The comparisons are hateful. A couple of days ago, Masterchef Spain viewers witnessed one of the most embarrassing scenes in the history of our television. One contestant, Tamara, showed that she was not feeling well on the program and, although she did not have to go to the elimination test, she decided to leave voluntarily.
”I’m leaving, I’m saying goodbye voluntarily because I don’t feel comfortable. I’m not giving everything I would like and I’m constantly nervous, in tension, under pressure… I understand that it’s a program, we all make a decision and I want to make it,” she expressed, making it clear that she prioritizes her mental health over the competition.
Although it seems like a more than reasonable reason to abandon, the Spanish jury did not think the same and was harsh and cold towards the candidate. Especially Jordi Cruz, who responded to her speech with a ‘very good, bye’, asked for her apron and literally pointed out the exit: ‘Her door’.
The scene caused a great shock in Spanish society and thousands of people commented on social networks that the Catalan chef had made a mistake. Many also harshly criticized the program for fueling drama instead of making a public plea in favor of mental health.
Tamara’s difficult abandonment and the criticized performance of the judges have caused the Internet to rescue a similar (but very different) case that occurred in Masterchef Australia in 2021. On that occasion, a passionate chef named Bent Draper decided to withdraw from the competition after suffering different anxiety episodes. The young man recorded his participation in the middle of the pandemic, he could barely sleep and had to deal with different situations (the recent death of his grandmother, his mother’s illness, the distance from his family, etc.).
Now the moment in which the judges informed the teammates of the young man’s decision has gone viral on platform X (thanks to a post by user @kiwifresa27). Unlike what happened in the TVE show, the Australian culinary program treated the topic with great respect and both the judges and the contestants expressed that they were very proud of him and that they felt very sad to see him go.
Some media such as The Guardian echoed the recovery of the young chef, who was glad to have left the competition, since he had had a really bad time. ”I’m happy to say that I feel like I’m back to normal and that I’ve gotten over the crux of the situation (…) I’ve spent the last few months seeing a psychologist, my doctor, and doing the things that I love and that they are fundamental,” the chef said in an email.
Two years after his retirement, the man tried his luck again in the program with more force than ever and managed to reach the top of the competition and be declared the winner. As published by The Sydney Morning Herald, Draper’s trip covered more than a culinary issue, since he brought to the table a topic as silenced as mental health. ”This is a great victory, but it’s not just for me. Honestly, it’s for every person who supported me, who reached out and shared their difficult things and stories with me, it’s for all those who never gave up,’ the man wrote on Instagram after the announcement of his victory.
