MasterChef fans hate seeing their favourite contestants eliminated from the show, but absolutely love it when they get the chance to return later in the competition.
Because the 2025 season was a traditional Back to Win season, we haven’t seen a second-chance comeback since 2024. It doesn’t happen every year, but fans are hoping it happens this season.
One fan took to Reddit, questioning who other viewers would love to see return to the show now that we’re close to the halfway mark of the season.
“I know he only left last week, but Miin!” one person responded, while another wrote, “Miin and Lydia. I’d be really happy to see either of them return.”
“Bella! While I love Miin and Lydia I really do feel they showed their potential with the time they had on the show,” a third said. “Bella on the other hand did not, she still has a lot more to give.”
Though not everyone was keen to see contestants get another chance, with one person writing, “None. I don’t like this mechanic where someone gets to come back.
“If a person was eliminated, it’s unfair to the people who weren’t. For me, either everyone gets a second chance, or no one does.”
Stephen Dennis reveals the nerve-wracking reality of returning to MasterChef
Someone who knows the feeling all too well is Stephen Dennis, who appeared in the 2024 season of MasterChef and was given the opportunity to return to the show.
He explains how it all works, telling WHO, “From my experience, I got about a week’s notice before the comeback cook. It wasn’t a huge amount of time, but it was enough to start thinking about what I wanted to showcase if I got another chance in the MasterChef kitchen.
“The reality is that once you’ve left the competition, you’re back in the real world, so getting that call can be both exciting and nerve-racking.”
Stephen adds that he believes these episodes work so well “because everyone loves a second chance story”.
“Fans have spent weeks getting to know the contestants and often feel there are cooks who left before they had the opportunity to really show their full potential,” he shares.
“A comeback cook gives both the contestants and the audience that opportunity. It creates great emotion, high stakes, and some incredible cooking because everyone knows exactly what’s on the line I did and would love the opportunity to share what I can do now.”
While it’s not yet known whether we’ll see a comeback this season, Stephen shared some advice for anyone hoping to return to the competition.
“Don’t treat your elimination as the end of the journey,” the chef explains. “Keep learning, keep practising, and keep developing your own style of food like I have. I just did an amazing dinner for 140 of the best Western Downs producers using just their products and my own recipes, it’s one of my biggest dreams.
“If the opportunity comes, walk back into that kitchen ready to show how much you’ve grown. Most importantly, be yourself and cook the food that tells your story. That’s usually when your best dishes come out.”
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