Cooking shows have always held a special place in Indian households, and when regional flavours join the format, the appeal multiplies. MasterChef Telugu is one such franchise that brings home cooks from Telugu states into the spotlight. With a blend of regional ingredients, innovation, emotional backstories and fierce competition, it has captured audiences’ imaginations. In this article, we present a complete overview: the show format, the winners & runners-up along with hosts and judges, and a season-by-season summary.
Show Format
MasterChef Telugu is the Telugu-language adaptation of the international MasterChef Australia and is part of the larger MasterChef India family.
Here’s how the format generally works:
- Contestants & Selection: The show typically begins with open auditions (or virtual auditions), from which a set number (for example 14) of home cooks are selected to enter the competition.
- Hosts & Judges: A host (or in some episodes hosts) guide the progression of the show, introduce challenges, and sometimes interact with contestants. The core evaluation comes from three professional chefs who act as judges, assessing the dishes on taste, plating, creativity, technique, etc.
- Challenges & Elimination: Contestants face a mix of challenges — mystery box, elimination tests, pressure tests, team challenges, and special cooking tasks. Based on performance, one or more contestants are eliminated in each episode until the finalists remain.
- Prize & Title: The winner is awarded the MasterChef Telugu title and a cash prize (in earlier seasons ₹25 lakh was mentioned). In later seasons, prize amounts have varied in reporting.
- Broadcast & Production: Season 1 was aired on Gemini TV (and digitally on Sun NXT). From Season 2 onward, the show moved to SonyLIV for streaming.
MasterChef Telugu Winners, Runners-up, Hosts, Judges
Here is a consolidated table of what is publicly reported so far (as of 2025):
| Season | Host(s) | Judges | First Aired | Last Aired | No. of Contestants | Winner | Runner-up | Notes / Additional Info |
| Season 1 | Tamannaah Bhatia (Ep 1–16), Anasuya Bharadwaj (Ep 17–24), none in last episodes | Chalapathi Rao, Sanjay Thumma, Mahesh Padala | 27 August 2021 | 27 November 2021 | 14 | K. Krishna Tejasvi | G. D. Anusha | Kamal Jakkilinki was 2nd runner-up |
| Season 2 | None | Chalapathi Rao, Sanjay Thumma, Nikitha Umesh | 22 January 2024 | 7 June 2024 (final) | 14 | Mahboob Vin Basha | Jasween Kaur | Top 4 finalists included Shyam Gopisetti, Ravi Prakash Chandran |
MasterChef Telugu Season 1 (2021)
MasterChef Telugu Season 1 premiered on 27 August 2021 and ran until 27 November 2021. Tamannaah Bhatia hosted the early episodes (1–16), after which Anasuya Bharadwaj took over for episodes 17–24, and the final episodes aired without a designated host. The judging panel comprised Chalapathi Rao, Sanjay Thumma, and Mahesh Padala. A total of 14 contestants vied for the title. In the finale, home baker K. Krishna Tejasvi was crowned winner, while G. D. Anusha emerged as the runner-up; Kamal Jakkilinki placed third. The season struck a balance between regional flavour, emotional human stories, unexpected eliminations, and a showcase of both traditional and modern cooking styles.
MasterChef Telugu Season 2 (2024)
Though exact broadcast start date is less reported, Season 2 culminated with its grand finale on 7 June 2024, streamed on SonyLIV. The show now included Nikitha Umesh as a new judge alongside Chalapathi Rao and Sanjay Thumma. Reports suggest the prize money was ₹10 lakh for this season. In the finale, Mahboob Vin Basha (from Anantapur) won the trophy, defeating Jasween Kaur in the runner-up spot. Other finalists included Shyam Gopisetti and Ravi Prakash Chandran as part of the Top 4. This season placed stronger emphasis on technique, fusion of local and global flavours, and pushing contestants to reinvent staple Telugu dishes in creative ways.