We’re getting to the pointy end of MasterChef Australia, with Sunday night’s episode ending in a tense battle between Savindri ‘Sav’ Perera, Harry Butterfield, Josh ‘Pezza’ Perry and Lachlan Whittle for a place in the top six.
While we got to see an epic fan-favourite challenge where contestants were able to bid precious cooking minutes in exchange for coveted ingredients, the way judges Sofia Levin and Andy Allen acted throughout the cook rubbed a bunch of fans the wrong way.
You see, we were all on the edge of our seats when Harry miscalculated, bidding 65 minutes for a delicious red snapper and 30 minutes on an allium basket, leaving him with a ridiculously fast 25 minutes to cook and plate up a winning dish.
Naturally, you’d think that a contestant with such little time on the clock would be left alone to actually focus on the cook, right? Wrong. It’s still a reality TV show, after all!
The MasterChef Australia auction challenge is a firm fan-favourite. (Image: 10)
Both Sofia and Andy headed to Harry’s station during the challenge, and prompted the frazzled chef to talk them through what he was up to.
Over on Reddit, frantic viewers were begging the judges to leave the fan-fave contestant alone.
“THERE’S NO TIME TO DISCUSS WHAT’S THE DISH LEAVE HIM ALONE,” one person furiously typed.
“Fucking Andy leave Harry alone. He’s literally got no time,” another said.
“25 minutes for a cook and the judges want to have a goss,” a third chimed in.
“Come on Harry! And go away judges, he doesn’t have time for this shit!” exclaimed another.
MasterChef Australia’s Harry Butterfield somehow pulls through
Against all odds, Harry still managed to plate up an incredible-looking dish. His red snapper with semolina crumb, shallots, garlic and leeks grilled on hibachi went down a treat and he lives to see another day.
Fans were actually stunned that he had turned what looked like imminent disaster, into triumph.
“I thought ‘Oh gosh, he is never going to prepare and cook a meal in 25 minutes’. He sure pulled that one off and well done Harry,” one person wrote in a Facebook group.
“OMG Harry, you legend… you deserve to win,” another added.
“Yay! Glad Harry is safe,” a third wrote.
The cook reflected on the wild challenge on Instagram, saying that the task at first seemed “impossible” and he was full of “self-doubt”.
“With some clear thinking, solid planning and 25 minutes of intensely hard work I made it through. The power of self belief and not giving up is something that I’m not always able to harness, but I’ll remember this lesson for a while,” he wrote.
“It’s cooks like this that make me believe that I could actually win this.”
Contestant Lachlan Whittle on his elimination
Sadly, the judges decided that Lachy’s lamb kofta with beetroot purée, sweet potato chips, roasted carrots and pickled radish wasn’t enough to keep him safe.
He shared a bittersweet post on Instagram, saying he was still “proud” of what he had created.
“It has been the most exhilarating experience of my life week in week out, cooking, cooking and more cooking. It was a pleasure waking up everyday and coming into the MasterChef Australia kitchen. It felt like a space where I could grow and really push myself like never before,” he said.
“Plenty of opportunities on the outside world and this is only the beginning. The food journey for me starts NOW.”
Awww. This is why MasterChef Australia is considered one of the most wholesome reality shows out there!
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday through to Wednesday at 7:30 pm AEST on Channel 10.
Feature image: Channel 10
