his season.
“Early in the competition, I suffered a pretty nasty burn and had to wear a cast on my right hand,” Juan explained. “I still cooked the next day because my understanding was that if I didn’t show up, I would have been eliminated.
“Later in the season, there were contestants who became sick and weren’t required to compete in eliminations. From the outside, I can understand why viewers might find that inconsistent, but I think every situation is assessed individually.
“It probably depends on the severity of the illness or injury and whether the contestant is physically capable of standing in the kitchen and cooking safely.”
It’s unclear how many days or challenges each contestant needs to miss before their position in the show is in jeopardy, but Juan reckons it’s a “case-by-case basis”, and anyone who does fall sick will have to pay for it, one way or another.
So, time will tell what Vinnie has to face once he’s recovered.
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