MasterChef viewers disgusted by gruesome moment as contestant forced to quit
Vegan contestant Charlotte cut herself just minutes into the first task of the latest episode - leaving part of her finger on the knife.
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What did you miss?
MasterChef viewers lost their appetites watching the latest episode of the show after a contestant severed the top of her finger within the first few minutes.
Vegan IT programme director Charlotte, 42, had to leave the competition after she cut her finger while chopping cabbage for the initial 'basic ingredients' task and required medical attention. Viewers were not impressed when host John Torode pointed out the tip of her finger left on the knife as the camera zoomed in on the blade.
Charlotte admitted she was working "as fast as I can" in order to complete her recipe in time. After she was injured she asked for a plaster but Torode pointed out that the tip of her finger was missing and show would have to leave the competition to get help.
What, how and why?
Charlotte was the very first contestant to tell hosts Torode and Gregg Wallace what she would be cooking in the basic ingredients task. The task challenges the aspiring chefs to showcase an everyday store cupboard ingredient in a dish of their choosing. Vegan Charlotte revealed she would be cooking Pot sticker dumplings with chilli sauce, chilli oil and crispy chilli peanuts.
She said: "My ingredient is chilli because we eat a lot of chilli, I'm forced to have chilli with everything because my husband would have chilli on porridge if he could." She added: "Vegan food isn't just about hemp seed and chick peas, it can be really exciting and flavourful."
Just as Torode and Wallace were saying how much they were looking forward to tasting her recipe, Charlotte said: Sorry I've just cut my finger. Can I have a plaster? It's quite a lump out." She was shown clutching her hand with blood dripping down it.
Torode then told her: "I'm sorry to say you've taken the top of your finger off and that means you're going to have to go and get sorted out. " As he said that he indicated the knife she had been using, and the camera zoomed in on what appeared to be the tip of her finger stuck to the blade.
Torode revealed she would not be able to complete the task, saying: "Sadly Charlotte has cut herself and she had to leave the MasterChef kitchen for medical attention. So she won't be finishing off her dish." Charlotte said: "I was trying to go big or go home - and now I've done both!"
Viewers were left feeling queasy by the graphic detail in which the injury was shown on screen.
One wrote on social media platform X: "Do we really need to see the blood and the sliced finger.... #MasterChef" Another queried: "Did they have to show us the top of her finger cut off? #Masterchef." One viewer declared: "Thanks #MasterChef for showing the piece of sliced off finger." And another commented: "I was not prepared for someone chopping the end of their finger off in the first 30seconds of #MasterChef tonight" And another joked: "Lovely lingering shot of the top of a fingertip there."
Some made light of the fact the dish was meant to be vegan. One tweeted: "Not exactly vegan if it’s got a chunk of finger in it is it? #Masterchef." Another quipped: "Yeah the fingertip wouldn’t have been vegan #MasterChef" Another joked: "What are you cooking?” “Chilli with a side of fingertip..” #MasterChef."
What else happened on MasterChef?
Charlotte's exit from the competition at such an early stage meant that only one other contestant was sent home by the judges before the final round in which they cook a two course meal. Torode said: "Charlotte cut herself in the first round and now we've only got three of them fighting for those two aprons."
Customer success manager Ecrin, 31, admin officer Louise, 36 and doctor George, 31, were sent through to the quarter final after impressing the judges and past contestants with their two course meals.
Throughout the latest series, viewers have continued to complain about what contestants consider basic ingredients and the standard of contestants after a number of kitchen disasters. In a previous episode one contestant accidentally sprinkled salt instead of sugar over his dessert, leaving viewers questioning the show's standards. Another round saw a disaster involving vinegar.
