MasterChef SA stars suffer brutal chop

Cape Town - "They are getting rid of the dead wood."

This is how Food24 editor Caro de Waal describes the second episode of M-Net's latest reality series, MasterChef SA.

The Top 50 contestants were put through various cooking challenges which included chopping their way through three tons of onions, whisking egg whites and making a potato the star of their dish.

Former model Ilse Nel won the egg whisking challenge.

After each challenge, contestants were given the chop before the final 25 were revealed.

"Tastes like dirty dishwater"

The judges spared no feelings with their criticisms.

Pete Goffe-Wood told one contestant her soup tasted like "dirty dishwater", while another was told his dish looked and tasted "like a 4-year-old made it".

However, judge Andrew Atkinson received some criticism for his demeanour.

"Awful shouting and cringe-worthy staring from him the whole time," said de Waal.

5FM DJ Rob Vember also tweeted: "WHY IS THAT JUDGE SHOUTING!?"

Only 18 contestants will make it to the MasterChef SA kitchen at Nederburg Wine Estate in Paarl, Western Cape. According to the show's publicist, Ingrid Engelbrecht, these contestants will be revealed at the end of episode three.

MasterChef SA airs on M-Net (101) and on M-Net HD (170) on Tuesdays at 19:30.