The entire Winner controversy in Masterchef Season 10, explained

In 2019, Fox and Gordon Ramsay’s MasterChef was hit by one of the most significant controversies the show ever saw.

MasterChef 10 saw Dorian Hunter become the first black woman in the show's history to win the title. The season finale was aired on 18th September 2019. However, many fans already had an inkling of who would win. This was because the winner had already been leaked on Facebook earlier.

While most expected Nick DiGiovanni to win, Hunter achieved the feat in the show’s historic 200th episode. At the same time, fans argued that the show’s past winners had always been bold, daring chefs who were not afraid to take risks. Of course, while Dorian could finish her entire Finale menu before time, Nick had failed to do so.

His final dish, “Beer Pong,” included sea bass and took inspiration from his college life. The Harvard graduate could not prepare the dessert, as he was asked to leave the competition in a surprise elimination mid-cook.

Fans believed Nick DiGiovanni deserved to win MasterChef 10

Throughout the season, Nick impressed viewers with his range of unconventional dishes. One of the youngest chefs on MasterChef 10, he prepared various unique dishes that sometimes even confused the judges. For example, one of Nick’s desserts confused Gordon Ramsay because it was served in a mixing bowl. However, his risks generally paid off, which was also true in the final.

Nick claimed he took inspiration from his college life to create the “Beer Pong” dish. Dorian's main dish included seared sea scallops with cornmeal tuille, sweet corn puree, and pickled Swiss chard as appetizers.

This was followed by an entrée featuring Applewood smoked short rib with potato and horseradish gratin. Dorian Hunter also prepared a lemon blueberry tart with cream cheese filling, toasted meringue, and pecan crust as the dessert. This probed enough to seal the victory.

Dorian and Nick were competing with Sarah Faherty. However, out of the three, fans had a clear choice. Nick DiGiovanni’s innovative cooking and risk-taking ability earned him a large following. While Dorian’s southern home cooking was described as comforting and homely, her dishes lacked the boldness and originality that Nick’s had.

Once the winner was announced, many fans expressed disappointment on social media. People thought that despite his Final performance, Nick had been the superior cook consistently and deserved the award. While Nick got the recognition he deserved, many fans even suggested that the finale had been fixed as the showrunners wanted Dorian Hunter as the winner.

Speaking after the show, Nick had shown no remorse and commented that simply being on MasterChef helped him learn. He claimed that being on the 200th episode of the franchise was historic and compared the achievement to “graduating college.” Nick also claimed that despite losing out, he loved his fellow contestants and only wished the best for everyone.