When season 8 of MasterChef began, 40 chefs entered the competition hoping to make it to the Top 20. Over the course of two episodes, they went straight to work in the kitchen. Gordon Ramsay, Christina Tosi and Aaron Sanchez judged their dishes — and 20 were given a white apron and advanced to the next round.
Only one of these 20 contestants will win the $250,000 grand prize, along with a cookbook deal.
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Meet the Top 20 of MasterChef season 8:
Adam Wong
Hometown: Cambridge, MA
Occupation: Harvard Student
Brien O’Brien
Hometown: Redding, CA
Occupation: Magazine Ad Sales
Caitlin Jones
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Occupation: Dancer
Caitlin (Cate) Meade
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Nutritionist
Daniel Pontes-Macedo
Hometown: Medford, MA
Occupation: Substitute Teacher
Dino Luciano Ignacio
Hometown: Bensonhurst, NY
Occupation: Dancer
Eboni Henry
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Addiction Counselor
Gabriel Lewis
Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
Occupation: Fast Food Server
Heather Dombrosky
Hometown: Miami, FL
Occupation: Registered Nurse
Jason Wang
Hometown: Newton, MA
Occupation: High School Music Teacher
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Jeff Philbin
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Occupation: Marketing Director
Jennifer Williams
Hometown: Chalmette, LA
Occupation: Debt Collector
Jenny Cavellier
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Occupation: Special Needs Therapist
Mark Togni
Hometown: Portland, OR
Occupation: Stay-at-Home Dad
Necco Ceresani
Hometown: Newberry, SC
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Mike Newton
Hometown: Lipan, TX
Occupation: Ranch Owner
Paige Jimenez
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Occupation: Swimsuit Model
Reba Billingsley
Hometown: Carthage, TX
Occupation: Stay-at-Home Mom
Sam Reiff-Pasarew
Hometown: Washington, DC
Occupation: Creative Writing Teacher
Yachecia Holston
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Occupation: Minister
Who are your favorites so far? Do you have any early predictions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
MasterChef airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on FOX. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Images courtesy of FOX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
