MasterChef Junior

I watched a few episodes of Season 1, but didn't really get into MasterChef Junior until Season 2, starting from about the 3rd or 4th episode.

First off, I must say that all these children can definitely cook. It's inspirational and shocking to see them so talented at such a young age, and to even think about what they could become in the future is jaw-dropping. Throughout the entire series, you can see their imagination and creativity flourishing in the dishes they make, and even their accomplishments wow the judges to no end.

However, even though I do enjoy watching these kids cook, and the judges aren't as strict and mean as they are on the adult version of MasterChef, I am not enjoying the arrogance and personalities portrayed by some kids.

On national television, TV personalities and in this instance, these kids should be role models for the youngsters watching this show. Yes, they can cook, which is inspiring, but there are many phrases and comments they say that should not have been in the show at all. They should have been edited out. Like others have said, bullying was present along with these kids giving each other snide, hurtful remarks. These are not scenes that you want your children to look at and learn from - after all, it is a show tailored towards kids of all ages. From the show, some of the kids act like they are know-it-alls and better than the rest, and when the judges praise them for their performance...that indirectly states that they're okay with that behaviour.

In an already tough and stressful world, we don't need more generations learning from such behaviour on television, especially a reality one with kids as a main audience.

If they could tone down the arrogance and spiteful remarks that these kids have for each other, and just keep the fun, playful and competitive components, then this show could have a lot of potential. As of Season 2, the amount of arrogance and bullying seen in the episodes has turned me off of watching future seasons.

That said, season 8: a kid named A'dan is the biggest punk I've ever seen on the show. Clearly his parents didn't raise him right. Little snot who can't get along with anyone. Self centered, bossy, and thinks he knows it all. Even the judges had to get him in line. Something his parents clearly never did ...

I was OK with the seasons leading up to this. It's amazing to see what the kids can do. And it's fun to watch them make their dishes. And you kind of get to know the kids over the season. It does put a lot of pressure on the kids and sometimes I think the hosts are intentionally cruel. I've been watching this show with my grandchildren who are 11 and eight. They are often appalled at the treatment of the kids and the pressure and rudeness that they are subjected to.

The judges are always kind of mean about things, but they also have had constructive and nice things to say about the kids. Not in season 8. I wonder if that's why the other woman host is not on this season. Maybe she didn't want to have any part of the bullying and brow beating this season.

Season eight is ridiculous. They've been giving these kids the hardest stuff that they've had in the whole eight seasons. Taste this and then cook it for me? Crazy! Cook with things They (and I) have never eaten and maybe never even heard of. Giving these kids things like Monkfish, frog legs sweetbreads, octopus, don't be ridiculous! And the hosts this season are especially rude and cruel. Also, I don't really get a feel for who these kids are. Usually I have kids that I think "oh I hope they win." Not this season. The kids who won MasterChef juniors in the past seasons had much more reasonable challenges, I believe.

I don't know what they're doing this season but it just seems thrown together. The hosts are mean-spirited and way too critical. It's no longer fun. It's just nerve-racking, annoying and upsetting.

AndI'm never going to buy one of their master said Junior cooking sets that they started advertising on the show this year!

I may never watch the show again!

I have seen most of the seasons of "MasterChef Junior" (I haven't seen the latest one) and there are two things about the show that really surprised me. First, while Gordon Ramsey has a reputation for being an angry guy who loves to scream at the chefs, here he is amazingly sweet with the kids...as are the rest of the cast. The only times I saw him really yelling involved kids about to serve way undercooked chicken...which could really hurt someone. In this case, his anger did seem appropriate. Second, the kids on the show are amazing....with unbelievable skills and great talent. Combining the two, you get a show which is wonderful to watch and quite clever.

Great fun program but in season 1 one of the children made me feel a bit worried. Sarah a 9yo really needs some attitude check by her parents. I get it is a competition but that's when you can see what they are really like as people interacting with others. She seems to lack empathy for others, enjoying when they mess it up and thriving when they get eliminated whilst the other kids get emotional showing sympathy for the other kids. Her saying you should keep your friends close but your enemies closer sounds like something you would hear from a sociopath adult not a 9 year old girl. Parents need to pay attention to these nasty behaviours while they are young, they will not always be small and cute and growing up without good values will not only hurt them but others.