The MasterChef Australia 2026 Grand Finale put another year of the hit cooking competition to bed.
The majority of fans were overjoyed by the news of Vinnie’s win and firmly believed he deserved the crown, but many others were disappointed with the format of the final challenge, as they felt it should’ve been a “blind tasting” so that the judging was “unbiased”.
“They should do blind tasting in all parts of the final and should not be in the room during the cook,” one fan suggested.
“Might be a lot fairer but I don’t think the producers would give up their right to control the narrative,” another responded.
However, the MasterChef Australia 2026 runner-up Petro spoke to WHO amidst these post-finale accusations, defending the final format and the judge’s talent.
Fans suggest alternative judging line-up after Grand Finale result
If there’s one thing MasterChef fans love, it’s a “blind tasting”, particularly when it comes to a challenge of this scale. Throughout the season, this suggestion was floated numerous times, with viewers overjoyed when the format finally returned to the show for an immunity challenge during Nostalgia Week.
When it came to the Grand Finale, however, blind judging wasn’t all that viewers demanded. Some suggested that a whole new fleet of judges should have been brought in.
“Blind tasting the final dishes is suggested by many,” one fan commented online. “I suggest that the only true way to ensure unbiased judging is to have the final dishes tasted by guest chefs who are not privy to the preparation stages of the competition.
“For the final $250,000 prize event, replace Poh, Sophie and Andy with three internationally recognised chefs. Such chefs make guest appearances during the early stages and bring three back to give qualified, unbiased opinions (blind tasting) at the finale.”
While many users were on board with this idea, long-time fans of the show were less confident.
“This program has been on air for 18 years,” one fan commented on Facebook. “Sure, we as plebeians can think we know better, but it ain’t broke. Don’t fix it.
“Part of the charm is the judges, in part, know what it is like to perform as mere ‘cooks’ and thus creating a true imprint of what the contestants are going through.”
“It would have made no difference last night,” another fan commented, content with the outcome of the finale. “It was just Vinnie’s night.”
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Would blind tasting have changed the MasterChef 2026 outcome?
So, would giving the fans what they wanted, in this instance, have made any difference to the final result? According to runner-up Petro, no.
“Yeah, I think it wouldn’t have made a difference,” he told WHO when asked whether he thought the final challenge should’ve been tasted blind. “I think it is what it is.
“I think everything was judged fairly. So yeah, I don’t really think about that too much.”
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