MasterChef viewers accused the BBC show of “celebrating the murder and dismemberment of women” after a contestant prepared a Jack The Ripper-inspired dish.
The chefs in Thursday’s penultimate semi-final of the 2024 series were tasked with preparing a “theatrical” dish for judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.
From a duck dinner made to look like a heart and lungs encased in a ribcage, complete with injectable sauce, to a bone marrow panna cotta ‘dog dinner’, the contestants wowed the judges with their immersive meals.
But it was circus performer Chris who really made a statement with his Jack the Ripper ‘Murder Mystery’ dish, accompanied by a fire-breathing performance.
Despite her impressive display of talent, fans of the show were left horrified by her choice of inspiration.
MasterChef viewers accused the BBC show of “celebrating the murder and dismemberment of women” after a contestant prepared a Jack The Ripper-inspired dish.
Despite his impressive display of talent, fans of the show were left horrified by his choice of inspiration.
Dressed in a cape, Chris, 44, approached the judges’ table and said: “You are now detectives and you have to find out who I am from the clues inside the box.”
Then the lights went out and he lit a fire stick, before drinking some alcohol and carrying the flame to the side of the room. Chris then released a ferocious flame into the kitchen, eliciting roars of amusement from John, Gregg and the other contestants.
On the table was a box with the numbers 1888, which was a code to open its lock. A plate of glow-in-the-dark bone marrow beef tartare was revealed, and Gregg surmised that its inspiration was Jack the Ripper based on clues inside that read “Whitechapel,” “London 1888,” and a count of the five murders.
But viewers were furious at the apparent glamorization of the prolific serial killer and took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their anger.
They wrote: “There is nothing better than a delicious morsel about a man who committed some of the most heinous acts of assault and murder of women in British history”;
‘What a delight to see the murder and dismemberment of women celebrated. #BadTaste in so many different ways. The worst episode I have ever seen. Who the hell at @BBCOne thought this was a good idea?’;
‘Gregg thinks the anatomical dish is ‘mildly alarming’ but not the one celebrating *murder*?’;
‘Did that just happen? Did a man on #masterchef just serve bone-in beef tartare as part of a celebratory Jack the Ripper dish? The entrails of murdered women, very creative. That?’;
Circus performer Chris, who really made a splash with his Jack the Ripper “Murder Mystery” dish, accompanied by a fire-breathing performance.
Dressed in a cape, Chris, 44, approached the judges’ table and said: “You are now detectives and you have to find out who I am from the clues inside the box.”
Then the lights went out and he lit a fire stick, before drinking some alcohol and carrying the flame to the side of the room.
Chris then released a ferocious flame into the kitchen, eliciting roars of amusement from John, Gregg and the other contestants.
But viewers were furious at the apparent glamorization of the prolific serial killer and took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their anger.
‘Excellent episode of Animal Autopsy, or #MasterChef as it is also known. A Jack the Ripper celebration, barbecue prepared and ‘conservationists’ drooling over ‘seafood’ (dead fish).’
The next to debut his theatrical dish was Dr. George, who brought his work to the kitchen in the form of a dish inspired by anatomy.
After having John and Greg put on hairnets and robes, George served a heart made of beet, a duck breast representing the lungs, and a dauphinoise potato breastbone, all encased in a crispy parsnip ribcage. The judges then had to inject the sauce into the heart.
It was then the farmer Louise, 43, who decided to make a savory dish that looked like a dessert, consisting of a bacon panna cotta, chorizo and blood sausage crumb, a kale and hazelnut pesto cake, leather tulle pork and a sweet. Bag filled with chorizo and salt and vinegar lollipop.
In keeping with the theme of savory disguised as sweet, Grandma Mary made a Scotch egg for dessert.
The sausage meat was made of rice pudding with coconut, while it had a cream yolk and the egg whites were actually lychee fruit. Everything was covered in breadcrumbs and grated coconut and accompanied by piccalilli. [tropical fruit compote] and mayonnaise [coconut cream]. The dish was finished with a pinch of salt and pepper. [browned black rice and popping candy] and served with a beer [rum cocktail].
The next to debut his theatrical dish was Dr. George, who brought his work to the kitchen in the form of a dish inspired by anatomy.
After having John and Greg put on hairnets and robes, George served a heart made of beet, a duck breast representing the lungs, and a dauphinoise potato breastbone, all encased in a crispy parsnip ribcage. The judges then had to inject the sauce into the heart.
For seller Abi, 21, decided to give a gourmet update to the childhood favourite, the dippy egg and the soldiers.
Keeping with the theme of savory disguised as sweet, Grandma Mary made a Scotch egg for dessert.
Last to go was vet Brim, 28, who channeled his career into creating a ‘dog dinner’, for which John and Gregg were required to sport some animal ears.
Their ‘dog dinner’ consisted of a bone marrow panna cotta placed on a dog bone, whiskey-poached peaches, a tennis ball of rosemary panna cotta buried in a nutty chocolate soil, shortbread cookies shaped like dog treat and blackberry sauce.
Saleswoman Abi, 21, decided to give childhood favorite dippy egg and soldiers a gourmet upgrade. The egg white was a white custard with yolk, chilli and tomato sauce, while her ‘soldiers’ were crisps topped with strong-flavoured Welsh rarebit and pulled pork, all topped off with a glass of gazpacho Bloody Mary .
The last to go was vet Brim, 28, who channeled his career into creating a “dog dinner”, for which John and Gregg had to sport some animal ears.
Their ‘dog dinner’ consisted of a bone marrow panna cotta placed on a dog bone, whiskey-poached peaches, a tennis ball of rosemary panna cotta buried in a nutty chocolate soil, shortbread cookies shaped like dog treat and blackberry sauce.
After the judges took some time to deliberate, sadly it was Dr. George and his ribcage’s turn to be kicked out of the competition.
