Masterchef Australia is set to return for 2025, and all four judges from last season are back in the kitchen. We’re so keen to see the comebacks of some fan-favourite contestants in the 2025 season of MasterChef: Back to Win!
Overseeing the competition are judges Andy Allen, the iconic Poh Ling-Yeow, multi-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and esteemed food critic Sofia Levin.
The current judging panel came together in 2024, following the tragic loss of beloved judge Jock Zonfrillo and the departure of Melissa Leong, who went on to lend her culinary smarts to Dessert Masters.
After a stellar first run together in 2024, we’re excited to see the judges reunite to fire up the kitchen and crown Australia’s next culinary star. Here’s everything you need to know about the judges behind MasterChef Australia 2025.
Andy Allen
Andy is a true MasterChef success story. After winning season four back in 2012, the former sparky swapped tools for tongs and carved out a celebrated culinary career.
Post-win, Andy teamed up with the crew at Three Blue Ducks, eventually becoming co-owner of the hugely popular restaurant group.
In 2018, he made MasterChef history as the first former contestant to be awarded a chef’s hat. He later returned to the show in 2020, this time stepping into a judging role.
From cookbooks and TV shows to co-founding the low-carb Aussie beer, Travla, Andy’s built a food empire while staying true to his roots. Now, he’s back to help write the next chapter in MasterChef history.
Poh Ling-Yeow
A fan favourite since finishing runner-up in the show’s very first season, Poh’s vibrant personality and imaginative dishes have made her one of Australia’s most beloved culinary figures.
Born in Malaysia and raised in Adelaide, Poh’s journey has spanned everything from fine art to food TV. She’s hosted multiple cooking series, written five cookbooks, and become a familiar face on screens across the country.
Her food is as colourful and curious as her artistic background, with a love for Malaysian-Chinese cuisine that’s always been central to her culinary identity.
Poh doesn’t call herself a chef – she’s a proud home cook who champions culture, sustainability, and being bold in the kitchen.
Jean-Christophe Novelli
MasterChef’s resident French flair, Jean-Christophe is a global culinary icon. The chef boasts four Michelin stars to his name and a string of accolades including the AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year UK.
Starting out in a bakery at 14, he was Head Chef to the Rothschild family by 20. Since then, he’s run high-end restaurants across the world and launched the award-winning Novelli Academy in the UK — one of the top 25 cookery schools globally.
MasterChef Australia isn’t Jean-Christophe’s first time on screen, either. He’s racked up an impressive list of TV credits, including Hell’s Kitchen, Celebrity Hunted UK, and Chef Academy.
Sofia Levin
A Melbourne-based journalist and food explorer, Sofia has made it her mission to spotlight underrepresented cuisines and cultures through storytelling and eating curiously.
Her writing and reviews have been featured in Good Food, Gourmet Traveller, The Guardian, and even National Geographic Traveller. She’s also made her mark as a TV presenter, event host, and radio commentator.
In 2020, she launched her platform Seasoned Traveller, which champions the power of food to connect people across cultures. She’s also the force behind the #EatCuriously movement – encouraging Aussies to get out of their culinary comfort zones.
