Gordon Ramsay has long been the king of cooking competition shows. He has produced tons of series, such as Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and his latest outing, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, all of which air on FOX. In 2010, Ramsay brought his brutal honesty and signature grumpiness to a show called MasterChef. Alongside renowned judges such as Graham Elliot, Joe Bastianich, Christina Tosi, and Aarón Sánchez, Ramsay has encouraged home cooks to follow their culinary dreams. The series just started Season 14, MasterChef: Generations, and has inspired many themed seasons and spin-off specials, including MasterChef Celebrity Showdown. But there’s one version of the show that’s been a definite hit with audiences.

MasterChef Junior takes everything that is fun about the original series and packages it in a pint-sized box. Instead of adults competing, all contestants are between the ages of 8 and 13. But just because they’re young, that doesn’t mean these tiny cooks aren’t incredibly talented. The kids are put through the same rigorous tests that the adults face in the flagship series, including Mystery Box Challenges, Team Challenges, and Skills Tests. The cooks are all judged by Ramsay and the other professional chefs with the same high standards they reserve for the grown-ups. Dishes are evaluated based on presentation, creativity, and, of course, taste. And just like the original MasterChef, the winner of the whole competition receives $100,000, a special trophy, and the coveted title. For nine seasons now, MasterChef Junior has proven that talent can shine through at any age, and that watching these kids compete is the most entertaining version of any cooking competition show.

24 of the best junior home cooks in the country between the ages of eight and 13 will compete in the first audition round and present their dishes to the judges.

Release Date: September 27, 2013
Cast: Gordon Ramsay
Main Genre: Reality TV
Genres: Reality TV
Seasons: 7

Kids Make the Best Contestants in the MasterChef Franchise

On most reality competition television shows, contestants speak about their hardships and their trauma. This creates an easy way for audiences to get to know them and to root for them to win, but it can also make otherwise lighthearted shows feel a little heavy. One of the best parts about MasterChef Junior is that the emphasis is placed purely on fun. There are no sob stories, and there’s very little conflict between the contestants. Even during Team Challenges, when things can get pretty heated, these kids work together to achieve their goals. There is no pitting contestants against each other in order to invent extra drama. The focus is on allowing the contestants to display their talents and act like kids in the process.

There is also a different energy that comes from the kids versus from the adult contestants in the original MasterChef. Kids aren’t jaded by life yet and have an exuberance that is really fun to watch. They often also have no limits to their creativity, so they can come up with ideas that feel fresh and unique. Also, this generation of kids is often inspired by food and dining concepts that they’ve seen on social media or YouTube, so they have dishes that reflect the very latest trends. The series also never strays too far into serious territory. The challenges are frequently extremely silly and creative. This past season gives the contestants a chance to create a dish inspired by their favorite emoji, and an “Under the Sea” challenge requires them to make a dish using seafood and seaweed. But despite the zaniness of some of the tests, the kids are still pushed to do their very best. One challenge this past season tasks the kids with making a dish using their least-favorite ingredients (such as kale and blue cheese). Despite a tiny bit of complaining at times, the contestants are always eager to tackle these tests and to prove they deserve to win the whole competition.

The Judges Indulge Their Inner Child on ‘MasterChef Junior’

Another level of fun is added to MasterChef Junior because the judges are allowed to be as lighthearted as possible. They’re often seen dressing up in silly costumes to get the kids to laugh, and most episodes include some type of food being tossed on them. The kids especially get a kick out of dousing Ramsay in all kinds of messy ingredients. Instead of bringing only criticism to the contestants, the judges get to act like kids themselves. This allows the tone of the family-friendly series to be joyous and playful. But that doesn’t mean that the judges don’t live up to their titles; they are still there to offer feedback and to critique the dishes. Even though they are comfortable joking around with the kids, they are also capable of pushing them to improve their skills as much as possible.

Besides Ramsay, there’s been a change in judges every few seasons; Sánchez joined in Season 7 and Daphne Oz was added to the crew in Season 8. One of the best additions has been Ramsay’s daughter, Tilly Ramsay, who brings her own culinary expertise to the show in Season 9. Gordon typically shows up on television as a true hothead (who is not above screaming that someone is an “idiot sandwich”). But MasterChef Junior shows a different side of him; instead of being harsh and cruel, he’s a caring mentor who doesn’t mind looking like a fool if he gets a laugh from the children. Plus, with his daughter by his side, even more jokes are made at his expense, which allows him to appear more humble. The family affair lets the series feel wholesome and appropriate for all ages.

There is a whole lot of negativity in the world these days, and there are plenty of television shows that feature bitter conflicts and hurtful attitudes. MasterChef Junior is the best version of the series because of its carefree and sweet vibes. The contestants who are competing are every bit as passionate as the adults (sometimes even more so because they haven’t been taught by life to dim their light). By giving them this forum to explore their gifts and to improve their skills, the series proves that sometimes reality television can celebrate the best of humanity, instead of the worst. There is no official word on whether there will be a Season 10 of MasterChef Junior yet, but if there is, audiences can continue to delight in watching these talented kids showcase their abilities for even more enjoyable episodes in the future.

Seasons 1-9 of MasterChef Junior are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.