Despite facing fierce competitors, gnawing nerves and a photo finish in the final, stylish KZN-born content creator Seth Shezi reigned victorious on the six-part MasterChef spin-off Celebrity MasterChef South Africa, proudly sponsored by Pick n Pay. The creative polymath, named GQs best-dressed man in 2018, won every MasterChef kitchen cook-off he was part of and beat feisty radio and television personality Dineo Ranaka in the turbulent ultimate showdown on S3.
In addition to the coveted title of Celebrity MasterChef South Africa, Seth clinched a delicious R1 million in prize money, of which R500,000 plus the R20,000 he won in a previous episode will go to the charity he put his heart on a plate for. Seth represented Ladles of Love, an NGO that speaks to his passion for the life-changing power of food. The organisation provides healthy meals to thousands of vulnerable children and destitute South Africans.
Seth’s triumphant journey on Celebrity MasterChef South Africa started in one of the toughest cook-offs of the season. During the first four episodes of the competition, for which the twelve food-loving stars participating in the competition were divided into four groups of three, Seth was up against actor and cookbook author Armand Aucamp and former Miss Supranational and nutritionist Ayanda G. Thabethe. Judges Justine Drake, Chef Katlego Mlambo and Zola Nene raved about the group’s exceptional culinary skills.
Still, Seth became the only celebrity to clinch both challenges in one of these semi-final qualifying “heats.” The self-confessed chocoholic bowled the judges over with an indulgent, meticulously crafted chocolate hotpot in the quick challenge, where the R20,000 charity donation was up for grabs. Thereafter, his Asian take on pancakes secured his spot in the show’s penultimate round.
In the other “heats”, retired Bafana Bafana midfielder Reneilwe “Yeye” Letshonolyane bagged R20 000 for his sports and education NGO, The Yeye Letsholonyana Foundation. Rock star Danie du Toit donated his winnings to the Startwell Foundation, and actor Bohang Moeko’s cooking prowess benefitted the Sekwanele Empowerment Centre for Abused Women and Children.
However, singer-songwriter Holly Rey, fashion designer Mzukisi Mbane and Dineo joined Seth in the super-tense semi-final. Following a series of curveballs aimed at the cooking stars, Seth again provided the dish of the day, and the judges picked Dineo as his opponent for the show’s final food fight.
In the dramatic and daunting final, Dineo and Seth were tasked to take their culinary skills to new heights. The two rivals found plane tickets to unique destinations inside mystery boxes. Dineo was booked on a sensational taste trip to Thailand, and Seth’s dream destination was Italy. Symbolic of their last lap to the Celebrity MasterChef South Africa trophy, the challenge required a three-course in-flight business class meal comprising an appetiser, main course and dessert. These dishes also had to fuse the textures and flavours of their take-off and final destinations. For that, their boarding passes granted them full access to planeloads of local and luxury ingredients in the Pick n Pay Pantry.
The scene was set for an epic battle. Dineo, who redeemed herself spectacularly after one disastrous meal in the “heats”, was determined to become Mzansi’s culinary Vera Wang, whose illustrious career kicked off at the age of 40. As Dineo recently hit the big 4-0 and founded TheUntrained Chef restaurant, she gauged the Celebrity MasterChef South Africa title would be an ideal launch pad for her new career trajectory.
Meanwhile, Seth wanted to prove to himself and the world that his critique was valid when he reviewed food and restaurants. The multi-talented trendsetter, podcaster, brand strategist, social media influencer, photographer, artist, and designer is also a freelance writer who contributes lifestyle articles to top local and international publications.
When Seth rolled his in-flight trolley over to the judges in their business class seats, he was in for a bumpy ride. They knew he ambitiously created what he called “a million-rand pasta”, alluding to the extravagant ingredients like caviar, truffle and crayfish incorporated in his tagliatelle and trying to manifest the six-figure prize pot. Unfortunately, the cabin pressure rose when Zola, Chef Katlego and Justine shared their thoughts about this main course.
At the beginning of their tasting spree, the judging trio was in awe of the starter, plated with tweezer-like precision. Seth’s “Smoked tuna crudo with avocado and amasi whey emulsion” was a symphony of flavours perfectly composed for a trip from Cape Town to Venice. With this sensational dish, which Justine noted was “more first-class than business class”, Seth also showcased his technical culinary flair. He bravely split the proteins from the amasi with citrus to whip up a South African take on Tiger milk.
However, perhaps too much time was spent finessing the masterpiece hors d’oeuvre. Justine felt the pasta in Seth’s so-called “million-rand dish” was cooked beautifully, but she pinpointed “a rather large problem.” The crayfish tail was drastically overcooked. Zola concurred that it was a sad addition to the near-perfect main course, wishing he had run out of time and not plated it.
For dessert, Seth served a “Pineapple flambé with Disaronno, masala avocado and chocolate mousse” – an intended perfect marriage of his favourite South African fruit, the spices from a Durban beach market and Italian cuisine. Again, the picky judges’ criticism was harsh, describing the result as not matching the flavour profile of the other two courses.
A focused Dineo’s well-planned Thailand-inspired trolley delivered an “Asian cucumber bok choy salad with Thai Chai latte”. The main course was a brothy “Thai red curry with rice, chicken flakes, and ginger”, and for dessert, she made a “Founder’s cheesecake with chocolate granola bites, chilli and a mango lychee oil sauce”. The judges confessed that they would love to be served these delights on a flight, but here and there, they would have used different ingredients to spice up the meal.
Ultimately, the judges ascertained that Seth and Dineo passed the final test with flying colours, providing scrumptious in-flight meals. After much deliberation, Seth took top honours.
Upon hearing the news, a shocked and teary-eyed Seth said about his triumph: “Now my life has changed. I have no words. It’s wild. It’s been more than just a cooking competition. When you work within the food world and love and respect it so much, you sometimes have to be a judge and a critic, and sometimes you wonder how much you actually know. Now it feels like I do know. And it’s a good feeling.”
He later added: “This journey has taught me not only the art of cooking but also the power of perseverance and creativity. I’m grateful to my fellow contestants and everyone involved in the production because this win is a testament to the passion we all share for food, dreaming and the memories it creates.”
The final episode of Celebrity MasterChef South Africa, proudly sponsored by Pick n Pay, premiered on S3 (formerly SABC 3) on Saturday, 4 January, at 20:30. The rebroadcasts are on Sunday, 5 January, at 18:30 on SABC 2 and Wednesday, 8 January at 18:00 on S3. You can also find it on the SABC+ App.
Celebrity MasterChef South Africa was produced by Homebrew Films for Primedia Studios.
—
ends
