Meet the Top 5 Home Cooks Who Won a White Apron for the Americas Division of ‘MasterChef: Global Gauntlet’

MasterChef Season 16 is the Global Gauntlet season, meaning the best home cooks from the USA will represent four territories across the globe that reflect their culinary heritage: Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific in hopes of becoming America’s next MasterChef.

The fourth audition night of Season 16 covering the Americas – north, south and central — produced five apron winners out of a field of eight, who needed a yes from all three judges: Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Tiffany Derry for their dishes that represented their culture.

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The winner of MasterChef Season 16 earns the title, the trophy and $250,000.

Get to know MasterChef Season 16’s Americas home cooks:

Brittany, 34
Barbados
Pro Wrestler
Los Angeles, CA

Camilo
Latin American
Wine & Spirits Executive
Bastrop, TX

Jake, 24
Mexico
Pharmacy Technician
Alma, MI

Maria, 48
Brazil
Food Content Creator
Miami Beach, FL

Tkaiya, 23
Jamaica
Marketing Masters Student
Queens, NY

MasterChef airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Streams next day on Hulu.

Next,  MasterChef Returns With an International Theme for Season 16 in 2026 — What to Know