Communication Breaks Down And Teammates Become Rivals on MASTERCHEF CANADA: BACK TO WIN

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede “Surf and Turf” became “Surf and Turfed” for one unlucky competitor in a new episode of MASTERCHEF CANADA: BACK TO WIN that aired Sunday, April 11 on CTV, and is available for catch-up on the all-new CTV.ca and CTV app. The six remaining cooks were divided into three duos for an intense tag-team challenge, in which a complex seafood platter had to be replicated. Then, the losing twosome went from being teammates to being rivals for a meaty head-to-head beef battle. Ironically, the key moment in an episode that was so focused on “Surf and Turf” wasn’t technically related to either of those things. SPOILER ALERT: Details about who was eliminated are going to be discussed. Carrying over an advantage he earned in the previous week, Andrew Al-Khouri got to pick the teams for the seafood challenge. He chose to partner with his East Coast buddy Andy Hay, and placed Mai Nguyen with Christopher Siu, and Jeremy Senaris with Thea Vanherwaarden. As Andrew explained, having identified Jeremy as his biggest threat, pairing him with Thea – who has a shellfish allergy – might be a clever way to put Jeremy in danger of departure. Jeremy and Thea definitely had trouble, with Jeremy trying to do too much, and then not communicating effectively with Thea, who understandably became frustrated. Their platter was missing many elements, so it was no surprise to anyone – including themselves – that they finished last. Now pitted against each other with elimination on the line, Jeremy and Thea each had to prepare steak tartare, and steak au poivre. The judges decided the steak tartare was too close to call, so they hung their decision on the steak au poivre – which was horrible news for Jeremy, a private chef from Winnipeg. Jeremy lamented that when he had turned away from the oven for 10 seconds, his sauce split – and that unsightliness on the plate was enough to send him home. With another new episode of MASTERCHEF CANADA: BACK TO WIN coming up on Sunday, April 18, at 9 p.m. ET on CTV, here’s what Jeremy had to say about having to “split.” Q: What were the main reasons you decided to return to the MASTERCHEF CANADA Kitchen? Did you want to prove something to yourself, or to others? JEREMY: “I came back to the MASTERCHEF CANADA Kitchen to show everyone how much I have improved over the years.” Q: Having gone through two gruelling seasons, what’s the hardest part about competing on MASTERCHEF CANADA? JEREMY: “The hardest part is being able to be creative on the fly in a matter of 60 minutes. To be original is key.” Q: Chef Michael Bonacini admitted the judges were “shocked” that you were the one heading home this week. What do you consider to be the main thing you could have done differently? JEREMY: “NOTHING. I represented myself, my city, Filipino culture, and Filipino food. I wouldn’t change a damn thing.” Q: Which of your competitors this season impressed you the most, and why? JEREMY: “Mai and Andre (Bhagwandat). They stay true to their style and flavours, and they’re amazing chefs, in my opinion – but obviously, everyone was amazing this season.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv