Donato de Santis puts a stop to arrogance on MasterChef Celebrity

In a recent tense-filled episode, renowned Italian chef Donato de Santis was at the center of one of the most controversial moments of the MasterChef Celebrity season. What started as a dessert evaluation night turned into a confrontation where Donato de Santis didn’t hesitate to call out a contestant who went overboard with their comments during tasting.

The episode unfolded with an innovative culinary challenge from the judges. Damián Betular, Germán Martitegui, and Donato de Santis, accompanied by Wanda Nara, presented the night’s challenge through an unexpected format.

A Sweet and Challenging Challenge

The night’s test involved special containers made entirely of edible dough. “There’s no recipe tonight,” Betular announced, sparking mixed reactions among the contestants. The task was to prepare a sweet dish incorporating the broken cookie, with a 50-minute time limit to complete the preparation.

To increase the difficulty, the judges added a mini-challenge offering the chance to earn extra time. The competition was designed as a six-stage race, where participants had to perform specific activities divided into a trio and two pairs. Agustín “Cachete” Sierra, Evangelina Anderson, and Ian Lucas made up the first group, while Chino Leunis and Marixa Balli worked as a pair. The Reini and Rusherking completed the final team.

Executing these tasks added an extra complication: each participant could only use one hand to perform their activities. Tasks ranged from grating carrots to separating egg whites from yolks, forming dough with precise proportions, and whipping cream to chantilly consistency.

The Evaluation Round: Successes and Constructive Criticism

Marixa Balli was the first to present her creation: a faux shortbread with cream cheese, orange zest, and caramelized fruits. Donato de Santis recognized the flavor contrast but suggested improvements in balancing acidity. Betular praised the combination of textures between the stewed fruit and fresh fruit.

Chino Leunis offered a tartlet that the judges questioned in its naming. While the internal preparation was satisfactory, Martitegui pointed out that the amount of dough diminished the prominence of the filling. Despite initial uncertainty about the dish’s structure, he acknowledged that the baking was correct.

Ian Lucas presented a trifle with cookies, white chocolate, chocolate mousse, and red berries. The main critique focused on the difficulty of eating it: a structure that needed more aeration and a more balanced distribution of components. Donato de Santis added comments about the excessive amount of ingredients without considering the experience of the person tasting it.

Cachete Sierra surprised with a lemon curd tartlet, cherries, strawberries, and citrus zest. The flavor was widely appreciated, though the doneness was close to the acceptable limit. Betular highlighted the quality of the work.

Evangelina Anderson contributed an upside-down pear tart, which was described as a wonderful idea but limited by improper proportions. The judges agreed that with more fruit and a thinner crust, the result would be exceptional. Wanda Nara was notably enthusiastic about the presentation.

Reini’s Advantage and Path to the Podium

Reini received the benefit of the previous episode’s gold medal, allowing her a phone call to her Chinese cuisine advisor, Walter. Under his guidance, she incorporated figs, strawberries, and cherries into her cheesecake. The final presentation earned recognition from Martitegui, who stated it didn’t require additional advice. Betular summarized that the cheese mousse was extraordinarily fresh with balanced proportions.

The Breaking Point: Rusherking and Donato de Santis’s Reaction

Rusherking arrived at the end of the evaluations with an apple tart combined with peanut butter, almonds, and cream cheese, served with coffee liqueur and cinnamon sauce. However, his attitude during tasting marked an unexpected turn in the program’s dynamic.

While the judges sampled his dish, the rapper provocatively questioned, “Why do I always get put last? Do you have something against me?” Martitegui responded with irony, suggesting alphabetical order or other factors, trying to de-escalate the tension. Nonetheless, Rusherking continued with a combative strategy: “I feel like they’re going to give it to me, but I think the dish is good, it’s tasty. These three have bad vibes.”

At that moment, Donato de Santis intervened firmly and calmly. His response was direct and forceful: “Even if it’s with good vibes, aggression is always a sign of insecurity.” This comment from the Italian chef was not only a correction but a sharp analysis of the contestant’s attitude, indicating that the defensive behavior revealed internal doubts about their own work.

Betular continued with the technical evaluation, criticizing that the execution was poor despite a brilliant idea. The dough, peanut butter, and apple combined into similar textures that made flavor differentiation difficult. Martitegui concluded the critique by saying the combination was not harmonious.

Semifinalist Selection

After deliberation, the results were as follows: Reini, Marixa Balli, and Cachete Sierra were called to the balcony, confirming their dishes were the best of the night and advancing to the benefit round.

Ian Lucas and Rusherking received the gray aprons, placing them at risk. Chino Leunis managed to stay on the balcony with his teammates, while Evangelina Anderson entered the last-chance night, where her continued participation remains uncertain until the next evaluation.

Donato de Santis’s intervention during this episode will be remembered as a decisive moment where the judges’ authority prevailed over behaviors that threatened to shift the focus from culinary competition to unnecessary personal dynamics.