‘Stop The Clock!’ Competitors on MASTERCHEF CANADA: BACK TO WIN Deal With More in Episode Four

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Competitors on MASTERCHEF CANADA: BACK TO WIN were served a side dish of panic in a new episode that aired Sunday, March 14 on CTV, and is available for catch-up on the all-new CTV.ca and CTV app. In the midst of preparing a main course, three home cooks facing elimination were startled by the sound of Chef Alvin Leung yelling, “stop the clock!” What happened? Technical difficulties? Cleanup required? Wardrobe malfunction? As it turned out, an extra task was suddenly and unexpectedly added to the mix: a side dish was now required, in addition to the main course. Those who could master impromptu multi-tasking survived, while one cook overdid it just slightly, and was shown the door. SPOILER ALERT: Details about who was eliminated are going to be discussed. The first part of the episode set up some hard feelings that could come into play later this season. It had already been determined that the previous week’s losing team – Mai Nguyen, Andrew Al-Khouri, Jen Jenkins, Andre Bhagwandat, and Barrie McConachie – would have to compete in this week’s Pressure Test. The twist was that one member of the winning team would participate as well, and it was up to winning captain Jeremy Senaris to choose who it would be. He chose Andy Hay, and Andy didn’t like it – why would he? It was then up to Andy to choose the matchups for head-to-head showdowns. Andy personally picked Barrie to compete against, and Barrie didn’t like it – why would he? But Barrie had the last laugh by defeating Andy, while Mai edged Andre, and Andrew bested Jen. As Andy, Andre, and Jen subsequently were fighting for their lives, that’s when the surprise side dish was tossed at them. Jen – a culinary student from Niagara Falls, Ont. – had decided to prepare rabbit for her main dish, but Chef Michael Bonacini deemed it to be a tad overcooked. The margins were tight, and that minor error was enough to send Jen home. With another new episode of MASTERCHEF CANADA: BACK TO WIN airing on Sunday, March 21, at 9 p.m. ET, here’s what Jen had to say about her experience on the show: Q: You said in the episode that being invited back to MASTERCHEF CANADA was “a validation I didn’t know I needed.” Can you elaborate on that? JEN: “Being invited back to MASTERCHEF CANADA gave me validation in the fact that people believe in me, even when I don’t believe in myself. When I am pushed to a level of expectation that they know I have in me, and I succeed at it, it makes me take a look inward and perhaps give myself more grace, more compassion, more love. Sometimes it’s hard to believe what other people see in us, but sometimes you prevail, and begin to believe it yourself.” Q: What was going through your mind when Chef Alvin Leung screamed, “stop the clock,” and they suddenly added a side dish to what you already were preparing? JEN: “My heart stopped! I already was feeling overwhelmed, and now adding another component to the Pressure Test? I just knew I had to come up with something quick!” Q: Do you think there’s anything you could have done differently? JEN: “I think the only thing I maybe would have changed is picking a protein that I am more familiar with. I have never, ever cooked rabbit. It seemed daring and outside of the box for me, and it was a risk I was willing to take. Win or lose, I tried my best.” Q: If a friend of yours were considering trying out for MASTERCHEF CANADA in the future, what advice would you give them, and why? JEN: “My advice would be, just go for it. You never know what could happen. Maybe they will see something in you that you don’t even see in yourself. You will miss 100% of the chances you don’t take. What do you really have to lose over what you could possibly gain?” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv