MasterChef Australia star Jackie had fans very stressed for her on Tuesday night after ending up in the bottom four after cooking a “confused” South Korean-Italian fusion dish for the judges. This also came just one day after she elected not to use her Immunity Pin, which she won last week, a decision that backfired when she baked a miso and pumpkin cake that wasn’t up to scratch with the judges.
While Jackie made it through Monday night’s episode safe, she was a little too close to elimination for her fans’ liking. And now they’re begging her to use that Immunity Pin to avoid being sent home on Wednesday night.
MasterChef fans beg Jackie to use her immunity pin
Jackie joked on Instagram on Tuesday night that by messing up the cook, she ended up “cooking” herself in the process. But fans aren’t having a laugh, and are begging the chef to use the immunity pin, with some saying her cooks have been “inconsistent” and it’s stressing them out.
“I think Jackie should play her pin tomorrow and get it over with,” one Reddit user wrote. “It’s clearly f***ing with her mind and that’s the last thing she needs right now.”
“Honestly done rooting for Jackie, the inconsistency is baffling,” another added, with others saying Vinnie has also struggled with this.
“Jackie started off so strong,” a third said. “I’m upset for her.”
Some fans have suggested that Jackie is unlikely to use her pin if the dish she needs to cook tonight is a dessert; however, after seeing the previews, one fan responded that the dish is Chou Farci, a savoury stuffed cabbage dish.
“I think Jackie should use the pin regardless of the dish. She needs to take a step back and reset,” they said.
Will Jackie use her immunity pin or be eliminated?
Jackie will need to decide whether to use her immunity pin BEFORE the cook on Wednesday night.
This is, of course, thanks to the new 2026 rules, which require contestants to use their immunity pin, if they have one, before attempting the cook, unlike in previous years, when they could participate in the challenge and then use the pin at any time before the buzzer went off.
It’s a tough choice to make, and if Jackie does elect to cook tomorrow and then gets sent home, she will be one of just four MasterChef contestants to be eliminated with their immunity pins still in play – the ultimate reality TV tragedy!!
And fans are scared that this is exactly what will happen, with one fan even writing on X: “Jackie in danger of joining the infamous list of those who got eliminated without using their pin!”
However, another replied with a spoiler saying that she must make it through because she was seen in early previews high-fiving Robert Irwin, who is yet to appear on the show.
Which MasterChef contestants have been eliminated with immunity pins?
There have only been three MasterChef Australia contestants in the history of the show who have been eliminated while still holding their immunity pins.
They are:
Loki Madireddi – Season 10, 2018
Loki was the first person to be sent home with his immunity pin after choosing not to use it, because it was a team challenge, and he wanted to be a team player.
At the time, he told TV Week, “I definitely do not regret not using the pin. I’m so proud of myself.”
“It’s not about winning MasterChef, it’s about who you become.”
Dani Venn – Season 12, 2020
Dani appeared on a Back to Win season and told Now to Love that she didn’t regret not using the pin, but she did regret not cooking a good dish.
“I still stand by my decision to not use the pin at that point in the competition,” she said. “If I’d gotten through it would’ve been more helpful at the pointy end!”
Therese Lum – Season 13, 2021
Therese, the Dessert Queen of her season, told New Idea at the time, “Going home where I do have a safety net to save myself is definitely one of the hardest things that has happened.”
“It’s such a blessing to have the Immunity Pin but you also want to use it at the right time and that’s what I did, I really wanted to hold onto it until the competition gets to the pointy end and not too early on.”
She added that she’d had a “good run”, which is why she could get away without playing the pin.
So, while each of these contestants seems to have taken away a valuable lesson from their mishaps (not to mention, some very classy attitudes!), being a member of this rather exclusive, three-person club is definitely something you want to avoid – so let’s hope Jackie makes the right choice!
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
