Back to Win Plot
The seventeenth series of the Australian television cooking show MasterChef Australia was announced on 16 September 2024. The series features the same four judges as series 16, namely series 4 winner Andy Allen, food writer Sofia Levin, French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and series 1 runner-up Poh Ling Yeow. Similar to series 12, the 2025 series features a Back to Win concept, with 24 contestants from previous seasons returning for a chance to win the title.
MasterChef Australia Back to Win aired on April 28th, 2025.
Back to Win Episodes
1. Gordon Ramsay's Team Service Challenge
It's back to win and 23 returning contestants are back for another shot at the trophy. Gordon Ramsay greets them to announce that they are splitting into three teams and taking on a service challenge!
2. Keep Up with Gordon Challenge
Gordon Ramsay is in the kitchen to put 8 cooks through a Keeping Up with Challenge. They'll work at record pace to deliver TWO of Gordon's dishes, in a fight for the only immunity pin of the season.
3. Late Night Snack Immunity Challenge
To win immunity and a chance to see their creation added to Gordon Ramsay's new London restaurant's menu at 22 Bishopsgate, they must cook and elevate their favourite late-night snack!
4. Food Journey Elimination Challenge
Inspired by watching an emotional video on their MasterChef journeys, the contestants must cook a dish that represents who they are now. But this will result in the first elimination for the season.
5. Mystery Box: Peter Gilmore
Peter Gilmore has brought a Mystery Box packed with ingredients from his most iconic dishes, which have been responsible for some of the competition's greatest moments of triumph and heart break.
6. The Coffee Caviar Tin: Kirsten Tibballs' Pressure Test
Chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs s the MasterChef kitchen for the very first pressure test of the series. With her toughest recipe yet she challenges the contestants with her Coffee Caviar Tin.
7. Shannon Bennett's 20-Minute Immunity Challenge
Legendary Australian chef, Shannon Bennett, is cooking in the MC kitchen. After his demo, whoever creates the most delicious dish in 20 minutes will win immunity and be safe from Sunday's elimination.
8. Two-Round Elimination Challenge: One Inch Cube
The cooks take part in a one-inch cube taste test in teams. Their elected team leader could land their whole team in an elimination cook.
9. Mystery Fridge Invention Test
Today's mystery box challenge comes with a twist: contestants must select one of the judges' fridges and use whatever is inside to create a dish worthy for a chance at immunity and a grand prize.
10. Immunity Challenge: Curtis Stone
Immunity is up for grabs today. The contestants have one hour to recreate a Curtis Stone dish. But with a twist: they'll have to do it without the recipe!
11. Jean-Christophe's French Service Immunity Challenge
Jean-Christophe leads a French service challenge as teams compete for immunity.
12. Finishing Flair Elimination Challenge
In today's elimination challenge, the contestants have to create a dish with an element of tableside theatre.
13. Wrapped Up Mystery Box Challenge
The MasterChef contestants face off with a mystery box with a wrapped up surprise.
14. Pressure Test: Steven He's Balloon Puppy Cake
Renowned pastry chef Steven He delivers a magical pressure test with his Balloon Puppy Cake.
15. Squire's Landing Pub Service Immunity Challenge
In Sydney, teams compete for immunity in a pub inspired service challenge.
16. Surf and Turf Elimination Challenge with Josh Niland
Seafood extraordinaire Josh Niland is in the kitchen for his own creative take on Surf and Turf. The challenge is to create a modern dish using both meat and seafood and survive elimination.
17. Mystery Box Challenge: Ixta Belfrage
MasterChef welcomes Ixta Belfrage for a debut visit. The chef has brought a Mystery Box with a twist. There is one secret ingredient the contestants will only discover halfway into the cook.
18. Pressure Test: Blayne Bertoncello
Today's pressure test raises the bar with the contestants tasked to recreate guest judge Blayne Bertoncello's highly technical dessert, not once, but in five consistent dishes.
19. Immunity Challenge: Team-relay Challenge
It's the classic MasterChef team-relay challenge where four teams must compete create a savoury dish that uses potatoes in at least two ways.
20. Elimination Challenge: Butter
Twelve MasterChef contestants are faced with a bust of judge Jean-Christophe Novelli made entirely of butter. Fighting for their place in the competition, they must create a dish featuring butter.
21. Mystery Box Challenge: Sooshi Mango
In a heartwarming and hilarious Mystery Box challenge, contestants must cook a dish worthy of a Nonna's table under the watchful eyes of Sooshi Mango, for a shot at immunity.
22. Pressure Test: John Demetrios
The MasterChef contestants face a pressure given by Dessert Master winner John Demetrios. In the hope of winning immunity, they'll have to recreate his Chocolate Meteor.
23. Immunity Challenge: Cold Meats Sandwich
It's viral week and vying for immunity once again, the contestants are challenged to create the ultimate scrollable cold meats sandwich followed by a viral dish mash-up.
24. Elimination Challenge: Andy Cooks
Social media superstar Andy Cooks sets two viral challenges. First, the contestants must create an epic Cheese Pull. In Round Two, the bottom five make a Satisfying Slice. One will be eliminated.
25. Mystery Box Challenge: Lee Kum Kee
Today's mystery box is a head-to-head battle between those fatefully matched with the same Lee Kum Kee sauce to earn their spot in tomorrow's immunity challenge.
26. Pressure Test: Ice Cream
The contestants design their own pressure test inspired by seven different Connoisseur ice cream flavours. The best two will win immunity.
27. Team Service Challenge: Dough
It's Dough-Fest in the MasterChef garden and time for the contestants to test their team work in an epic service challenge. The teams have four hours to cook a dough-based savoury and sweet.
