MasterChef Canada returns for an eighth season, welcoming some of the country’s best home cooks to compete for bragging rights, and $100,000 cash prize.
Season three winner Mary Berg returns to the series as a judge alongside chefs Hugh Acheson and Craig Wong, with 11 episodes that will test the passion, quality, and ambitions of each home cook.
Earlier this year I sat down with the trio of judges to talk about what it takes to be a great competitor, not to mention a great judge.
“I think [it takes] somebody that is willing to put themselves out there and really influence other cooks,” Wong said about being a judge, “and really be excited about bringing the level of home cooking to that next degree.”
“Everyone has emotional feelings about food,” Berg said, “but seeing someone else’s feelings, and tasting someone else’s stories is a really fun and interesting part of the work.”
“I need to encourage them to do better and, work with them and see what their strengths are be empathetic to their situation and their nerves,” Acheson said. “A lot of people think that the poise to be in front of a camera in a really fractious environment, and then they realize they don’t.”
Watch the full interview above and tune into CTV on October 2, 2025 for the premiere of the new season of MasterChef Canada.
