According to TV Week, in the first week of season 9, Monday to Wednesday is the auditions and Thursday is the top 24 cooking challenge and elimination.
I donât watch the audition eps, I only start watching after the top 24 have been decided
I wish theyâd do away with the audition eps. They are always so awful. I guess theyâve cut them back to the bare minimum to still pretend to us that everyone there is on a wholesome food journey, starting at the very beginning. So pathetic.
Will they levitate the ball? Zumbo did on that terrible Wonka show on Seven.
As are your comments!
Oh, you must be arguing that theyâre great then. Funny that theyâve been cut back to a minimum then - perhaps youâre in a minority?
Posters have begun appearing on buses and taxis across Melbourne promoting the new season. These ads donât mention air times so Ten can be flexible with its scheduling.
###Network Ten Announces MasterChef Australia 2017 Sponsors.
Coles, Harvey Norman, Devondale, Mondelez International, Cobram Estate, IKEA Join New Season.
Network Ten today announced the sponsors for MasterChef Australia 2017, which premieres Monday, 1 May at 7.30pm on TEN.
The new, ninth season, which promises to be the most extraordinary ever, is backed by some of the biggest companies in Australia, including returning principal partner Coles, plus Harvey Norman, Devondale, Mondelez International, Cobram Estate and IKEA.
Other partners include Swisse Wellness, Qantas, Diageo, SPC, Mazda and Reckitt Benckiser.
Network Ten Executive General Manager, Revenue and Client Partnerships, Rod Prosser, said: âMasterChef Australia continues to be one of the most engaging, aspirational and brand-safe television series in the country, which is why advertisers flock to it year after year. Once again we have a fantastic suite of sponsors who will integrate their products into a show which is now seen in over 150 countries.
âIâm looking forward to watching another year of ordinary people cooking the most extraordinary food and seeing our partnersâ brands come to life in a must-watch show thatâs a true multi-screen hit.â
Tania Jones, Content and Brand Partnerships Director at Multi Channel Network, said: âMasterChef Australia has established itself as one of Australiaâs most iconic shows, with a much-loved cast who never fail to deliver the emotional highs and lows that make this unmissable television. The fantastic take-up from sponsors for the 2017 series is testament to the strength of the format and the enduring appetite for cooking shows among Australian audiences and brands.
âMasterChef Australia delivered powerful returns for brand partners in 2016 and we are thrilled to welcome back so many of our long-term partners and introduce a number of exciting new brands, which is an outstanding result from our partnerships team. We look forward to delighting audiences with some innovative campaigns throughout the next series.â
Coles Chief Customer Officer, Simon McDowell, said: âColes is excited to partner withMasterChef Australia for the ninth year running to supply the food for the MasterChef Australia pantry. Weâre proud of the Australian meat and fresh produce we offer at Coles, and look forward to watching the contestants create masterpieces using quality Aussie ingredients in their dishes.
âItâs wonderful to be a part of a program that showcases every day Australians in their element making extraordinary food, and inspires viewers at home to take risks and try new delicious creations for themselves and their families.â
Cobram Estate CEO, Rob McGavin, said: âWe are incredibly proud to be partnering with MasterChef Australia in their ninth season. MasterChef Australia has been at the forefront of inspiring and shaping Australiaâs culinary appetite and we are so thrilled to be providing the contestants with our award-winning Australian Extra Virgin olive oil. We look forward to watching the contestants follow their dreams in becoming the next Australian MasterChef.â
Harvey Norman Home Appliances General Manager, Haydon Myers, said: âHarvey Norman are proud partners of the program that got Australia cooking â MasterChef Australia. Never before have more Australians of all ages been more engaged with food and time spent in the kitchen cooking, made all the easier with the great innovations now available in kitchen appliances.â
Devondale General Manager Marketing & R&D, Peter Gardner, said: âDevondale is delighted to be partnering with MasterChef Australia again in 2017. Our co-operative farmers deliver milk with care and passion which is used to create high quality dairy foods. MasterChef Australia contestants show the same devotion to taste in the kitchen â so weâre always proud to see them pull a Devondale product from the fridge and transform it into something even more special.â
IKEA National External Communications and Media Manager, Peter Moore, said: âWe are proud to be supporting MasterChef Australia for a second year. The program strongly aligns with the IKEA vision to create a better everyday life for people, which is true both for the contestants and everyday cooks in their homes, though our functional, well-designed products, at truly affordable prices.
âWe believe you donât need to spend a lot to cook and plate up like a MasterChef, whether you are a proud contestant of a winning dish, or enjoying family time together when serving up a quick mid-week meal. Itâs these genuine happiness moments we love to be a part of.â
Mondelez International Associate Director Chocolate, Paul Chatfield, said: âWeâre delighted to be partnering with MasterChef Australia this season for the launch of Cadbury Dark Milk. Itâs a natural fit for Cadbury Dark Milk, as both brands offer Australians a unique and special experience. We canât wait for this yearâs season to commence!â
The much-loved judges â Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston â are back, along with celebrated chef Shannon Bennett as guest mentor.
Season nine also boasts some of Australiaâs and the worldâs best chefs including the master of Middle Eastern cuisine Yotam Ottolenghi, Heston Blumenthal, Maggie Beer, Anna Polyviou, Curtis Stone, Ben Shewry and David Thompson, to name just a few.
MasterChef Australia. Ordinary People. Extraordinary Food. Premieres Monday, 1 May At 7.30pm. On TEN.
Last yearâs broadcast sponsors were Coles, Harvey Norman, Swisse Wellness, IKEA, Devondale, ANZ and Qantas. So the producers retained all but ANZ, while gaining new sponsors in Mondelez, SPC, Mazda and RB. Cobram Estate and Diageo already provide products for cooking challenges (Matt Preston also featured in Diageoâs cocktails ads during last season).
Massive sponsors, including Cadbury this year (I was right about Mondelez).
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They did lose ANZ.
Despite being one of Australiaâs biggest companies & MasterChef dominating 25-54s, perhaps it wasnât the best fit for them?
I mean cooking reality & a bank?
MasterChef kicks off 2017 season with advice for rival My Kitchen Rules
âWeâre friends with Pete and Manu and the truth is, would I go and do that show â no,â Calombaris says.
âWe donât let contestants bicker among each other on MasterChef Australia. There is none of that. We know that if they are supportive of each other the food will be good.â
But they are completely different shows. Unfortunately MKR is that type of show. We donât want shows that are exactly the same anyway.
I hope I am 
I donât like being part of the mob and my viewing has nothing to do with ratings. I like ALL of Masterchef, if you donât like it, donât watch, simple.
OK, if for the simple fact that no mob watching = no ratings = no MasterChef. So maybe you wonât be watching it soon, either. 
Oh puh-lease - Iâm sure Pete and Manu (and everyone associated with MKR) would have a word to say regarding whether they would âgo and doâ work at one of Calombarisâ restaurants.
So pleased itâs 2017 MANY ways of watching TV (streaming etc) and I donât have to depend on ratings to choose what I watch. BUT Masterchef will rate! Itâs a good program with good judges and contestants unlike 7âs contribution to the cooking genre.
Last yearâs winner Elena Duggan will do a live chat on MasterChefâs Facebook page tomorrow (Friday) at 1.30pm AEST.
Didnât the first couple of weeks last year struggle against The Voice (800-900k vs. 1.4m)?
House Rules started even worse, first or second ep had under 700k?
House Rules had episodes 2 and 3 on a Thursday last year rating 686,000 and 542,000. The reveal episodes on Sunday did the best.
MasterChefâs lowest results were always on a Sunday with most suggesting its 7.30 start time was the cause.