Masterchef Junior Season 8: Details We Know So Far

For the past seven seasons, culinary geniuses and food enthusiasts between the ages of 8 and 13 have competed against one another on "Masterchef Junior." 

Following in the tradition of its predecessors like "Masterchef" and "Hell's Kitchen," contestants face past-faced and challenging competitions judged by the top chefs and leaders in the culinary industry, including Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, and Daphne Oz, per Parade.

What sets "Masterchef Junior" apart from other food competition shows is its playfulness. Given the fact that its competitors are so young, the show's judges (even Ramsay!) will often showcase a softer side. The guests that frequent the show, like the Muppets, also clearly display how the series appeals to younger competitors and audiences.

During an interview with Deadline, Ramsay spoke about the importance of the carefree pranks that he endures, like getting pies to the face by the young contestants, and how they help the budding chefs grow more confident in their skills. 

"That's unlike any other program out there, when you're asking them to step up and give you attitude, and then me lowering myself down to their level, whether it's a pie in my face, or sticking them inside a bloody giant milkshake," he said. "It doesn't matter; they need to see me vulnerable, and the minute they saw me vulnerable, it empowered them to become even more uber-confident about what they were doing."

Here's everything we know about Season 8 of "Masterchef Junior" so far.

Season 8 of "Masterchef Junior" is set to premiere on March 17, 2022, on Fox. 

A press release from the network claims that the upcoming season will be the toughest one yet, as it will feature even more unique challenges, including cooking meals to satisfy themes like the Renaissance, WWE, and monster trucks. 

In fact, in one challenge, contestants will have to cook donuts to impress "Masterchef Junior" judge Gordon Ramsay's daughter, Tilly Ramsay. In the season's debut episode, the 16 contestants have to punch through a wall to discover the secret ingredients that they will use to craft their dishes on that episode.

According to the press release, judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, and Daphne Oz will name the final winner of the show, who will earn $100,000 in prize money, a trophy, and the title of Masterchef Junior.

If you need to catch up on other episodes of "Masterchef Junior," the previous seven seasons of the show are available to stream on Hulu.

Similar to other seasons of "Masterchef Junior," Season 8 will feature a well-rounded group of young contestants intent on making their individual mark on the culinary world. 

These contestants include A'Dan, who dreams of opening a vegan restaurant one day; Andrew, who aims to open a hockey-themed establishment as an adult; Ciara, who wants to one day open a bakery that offers classes to children with disabilities; and Ivy, who wants to create a cookbook with recipes based on fashion icons, according to a press release from Fox.

Judge Gordon Ramsay told Deadline that the show's casting process, while fairly straightforward, aims to find those children who have grown up watching the show and truly have a passion for food and cooking.

"This wasn't about finding rich kids and putting them into a circus, and fake out who can become the best," he said. "This, for me, was East meets West, Central, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, finding young kids that were as passionate about food as other kids were at playing football or baseball — kids that have grown up watching the show since the age of four or five and see cooking as their relief, and that little bit of canvas. It's artistic, and it's very important that we give them that kind of freedom."

As mentioned, Aarón Sánchez and Daphne Oz will judge alongside Ramsay.

In February 2022, it was announced that another "Masterchef" spinoff was in the works. As The U.S. Sun reported, the show has teamed up with BBC Three to produce "Young Masterchef," a show dedicated to those up-and-coming chefs between the ages of 18 and 25 in Great Britain. 

Unlike other cooking competition shows, those who apply to compete on the show don't need any cooking experience at all — just a desire to learn more about the art of cooking. The contestants' creations will be judged by a panel of experts who have yet to be announced. 

Gordon Ramsay, a mainstay of the "Masterchef" franchise, was not involved in the development of this latest offering.

"With its focus on the culinary talent of tomorrow, 'Young MasterChef' has all the ingredients to be a big success for us and we can't wait to watch the next generation of food lovers from across the UK cook up a storm on BBC Three," Fiona Campbell, a controller with BBC Three, said in a statement, according to The U.S. Sun.

The series will debut in Great Britain, though the release date has yet to be announced.