Melbourne played host to the frenzied excitement of the MasterChef 2012 auditions, with this year’s hopefuls gathering to stake their claim for a Top 50 apron. The amateur chefs each had an hour to prepare a dish and five minutes to present to the judges, requiring at least two ‘yes’ votes to progress through to the next stage. There was a mixture of elation and heartbreak as some made the grade while others suffered from a bad day at the office. With the Top 50 aprons bestowed, the ecstatic recipients were ready to try and fight their way into the Top 24 and a place in the MasterChef kitchen.