The former contestant says filming conditions are ‘a lot less intense’ than when he was on the show.

MasterChef’s Andy Allen says filming conditions are ‘a lot less intense’ than when he was on the show. Photos: Channel 10

Longtime MasterChef fans would remember that contestants on the reality show used to live together in a communal house for up to six months during filming. They weren’t allowed access to their phones, computers or TV, and were only able to contact their family and friends once a week so they could focus solely on the competition.

Ahead of the upcoming seventeenth season, Andy Allen has revealed that this is no longer the case. The much-loved judge, who won the show’s fourth season in 2012, told TV Tonight that the contestants now share two-bedroom apartments and the conditions are “a lot less intense”.

“It changed when COVID hit when it was just impossible,” he detailed. “We had people like Laura [Sharrad] that had businesses in turmoil. There was so much unknown about what was happening to our businesses while we continued filming that it just didn’t feel right for them not to have access to their businesses.

“But at the start of the competition we really just drum into them, ‘This is your chance. Whether it be your first, second or third time, make sure you make the most of this opportunity, because it does change your life, and you just want to make sure that you don’t take it for granted’.”

Juan de la Cruz Torales Villarreal (centre) says he had a ‘great’ experience living in a serviced apartment during filming. Photos: Channel 10

What are the current living conditions like?

2024 contestant Juan de la Cruz Torales Villarreal tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he had a “great” experience living in a serviced apartment during filming.

“Living in apartments gave us a bit more independence, having kitchens to practice. Our own space was important and having our phones made it easier to stay connected with family and friends, which was so important for our mental health during the competition,” he shares.

The board game designer reveals that he shared his apartment with his co-star Jonathan Hooper at the beginning of filming, and Darrsh Clarke moved in after Jonathan was eliminated.

“We also had shared spaces where everyone would come together to eat, allowing us to try the amazing food from the other contestants, big BBQs, play games or music, and just hang out. Those moments were honestly some of the best,” he continues.

“Having our own rooms was a huge bonus too, it gave us the chance to rest, focus, and recharge, and you really need that when you’re in such an intense environment.”

Julie Goodwin had a ‘totally different’ experience filming season 14 compared to season 1. Photo: Channel Ten

Julie Goodwin reveals what it was like filming season one

MasterChef’s inaugural winner Julie Goodwin previously opened up to Yahoo Lifestyle about what it was like living in a communal house and revealed that she had “no idea” about the strict conditions until filming began.

“I didn’t know until I moved into that house that they were going to take my computer off me and my phone off me and I was not going to have any unsupervised contact with my family for quite some time,” she said.

“They didn’t quite know what was going to go to air and how it was all going to hang together because it was season one, so they filmed us all day long. There were cameras there in the morning, and we got filmed putting our makeup on and brushing our teeth, and there were cameras there at night.”

Julie went on to say that it was a “totally different” experience when she returned as a contestant on season 14 because production had “evolved”.

“Contestant welfare is much more highly prized than it was, and I had to make sure that things were going to be okay before I agreed to go back on it just because I was in a place where I didn’t really think it would be great for my mental health to put myself under that kind of stress,” she detailed.

“I said things to them, like, ‘I have to have eight hours of sleep at night. I can’t work until midnight and get up at five, that doesn’t happen anymore’. They were like, ‘No, we don’t operate like that anymore’. Contestant welfare is super high priority now.”