Vinnie Gibaldi has won “MasterChef Australia” 2026, defeating Petro Papathomas in the Grand Finale to claim the title and $250,000 in prize money.
The finale featured a mystery box challenge followed by a pressure test set by pastry chef Cherish Finden, with Gibaldi finishing on 80 points to Papathomas’ 67.
The finalists then tackled Finden’s Chinese Afternoon Tea pressure test, recreating a multi-component dessert over five hours.
Papathomas scored highly for his black sesame cheesecake teapot, while Gibaldi’s mandarin petit gâteau helped secure the overall win.
After being announced the winner, Gibaldi said: “I don’t really have any words to be honest, I feel like that’s just insane! I couldn’t have imagined it from the first day, but I am so, so grateful for absolutely everything that I have experienced here, all the friends that I have made, all the people I’ve met and just how far I’ve come. I couldn’t have done it without all the support from everyone.”
He added: “I’m so proud of you, man, and honestly, it was just a blast cooking alongside you this whole time, every time, every cook.”
Papathomas said: “I’m really happy for Vinnie; he’s worked really hard, and he deserves it. I’m very proud of what I’ve done throughout the competition; I just missed the mark today.”
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Gibaldi receives $250,000 as the winner of “MasterChef Australia” 2026.
Papathomas takes home $40,000 as runner-up, while Aaron receives $10,000 for finishing third.
From Mediaweek