As MasterChef Australia season 14 draws to a close, here are five shocking eliminations that broke our hearts; watch the culinary show now on Disney+ Hotstar 

As the competition for season 14 of MasterChef Australia inches close to the finale, it has been a compelling watch with all the contestants presenting innovative delicacies amid the pressure and chaos.  With each episode, the level of competition has increased exponentially and the stakes have gotten higher. While many root for their favourite contestants, sometimes the results are a shocking surprise. Here are the five most heart-breaking eliminations from season 14 of MasterChef Australia, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. 

Minoli de Silva’s elimination in Wolf-Tasker pressure test  

Minoli was the seventh contestant eliminated from the Masterchef kitchen this season. Minoli, who often went back to her Sri Lankan roots to bring out unique dishes, found it challenging to overcome the Wolf-Tasker pressure test. In a heart-wrenching twist of fate, she was eliminated because her fish was overcooked. Jock commented that her vichyssoise was beautiful but that the other elements of her dish suffered from a lack of time. She cried as she left the kitchen and we cried with her. 

Time Elimination challenge was ended on a bad note for Sashi Cheliah 

Sashi was the winner of Masterchef Australia Season 10 and an audience favourite. He is known for putting an Indian twist on his dishes and whipping up delicious and flavourful creations that wow the judges. It was an absolute shock to everybody when he was eliminated in a challenge where the contestants had a whole night to cook and develop flavour. Unfortunately, Sashi’s fish curry had burned on the bottom. The judges expressed their shock, with Jock asking, “What happened?”. Shashi’s dosa was great, and his fish was perfect but the judges couldn’t ignore the burnt curry. 

Montana Hughes made it to top 10 only to face Khan Nguyen’s pressure test  

Montana was a newcomer to the Masterchef kitchen this season. She was a tenacious presence in the competition, holding her own against Masterchef veterans. Montana made it to the Top 10 of the contestants in season 14 and it was gutting to see her leave. Montana had put up a good dish in the eliminating pressure test but because there were bits of oyster shell in Andy’s serving, she went home on a technicality. Khan Nguyen, the chef who set the pressure test, commented that Montana’s flavours were very close to the original dish. 

Tommy Pham struggled in Three Rounds One Ingredient Elimination challenge

Tommy’s elimination was yet another shocking blow to the competition. He was a light-hearted and energetic chef who made it to the Top 10 on the back of his mouth-watering Asian dishes. His elimination challenge left everyone shattered because it came down to Tommy and Alvin, his good friend and ally in the competition. For Tommy’s dreams to end because he lost a challenge to his friend was a nightmare. It was even more frustrating because Tommy’s dish had almost no problems. Andy remarked that it was a good dish but not Tommy’s best. 

Josh Niland pressure test was the last for Melanie Persson  

Melanie was new to Masterchef, competing against previous season contestants for her spot in the show. She was also a gluten-free cook, using her creativity to come up with gluten-free dishes that stunned the judges. Unfortunately, the pressure test that eliminated her made it necessary for her to cook a dish that had gluten, a dish she couldn’t taste. While her effort was admirable, her fish was slightly overcooked, sending her home on a tough break. Jock said that her sauce had a depth of flavour and clarity but that it was “all downhill from there”.