Novelli Leads Masterchef Australia 2026 Top 24 After 40 Auditions
masterchef australia 2026 has its official top 24 after 40 shortlisted home cooks were cut down in the return of auditions. Jean-Christophe Novelli said the process mattered because it showed the competition before polish set in.
The judges — Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Novelli — tasted dishes from each of the 40 before choosing the final cast. That leaves the season built entirely from newcomers, with the first episodes already filmed.
Novelli on the audition room
Novelli put the audition phase at the center of the season. “This year, the level of execution was epic from day one,” he said, adding, “The auditions are essential, absolutely,” and, “This is where we see the raw passion before any refinement.”
He also described the room as messy in the way early competition should be. “There are nerves, excitement, sometimes a little chaos, but it is real, it is honest,” he said. For a franchise built on kitchen pressure, that is the useful part: the cast has already been tested before the season proper begins.
40 cooks, 24 places
The field started at 40 passionate home cooks selected after a rigorous application process. Those contestants were filmed through the first few episodes before the judges narrowed the list to 24, setting the lineup that will carry the 2026 season.
That smaller cast matters because it turns the audition run into a filter, not a formality. Only the cooks who could hold up in front of Allen, Poh, Levin and Novelli made it through, which means the season opens with a group already proven under pressure.
Vinnie, Petro and Grace
Among the names in the cast are Vinnie, Petro, Pat, Olaolu, Miin, Megs Steel and Grace. Vinnie grew up in a big Italian family, works as a nurse and dreams of opening a small panini shop called “Vinnie’s Panini’s” where everything is made from scratch.
Petro cooks with Greek and Mediterranean flavours learned from his mum Georgia and grandmothers Sophia and Christina. Pat, a council worker, opened a pop up burger shop during COVID that often sold out, while Olaolu, born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, wants to showcase Nigerian flavours in the kitchen. Miin, who grew up in Penang, Malaysia, hopes to create sauces and pastes for everyday Aussies to make traditional Malaysian dishes, and Megs Steel brings a background in HR consulting and a long connection to Jamie Oliver.
Grace adds another family story: her parents co-owned a Melbourne restaurant with chef Karen Martini, and she remembers being let into the kitchen as a child to make pizzas and taste sorbet. The cast now reflects a wide spread of home kitchens, restaurant exposure and career paths, which should give the season more range than a simple talent search usually delivers.
