Thanks to its heartfelt moments and delicious food, MasterChef Australia was arguably the hero of local television during the coronavirus lockdown.

This year, viewers were introduced to three new judges, Jock Zonfrillo , Melissa Leong and Andy Allen , while fan favourites from previous seasons also returned to the franchise for the all-stars Back To Win special.

Young, budding cooks also got a chance to shine on the screen, with Junior MasterChef Australia returning to TV after a nine-year hiatus.

Here, we take a look at some of the best moments from MasterChef Australia in 2020.

Meeting The New Judges

After 11 years on the show, previous judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston were replaced by Jock, Melissa and Andy.

Many fans welcomed the fresh faces to the series, as did some of the contestants.

I think the show desperately needed new judges, contestant Chris Badenoch told HuffPost Australia in May.

I thought the show became about the old guys and less about the contestants and less about the food as years went on... I think getting new judges was the shot in the arms the show needs.