MasterChef hands out its final batch of aprons in the third round of head-to-head battles

It’s the final round of head-to-head battles for an apron on MasterChef. And with only six aprons left, these battles will once again be fierce and dramatic.

With a wide variety of chefs still left to take their turn in the battle round, it is anyone’s game to win (or lose) in terms of getting a second chance at the MasterChef kitchen.

In the first round, it was former chefs who proved that they knew how to plate a delicious, restaurant quality dish. We had Fred from Season 10 (known for his original audition where Gordan Ramsay licked the plate clean), there was Felix from Season 3, Olivia from Season 6, and finally Bri from Season 10. (And it turns out that Bri and Fred created a friendship that sees them both working together away from the MasterChef kitchen.)

MasterChef hands out their final six aprons to make up their top 20

While each of these chefs has taken their time on MasterChef and used it to take their careers to the next level, this time it was a chance to prove once again why they deserved a second chance to win. All four chefs seemed confident in what they were doing and while the judges had some concerns watching them all create their dishes, this was another solid round for these returning chefs.

So who won aprons in this first round? The winners of this round were Fred and Bri!

For round two, it was Season 11’s Alejandro, Season 9’s Samantha, Season 5’s Jaimee, and Season 10’s Keturah. In this round, we have a unique batch of chefs, each with very interesting personalities and ideas about what makes a winning MasterChef dish. During their seasons, each of these chefs had issues, from insecurities, anxiety, and even a neurological disorder that wasn’t diagnosed until after their time on the show.

But no matter what they faced during their respective seasons, these four chefs are back to prove that they can conquer whatever comes their way. And that meant creating dishes that would make an impression with our judges.

Ultimately, we had a perfect dish with the Egg Yolk Ravioli, followed by a Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout that got solid marks for presentation and being well-constructed (if not a little safe). For the other two dishes we had a Coffee-Rub Elk Tenderloin that “had attitude” but needed a little more love and finally a Seafood Pasta that got some less than stellar comments from Gordon Ramsay on first seeing the dish in front of the judges (and it did not get better from there).

For round two of the head-to-head battles, the chefs walking away with an apron were Samantha and Alejandro.

Finally, we have only two aprons left to be handed out. And that means it is time for the final round of head-to-head battles to crown our top 20.

In this final round, our chefs were Shelly from Season 6, Gabriel from Season 8 (who was fresh out of high school when he competed and was sent to culinary school thanks to Gordon Ramsay), Malcolm from Season 4, and Sheetal from Season 1 (the Spice Queen who came in second and even launched her own Tequila brand!).

Once again, we got some amazing dishes being prepared, including a redemption dessert. And the comments showed that each of these chefs have stepped up to prove why they deserve a second chance.

So who walked away with the final two aprons to round out our Season 12? The final aprons were ultimately handed to Shelly and Gabriel.

What did you think of this final round of battles? Do you think the right chefs walked away with an apron? Are you ready for the top 20 to cook it out next week?