You are all watching the wrong MasterChef - but it's time to change it and put MasterChef Australia on

• MasterChef is back and it is under a dark cloud.
• The latest series has been marred by controversy around the hosts.
• It is the perfect time to swap the UK show for MasterChef Australia.

There is something extremely soothing about watching a cooking show. We all have our own preferences and quirks when it comes to which one exactly to flick on.

Not only do they often foster an easy routine, with numerous episodes per week, but can also inspire you to get in the kitchen yourself. MasterChef UK has long been a national favourite, running for multiple decades now.

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The latest season, however, has been marred by controversy. It arrived later than usual and came after both hosts were sacked following internal BBC investigations.

The broadcaster called it ‘not an easy decision’ to air the episodes, which were filmed last year, but wanted to showcase the amateur cooks who had put their blood, sweat and tears into the show.

If you are feeling uncomfortable watching the latest season, but want to scratch that itch, boy, do I have the answer for you. Let me explain:

You are watching the wrong MasterChef

It might seem like there are only a couple of options when it comes to watching MasterChef in Britain. You’ve got your regular season on the BBC, MasterChef: The Professionals, and then the Celebrity version.

However, you might have been missing out on the best version of the show all these years. Just like any popular TV franchise, MasterChef has regional editions across the globe.

For my money, the very best of these is MasterChef Australia. I first stumbled across it back when season one was on W or Watch or whichever name it had at the time more than a decade ago.

It has been a near present in my life ever since, baring a few years when I was at university and first started work. Its 17th series has started on U&W, as the channel is called these days, and it is already thoroughly excellent.

MasterChef Australia has pretty long seasons with around 50 episodes each year. It means you get lots of time to grow close to the contestants and unlike MasterChef UK, it doesn’t run into the problem of introducing new amateurs each and every week for most of its run.

The 24 contestants remain the same and are slowly eliminated over the weeks, but you get to spend serious time with them. Learn all their cooking quirks and see them grow, often episode-by-episode.

It also helps that the judges are wonderful. From the original group, who left after the season in 2019, to the trio of Mel, Jock and Andy - sadly torn apart by Jock’s tragic death.

Somehow, they have once again managed to assemble a third incredible panel of judges. Hearing Jean-Christophe do his signature ‘fan-tas-tic’ will never get old.

MasterChef Australia is like a warm hug and a comforting bowl of soup, which you get to enjoy every day week-after-week.

It is on U&W channel on TV, but if you download the U app you can watch episodes on catch-up. Although you will find yourself repeating the Laithwaite’s commercials pretty quickly…

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