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CTV’s Beloved Culinary Competition Series MASTERCHEF CANADA Fires Up a New Season with a Special Premiere, October 2

Image for the CTV’s Beloved Culinary Competition Series MASTERCHEF CANADA Fires Up a New Season with a Special Premiere, October 2 press release
CTVMasterChef Canada
– Following the special premiere, MASTERCHEF CANADA moves to Tuesday nights with a repeat serving of the premiere episode on Oct. 7 and new episodes beginning Oct. 14 –
– Judges Mary Berg, Hugh Acheson, and Craig Wong mentor 15 home cooks from across Canada –

Tags: @CTV_PR, @TheLede_CA, @CTV, @MasterChefCDA, #MasterChefCanada

TORONTO (September 18, 2025) – CTV plates a multi-course feast of new episodes of its hit cooking competition series MASTERCHEF CANADA, beginning with a special premiere Thursday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, and streaming next day on Crave. The 11-episode eighth season features an all-new panel of judges that includes Canadian Screen Award-winning host, cookbook author, and Season 3 winner, Mary Berg, who returns to the MASTERCHEF CANADA kitchen alongside internationally acclaimed chef and cookbook author Hugh Acheson, and chef and restauranteur Craig Wong. Together, the judges mentor and challenge the home cooks week to week, critique their dishes, and ultimately declare the winner of MASTERCHEF CANADA. The deal for the new season was brokered by Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment. Following the Oct. 2 special premiere, MASTERCHEF CANADA moves to Tuesday nights, with a second helping of the Season 8 premiere, Oct 7 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, and new episodes beginning Oct. 14 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, and streaming next day on Crave. Season 8 welcomes 15 everyday Canadians from across the country who step into the MasterChef Kitchen to face off in a series of thrilling challenges designed to put their skills to the test in hopes of impressing the judges and winning the MASTERCHEF CANADA title. The 15 home cooks competing for culinary glory are:
  • Andres Araneda, 39
  • Hometown: Regina
  • Occupation: French Immersion Teacher
  • Ashley Treadway, 37
  • Hometown: London, Ont.
  • Occupation: Nurse Practitioner
  • Ayda Asgari, 23
  • Hometown: Montréal
  • Occupation: Civil Engineering Student
  • Bhu Chana, 29
  • Hometown: Calgary
  • Occupation: High School Teacher
  • Cindy Ward, 57
  • Hometown: Kitchener, Ont.
  • Occupation: Serial Entrepreneur
  • Daniel Ebanks, 38
  • Hometown: Winnipeg
  • Occupation: IT Sales
  • Daniel Hébert, 34
  • Hometown: Falmouth, N.S.
  • Occupation: Tech Company Founder
  • Koichi Sato, 36
  • Hometown: Fredericton
  • Occupation: Web Development Project Manager
  • Liz Worndl, 33
  • Hometown: Toronto
  • Occupation: Dentist
  • Marianne Smeaton, 36
  • Hometown: Fort St. John, B.C.
  • Occupation: Mom & Cattle Rancher
  • Paul Harper, 53
  • Hometown: St. Catharines, Ont.
  • Occupation: Pharma Marketing
  • Raynie Stubbs, 34
  • Hometown: Toronto
  • Occupation: Bank Change Consultant
  • Sung Kang, 51
  • Hometown: Burlington, Ont.
  • Occupation: Marketing Consultant
  • Veronica McRae, 45
  • Hometown: Edmonton
  • Occupation: Founder of The Good Place
  • Veronica Wu, 30
  • Hometown: Toronto
  • Occupation: Senior Data Engineering Manager
In the Season 8 premiere, titled “Black Apron Battle” (airing Thursday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, and streaming next day on Crave), the 15 home cooks enter the kitchen for a high-stakes Pressure Test. Those who can handle the heat will secure a white apron, but for the home cooks who don’t manage the pressure, they’ll have to rely on their Signature Dish to secure the remaining coveted white aprons to advance to the next round. All previous seasons of MASTERCHEF CANADA are available for streaming on CTV.ca, the CTV app, and Crave, with previous seasons of the MASTERCHEF franchise also available on CTV.ca and the CTV app. CIBC is helping the winner of MASTERCHEF CANADA realize their dreams with $100,000 dollars. Dempster’s® and Chicken Farmers of Canada join the mix as Challenge Partners for the new season. Represented internationally by Banijay Entertainment, MASTERCHEF is the world’s most successful cookery television format (Guinness World Records) and was crowned Spin-Off Superstar in last year’s K7 report. Now commissioned across 71 markets, the life-changing show has aired over 750 seasons and more than 16,000 episodes to-date. Created by Franc Roddam and first launched in 1990, the super-brand is known and enjoyed across the globe. MASTERCHEF CANADA is produced by MEM in association with CTV. For MEM, Scott McGillivray is CEO, Nanci MacLean is COO, and Marike Emery is Executive Producer. For Bell Media, Rachel Goldstein-Couto is Head of Development, Original Programming; Kelsey-Ann Maria is Production Executive; Danielle Pearson is Senior Production Executive, Original Programming; Sarah Fowlie is Head of Production, Original Programming; Carlyn Klebuc is General Manager, Original Programming; Justin Stockman is Vice-President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media.

Social Media

  • @CTV_PR
  • @TheLede_ca
  • @CTV
  • @MasterChefCDA
  • @CTV
  • @CTV_PR
  • @TheLede_ca
  • @CTV
  • @MasterChefCDA
  • Facebook.com/CTV
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About MEM
Established in 2014, MEM is a leading unscripted television production company, creating highly rated, original content for broadcasters and streamers worldwide. Spanning genres from lifestyle and factual, to reality, competition and true crime, MEM’s content has achieved great success both domestically and internationally, with a robust library distributed across platforms around the globe. MEM’s strong development slate and accelerated investment strategy continue to respond to the rapidly evolving needs of commissioners, fueling expansive growth and reaching dedicated audiences worldwide. MasterChef Canada is produced by MEM. Scott McGillivray is CEO, Nanci MacLean is COO, and Marike Emery is Executive Producer.

 

Banijay Entertainment – Let’s Show the World
Launched in 2008, content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment is home to over 130 production companies across 21 territories and a multi-genre catalogue boasting over 200,000-hours of original standout programming. An innovative creative leader, in 2023, it launched 70+ new scripted titles and 200+ new non-scripted shows and produced 33 formats in more than 3+ territories, making it K7’s Distributor of the Year.

Imagining and delivering high-quality, multi-genre IP that was born locally and travels globally, the business offers the best stories told the best way, and represents some of the biggest global brands in the market including Survivor, Big Brother, Peaky Blinders, MasterChef, Good Luck Guys, Rogue Heroes, Marie Antoinette, Mr Bean, The Summit, Black Mirror, Deal or No Deal Island, and The Fifty among others.

Built on independence, creative freedom, collaborative entrepreneurialism, and commercial acumen, Banijay Entertainment and sister live events business, Banijay Live, operate under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, Marco Bassetti. It is under his leadership the collective businesses have grown to reach €3.3bn in revenues and €494m in EBITDA for 2023.

 

About Bell Media Original Programming
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed English and French original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers and global content powerhouses. Scripted series commissioned by CTV include SULLIVAN’S CROSSING, SIGHT UNSEEN, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING, and ACTING GOOD; with unscripted series THE TRAITORS CANADA, MASTERCHEF CANADA, and record-breaking Canadian format THE AMAZING RACE CANADA; as well as quiz series BATTLE OF THE GENERATIONS. Crave Originals include hit series LETTERKENNY, SHORESY, THE TRADES, LATE BLOOMER, THE OFFICE MOVERS, and CANADA’S DRAG RACE; award-winning drama LITTLE BIRD; docuseries BILLIONNAIRE MURDERS, THUNDER BAY, and THE REBUILD: Inside the Montreal Canadiens; as well as dozens of acclaimed feature documentaries. Bell Media’s factual series and franchises include HIGHWAY THRU HELL, FORENSIC FACTOR, and MY PET ATE WHAT!?. Bell Media also distributes a slate of original scripted and unscripted series, including LATE BLOOMER, THE OFFICE MOVERS, MARK MCKINNEY NEEDS A HOBBY, EVOLVING VEGAN, THE MIGHTIEST, and more. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.

 

About CTV
CTV is Canada’s most-watched broadcaster, providing unparalleled entertainment content across two broadcast networks; streaming on CTV.ca and the CTV app; through a powerful suite of specialty channels with CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, CTV Sci-Fi Channel, CTV Nature Channel, CTV Speed Channel, and CTV Wild Channel; and digital channels CTV Throwback and CTV Movies. CTV also features a wide range of sports and information programming, including CTV News, Canada’s highest-rated national and most-trusted local newscasts. CTV is from Bell Media, Canada’s leading media and entertainment company, with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media.

Contact

Jesse Wanagas

CTV – CTV Life Channel – CTV Comedy Channel – CTV Drama Channel – CTV Sci-Fi Channel

Publicist, CTV Networks

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