The latest dynamics of the Master Chef Celebrity contest are not only causing problems for the participants, but are also sparking discussions and debates among them. In the episode that aired on Monday, July 8th, the «celebrities» had to cook in pairs, chosen by themselves. However, at the beginning of the challenge, where the central ingredient was ancestral seeds, they were told that they actually had to compete against the partner they had chosen and continue preparing the recipe that the other had started.
For actress Connie Camelo, the change was a problem and she was never comfortable with the preparation she had to work on, especially with the intervention that her partner and rival Marcela Gallego was making to her original recipe. There were tears and discomfort for Connie. However, the debate and controversy reached its peak when the host Claudia Bahamón asked the participants to raise their hands and end the test time.
Before the judges started calling the contestants to review their dishes and determine who would receive the black apron or be saved, comedian Franko Bonilla asked for the floor and complained against his partner Alejandro Estrada. He was very upset and claimed that Estrada had violated the rules by «touching and damaging» his dish, a loaf of bread. «Alejo goes from his workstation to mine and touches the bread, even if it was bad, because it was horrible, he sticks his fingers in the bread and breaks it,» the comedian complained.
Estrada’s reaction was immediate, calling his partner «unnecessary» and «disloyal». In front of the cameras, he further stated, «Franko Bonilla is truly an unfaithful person.» Additionally, he pointed out that the comedian had also violated the rules by continuing to assemble his dish after the time had ended. Most of the contestants were surprised by Bonilla’s reaction, labeling it as exaggerated and childish.
The judges, Jorge Rausch, Nicolás de Zubiría, and Adria Marina from Mexico, decided to penalize both participants with the black apron, as they had both violated the rules by touching the dishes after the hands-up signal. «In today’s episode of MasterChef, I made a mistake by touching my partner’s dish, @frankobonillaoficial. I did it with the intention of helping since the bread was raw, but I recognize that I should not have done it, I understand the rules. In my defense, I always want to help my teammates, and that’s why I wanted to show him that it was raw so he could correct it,» explained the actor Alejandro Estrada.
This is not the first time Bonilla has had these kinds of clashes with his partners. Previously, actor and producer Camilo Sáenz, the first eliminated from the reality show, accused him of turning his dish into a «disaster.» That day they also competed in pairs, and Franko had to work on the recipe that Camilo had started and then return it. Sáenz hinted that Bonilla had cooked poorly with the intention of harming him. The actor and producer was eliminated after that challenge. Franko Bonilla has always been on the brink of elimination, receiving praise only for one preparation of chorizo.