MasterChef Australia 2025 is set to premiere on Monday. 

This season sees 24 past contestants come back to win the MasterChef trophy and $250,000 in prize money.

Among the cast are MasterChef fan favourites, including season one’s Andre Ursini, Sarah Todd from season 14 and Tim Bone from season 11.

And already fans of the cooking competition have emerged with a theory about who will be crowned the winner.

Viewers have gone online to speculate that the producers have spoiled the show after dropping a promo poster showing just six of the 24 contestants who will battle it out in the kitchen.

The featured contestants are lined up in the image and appear in various sizes, including Laura Sharrad who starred in seasons 6 and 12.

MasterChef Australia 2025 is set to go to premiere on Monday. And already fans of the cooking competition have emerged with a theory about who will be crowned the winner after taking a hard look at the new promo poster (pictured)

Fans on Reddit have singled out Laura Sharrad (pictured) who starred in seasons 6 and 12 as a possible winner

Also appearing in the promo are season 16’s Savindri Perera and Darrsh Clarke as well as Tim Bone from season 11. 

There’s also Declan Cleary from season 15, while the image of fan favourite Steph De Sousa from season 11 looms largest in the poster.

Many fans felt Laura Sharrad was a shoe-in based on her appearance on the poster.  

A fan Reddit started the discussion by asking, ‘Do you think the winner is pictured?’

‘Considering that Laura is the only pictured contestant from before season 11, do you think she wins, or do you think that the winner is not pictured?’

‘I do think majority of them probably went far or did pretty well, while maybe at least one maybe goes out relatively early?’ said one fan.

Observed another: ‘It’s interesting that those are the ones chosen for it. I do think just based on the trailers, it seems like Laura and Darrsh are the main characters so far.’

‘The only one out of these that could realistically win is Laura, I think.’

Fan favourite Steph De Sousa (pictured) from season 11 looms largest in the poster

It comes after controversial celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, 58, was announced as a guest judge on the new season’s Back to Win competition which is set to premiere on April 28.

The notoriously hot-tempered Ramsay will be joined in the kitchen by regular judges Andy Allen, Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Ramsay last appeared on the hit cooking competition in 2018. 

Andre Ursini, who made his TV debut in 2009 as a contestant on MasterChef Australia, recently announced his return to the show.

The 44-year-old chef and restaurateur posted the news on his Instagram, along with a fresh trailer for the Back To Win season.

The preview features the dramatic moment he was booted off the show in season one.

‘I got eliminated on a Sri Lankan curry taste test,’ the Adelaide-based chef says in the voice over.

Also included is new footage of a now bearded Andre working on a recipe.

‘I haven’t been in the MasterChef kitchen for about 16 years…bloody long time,’ he continues.

He also teased his hopes for the new season.

‘I’ve ticked all my food creative goals, my work goals, my life goals,’ he said.

‘But I’ve never held that [MasterChef] trophy.’

The former reality star has opened several notable eateries in South Australia, including the award-winning Andre’s Cucina & Polenta Bar in Adelaide, ORSO, Villetta Porcini, Lost Phoenix Farm and Willmott’s Gastronomia.