‘MasterChef’: Tiffany Derry Previews ‘Dynamic Duos’ & Reveals the Toughest Judge

After serving as a guest judge in multiple previous seasons, Tiffany Derry is now stepping in full-time for MasterChef Season 15, subtitled MasterChef: Dynamic Duos. The new season, which premieres on Wednesday (May 21) night, features Derry joining ranks with Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianach. Together, the trio of celebrity chefs judge a group of home cook pairs — ranging from married couples to best friends to colleagues and beyond — who hope to earn and share the title of “MasterChef.”

Beyond her built-in MasterChef credentials, Derry has a lot of experience in cooking competition shows. She previously competed on Top Chef Season 7 (winning “fan favorite”) and Top Chef All-Stars, along with CutThroat Kitchen (which she won). She also became a competing chef on Bobby’s Triple Threat and cohosted Worst Cooks in America. So what does she bring to the table as a MasterChef judge? And what else can we expect from the season’s new theme?

TV Insider caught up with Chef Tiffany Derry to get a sense of what’s ahead on Masterchef: Dynamic Duos!

Taking over Aron Sanchez’s place, is it intimidating at all to step into his shoes for the show? 

Tiffany Derry: Well, I think it’s just different because I came on before, obviously, as a guest judge. And I enjoyed doing MasterChef for so long that I was excited, and I didn’t really think of it in terms of shoes to fill because I think we wear two different sizes, and I don’t think he gonna be in my stilettos. So I think it’s just different.

When you came on full-time, was there any kind of initiation ritual with Gordon and Joe? 

Well, I am from the South. I don’t take that! (Laughs.) No, no, no, I am kidding. It was great. No, honestly, I’ve loved working with Gordon and Joe, and it just feels like family. It feels the same way that I felt when I came as a guest. Everything felt so familiar, and they just made sure that I was comfortable. And I think just giving space for me to give my opinion was a part of everything. It was just great.

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With Gordon, contestants really take a risk if they cook risotto or beef wellington, and with Joe, if they make Italian, it has to be perfect. Were you similarly tough when people made southern food for you this season?

Yeah, it’s so funny. So I have a couple of things, right? We all have our things in particular. Yes, Southern… If you’re going to call it Southern, why? I want to understand the dish. I want to understand what you’re going for. And then if you say it’s traditional, and then it’s not that [it’s a problem]. So it’s really more how you classify. So if you tell me this is a traditional dish, and I know this dish, and it’s not traditional, I have a problem because you set my expectations, set my taste buds, so when I have it inside, it doesn’t feel well. And I have a wealth of knowledge over Thai cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine, and Japanese cuisine as well. So the Asian aspect of things I have a good understanding of as well.

Kelly Gardner / Fox

Who do you think, between the three of you, is the toughest judge this season?

I mean, I think Joe is always the toughest in his criticism, in the way he says it… whether it’s really, really the toughest piece that he wants to say, it’s just how he says it. There’s a lot of times I’m looking over like, “Dang.” But then there are times that they look at me and say the same thing…

How does the “Dynamic Duos” theme change things this season?  

It’s so different. The dynamic within the duo itself is its own thing, so it can either work for you or work against you, depending on the challenge. Honestly, I love the emotional support that you get from having the duo, whether someone’s having a bad day and the partner picks up that 80% or whether it’s just one knows pastries a little bit more, maybe the other one’s more savory, maybe one’s more of a prep, and the other’s tasting and plating. And so you really have different aspects of it within that, and then you have the challenges, and you have all the things that you’re used to, but the duo aspect changes everything.

How does it change the calculus of who qualifies as a “MasterChef,” since that’s been individual before?

It’s for the duo … At the end of the day, the dish itself must be worthy of that title. There are times where one person may drop the ball — and so I can’t imagine, I don’t want to be that person that you know messes up the sauce — and so it’s important to taste as a team versus sort of separating. And you’ll see people do that, and you’ll realize that when they’re not together and when they’re not in sync, with the dish you can taste it.

Kelly Gardner / Fox

Did you notice any trend of pairing types that seem to have an advantage?

I feel like the more you cook with the person for real, they had a better understanding. For instance, you have [pairs that are] husband and wife to sister and brother, brother and brother.  Some of them cook every day together or often, and then some of them maybe grew up in the same household and they have similar palettes, but they haven’t cooked like they used to together. Maybe it’s just holidays, maybe it’s just they cook individually, on their own, like best friends, and they’re individually great cooks, but coming together cooking is another thing.

What else can you tease about the season?

The field challenges are some of my favorite moments. My favorite — I call it planes, frames, and automobiles, that is my one. And I love outside cooking, and I love team challenges, where you’re taking them out of the element that they’re used to and turning things more into the restaurant field, and that is so different, and I feel like a whole ‘nother side.

MasterChef, Season 15 premiere, May 21, 9/8c, Fox

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