MasterChef - Wednesdays on Fox

Joining Gordon in the kitchen, again, are two other celebrity chefs/restaurateurs; Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich.

I spoke with Joe about what makes this season different:

"we've kind of assembled the loved MasterChef contestants who didn't win. Maybe they were runner-up, third place, eighth place and some of these runner-ups go on to do better than the winners."

If you recognize Joe's last name, you likely are a PBS viewer familiar with his famous mom: Lidia. I asked Joe if he ever sees his mom and her struggle for success, in any of the MasterChef contestants?

"similar to my parent's story, they were immigrants, and they came to this country with nothing. And some of the people who come through MasterChef have similar backgrounds. Maybe they're first generation Americans. Maybe they come from different ethnicities. And to see the drive and the passion they have for food is very similar"

And as for Joe's co-star, Gordon Ramsay? I had to ask how he has survived working with such a big personality for so many years?

"you get to know Gordon a little bit and his energy is infectious and his enthusiasm for the project, shall we say. And I put him in the category of 'shark people'. Like, keep moving or else you'll die. And he certainly keeps moving".

Catch new episodes of MasterChef Wednesdays on Fox.