Magical mushrooms stir up chaos on ‘MasterChef SA’

As the race to the MasterChef South Africa finale heats up, tensions are rising among the contestants battling for the R1 million prize.

The latest episode was especially intense, with blood, sweat, and tears—literally.

Bridget Mangwandi, the youngest contestant at 20, had to be medically evacuated after accidentally slicing her thumb with a sharp knife.

While Bridget dealt with a serious injury, others struggled with the demanding kitchen equipment, racing against time.

Fan-favorite Nash Zwambila, 38, made a critical error by not finishing his dish, breaking a key MasterChef rule, and ultimately leading to his elimination.

Top chef sets the bar high with ‘Enchanted Forest’ challenge

This week’s guest judge, Chef Moses Moloi—recently crowned the best chef in South Africa—set a high bar.

He asked the contestants to replicate his complex “Enchanted Forest Elegance” dish, a mushroom ragu featuring a variety of mushrooms.

With 11 intricate elements and an eight-page recipe, the home cooks faced a daunting task.

While Chanel Brink was safe from elimination from MasterChef, the remaining seven contestants faced a huge challenge with the two-and-a-half-hour time limit.

Some, like Refe Dimbaza, who had an aversion to mushrooms, feared this dish could end their competition run. Ironically, both Bridget and Nash were excited about the mushrooms.

Nash ever called them a perfect bridge between meat eaters and vegetarians.

Bridget started strong, leading the pack midway through the challenge, but disaster struck when she cut her thumb, requiring immediate medical attention.

Meanwhile, others like Lona Rode encountered equipment issues, with his blender failing to work, adding to the pressure.

Time runs out: Nash sent home from MasterChef kitchen

As the clock ticked down in the MasterChef kitchen, some contestants were scrambling to finish. Nash, despite a promising start, ran out of time and was unable to plate his full dish.

When the judges tasted the meals, Nabila Shamshum was declared the winner. Lona, Nash, and Naledi ended up in the bottom three.

Nash was ultimately eliminated, despite his delicious elements, for not completing the dish. His departure brought tears from both the judges and contestants, marking an emotional end to a high-stakes episode.

MasterChef South Africa Season 5 premieres on S3 (formerly SABC3) on Saturdays at 19:00. The rebroadcasts are on SABC 2 on Sundays at 18:30 and S3 on Wednesdays at 18:00.

NOW READ: Double exit stuns MasterChef SA: Two top 10 contestants exit