Gordon Ramsay On The Kids In ‘MasterChef Junior': “Crying Is Healthy” – TCA

There’s no crying in baseball — but crying in cooking is apparently OK. Just ask Gordon Ramsay, judge and executive producer of MasterChef Junior.

Appearing on today’s TCA panel with new judge Christina Tosi (a pastry chef); judge Graham Elliot; EPs Adeline Ramage Rooney and Robin Ashbrook and a gaggle of junior chefs, Ramsay said he believes that when the 8-13 year old contestants cry in response to kitchen criticism, it’s healthy.

Bottling up emotion can lead to “dangerous things,” Ramsay said. While the cameras do not dwell on tears, Ramsay said, “no one walks down the corridors with insecurities. I think crying is healthy. I cried before Christmas, watching my 30-year-old daughter get upset over her scrambled eggs.”

While new judge Tosi said her goal is not to make children cry (“absolutely not”), she’s no cream puff, either. “It’s about having perspective,” she said. “(It’s about) OK, I’m doing a good job, but I could do a better job.”

Not to imply that the creative team is into traumatizing children — but Ramsay mentioned that the kitchen experience for the kids is all about reality, away from iPads and iPhones. He added that animals are brought into the kitchen so the young chefs will know where their dinner originates.

“We’ve had turkeys, pigs and snakes, because that’s what food is,” Ramsay said.

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