MasterChef Season 12 Release Date, Cast, And More Information

After more than a decade of cooking up fierce battles, Fox's "MasterChef" has become one of the most popular culinary shows on television. The show has garnered a huge following with viewers tuning in week after week to watch their favorite contestants create dishes and master culinary techniques from some of the best chefs in the world.

The one chef who rises up to the challenges — and fierce and meme-able critiques from Gordon Ramsay and the rest of the judging panel — does not only get a boatload of cash, but also recognition for their future endeavors. Screen Rant notes that previous winners and contestants have experienced a lot of success, including releasing books, opening restaurants, and hosting their own shows.

Fox capitalized on the success of "MasterChef" and switched things up for Season 11, inviting dozens of culinary legends to appear on the show, and give their expertise. Aptly titled, "MasterChef: Legends," the show featured "all new challenges" in order to "raise the 'steaks' of the competition," per Fox. The show premiered in June 2021 and crowned the winner in September, but there's more life to "MasterChef." Here's everything we know about the upcoming 12th season so far.

Fans will be happy to learn that "MasterChef" won't be going anywhere any time soon as Fox announced an early renewal for the show back in August 2021. Per The Futon Critic, Rob Wade, Fox Entertainment's President of Alternative Entertainment and Specials, lauded the show for its consistency.

"'MASTERCHEF,' Gordon, Aarón and Joe, and our fantastic partners at ESNA, have been vital to FOX's DNA," Wade said in a statement. "Even in its eleventh season, this show continues to impress by sustaining FOX's success on Wednesdays this Summer. We anticipate this momentum to continue next year when 'MASTERCHEF' returns for a much deserved Season 12."

Wade didn't confirm a release date for the series, but judging by previous season's release dates, viewers can expect Gordon Ramsay and the crew to be back in Summer 2022. However, there is a chance that production might be delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Season 11 was forced to shut down production for seven months at the height of the coronavirus lockdowns, according to Deadline.

Considering that "MasterChef" Season 12 is currently in production, there is no news about who will be featured on the show when it returns in the summer. What we do know is that the trio of judges — Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, Joe Bastianich — will return. Ramsay, of course, created the show and is literally the face of it. Meanwhile, Sanchez was a relatively new addition to the panel, per Parade, first appearing as a guest judge before he got the permanent gig in Season 8. Bastianich was one of the original judges on the show, but left the show briefly in 2014. He returned as a permanent judge, replacing Christina Tosi in Season 9, per IMDb.

Although not much is known about the contestants set to appear on Season 12 of "MasterChef," the show has had a good track record of creating culinary stars. Per Screen Rant, notable winners of previous seasons include Christine Ha, who crafted mouth-watering dishes despite being blind; Claudia Sandoval, who wowed judges with her Mexican dishes; and Dorian Hunter, a mom turned chef who didn't take "no" for an answer.

With production currently in progress, audiences can expect to fall in love with a new crop of contestants when the show premieres later this summer.

Fans who tune into "MasterChef" would notice that Gordon Ramsay takes no prisoners when it comes to his critiques — and that's by design. In an interview with Fanbolt in 2010, Ramsay said he prefers to be serious because it emulates the pressure real chefs are under in the kitchen. "Cooking is about passion, so it may look slightly temperamental in a way that it's too assertive to the naked eye," he explained. "But, more importantly, it's a kitchen and it needs that kind of constant pressure."

Ramsay described the "MasterChef" kitchen as a sort of pressure cooker, where perfection is less important than whether the chef is able to rise up to the task. "For me, I want it right," Ramsay added. "A laid back atmosphere with a laid back contestant doesn't really produce a great sparkle." The chef continued, "And when you push these individuals to that level of pressure they get to gauge what it's like to cook under pressure, but more importantly, they understand a lot about themselves."

Contestants who are currently filming the show are possibly experiencing Ramsay's wrath right now. Viewers will have to see how they hold up in Season 12.