MasterChef Australia still has some surprises up its sleeve, with a few highly anticipated guest judges yet to appear. However, now at the tail end of the season, the Grand Finale is well and truly on the horizon, with a $250,000 cash prize up for grabs between the two remaining contestants.
This season of MasterChef has been a wild one, with celebrity guests ranging from Aussie icons like Robert Irwin to MasterChef staples like Curtis Stone making surprise appearances. Even the Duchess of Sussex (and Prince Harry on FaceTime) made a royal entrance!
There have also been some formatting changes this year that have sent fans both spiralling and cheering.
While we don’t want to imagine a world without MasterChef on our screens four nights a week, now that the Top 2 contestants have been decided, the end is less than a week away.
Here’s everything we know about the MasterChef Australia 2026 finale…
When is the MasterChef Australia 2026 finale?
The MasterChef Australia 2026 finale will air on Sunday, August 9, at 7 pm on Channel 10 and 10 Streaming.
Who is in the MasterChef Australia 2026 Grand Finale?
The Top 2 contestants in the MasterChef Australia Grand Finale are Petro and Vinnie after Aaron was eliminated in a high-stakes semi-final service challenge on Monday, August 3.
As the competition neared its end, the Top 2 contestants spoke to WHO about their strategy.
“Honestly, my strategy going in was to keep a level head, stay focused and calm, but most of all just have fun,” Vinnie said. “We’ve all been cooking here for so long. We’ve all had ups and downs.
“You cook the best food when you’re enjoying yourself and that’s what I wanted to do.”
For Petro, his focus was to “to try and keep calm and enjoy the experience”.
What can we expect from the MasterChef Australia finale?
In the show’s final showdown, Vinnie and Petro will go head-to-head in two challenges: a Mystery Box challenge and a pressure test.
In the first challenge, the contestants will have 75 minutes to create a dish that celebrates the guest judges who have appeared throughout the season.
After this, Vinnie and Petro will have five hours to replicate internationally renowned pastry chef Cherish Finden’s extravagant Chinese Afternoon Tea.
What were the changes to MasterChef Australia 2026?
Since this season premiered, fans have had their fair share of gripes, from the introduction of more ‘social media influencer’ guest judges causing upset to hygiene complaints or budget cut accusations.
However, MasterChef judge Andy Allen, former MasterChef stars and a spokesperson from Channel 10 have responded to these complaints, defending the format changes and the success it has achieved for one of Australia’s much-loved shows.
“MasterChef Australia has served up success again this year, with Season 18 reaching its biggest total national audience since 2022,” a 10 spokesperson told WHO. “In addition to welcoming worldclass guest judges like Robert Irwin, Jimmy and Jane Barnes, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, this season of MasterChef brings back some fan favourite formats, including a return to Top 40 on-camera auditions, Invention Tests, and Beat The Chef.”
These fan favourite formats received an incredible response from fans, most notably the blind tasting challenge and service challenges.
In defence of the changes to guest appearances this year, Allen told WHO that each season being “beautifully different” is what the show is all about.
“It’s not just your three Michelin star chefs that come in to create a, you know, six-hour pressure test. Yes, there’s still, you know, those amazing Australian chefs that come in and really test out our contestants,” Allen said. “But we’ve kind of lent in to like this kind of undeniable thing that is social media, which is where a lot of people view their content, especially food content these days.”
“It’s same, same but beautifully different. You know, going back to fresh faces and newbies, and after having a year of returning contestants last year, that has been amazing – it’s what MasterChef is all about, in my opinion.”
If the success of the highly anticipated appearance of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is anything to show for these changes, it’s safe to say MasterChef still knows what it’s doing.
When do MasterChef Australia episodes air?
This season premiered on Sunday, April 19, 2026, and has been airing four nights a week from Sunday to Wednesday.
MasterChef Australia is available to watch on Channel 10 and 10 Play.
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