MasterChef interview: Necco Ceresani reflects on elimination, achievments

On Wednesday night’s MasterChef steak was at the focal point of almost everything, but it was also the undoing for Necco Ceresani. He was placed into the group of strong home cooks by Mystery Box winner Newton, but unfortunately, the hanger steak challenge proved to be his undoing. His exit means that we don’t get to learn all about him, which is kind of a shame since we didn’t get to learn all that much about him on the show, either.

Luckily, we do have some more perspective and insight from Necco, described on the show as a 26-year old marketing manager from South Carolina, in our latest exit interview. Enjoy, and be sure to also check out our other weekly MasterChef features with eliminated contestants.

CarterMatt – How do you feel about the overall MasterChef experience looking back on it?

Necco – It was a very special experience. There are no lack of adjectives I could use to describe my time on the show, both good and bad, but special kind of boils it down for me. I laughed, I cried, I made a ton of new friends and learned a lot – not just about cooking, but also about myself. There are definitely some things I would have done differently, but hindsight is 20/20 as they say. I just feel fortunate to have made it as far as I did and for the chance to be a part of the MasterChef family.

It’s weird to say, but do you almost wish that Newton had labeled you one of the weaker home cooks so you wouldn’t have had to compete in the elimination challenge?

I absolutely wish Newton has labeled me as one of the weaker home cooks. I am not a prideful person, but I do like to win. I would have gladly taken the pass in that competition, regardless of what we were cooking. At the end of the day, we are competing for $250,000 and the title of MasterChef. I would have gladly take any pass that would have gotten me a day closer to the finale.

Were you surprised that you were sent home in the end?

I was definitely shocked, and I think you could see it in the episode. I wished the judges had focused a little more on the star of the plate, the steak itself, than on my own personal over-confidence. But, C’est la vie.

There were times when we didn’t see a lot of you this season. What were some of your favorite moments being on the show?

I’ve thought of this question a lot recently and I don’t think there is a better feeling throughout my experience than walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time. To actually be there, competing for an apron, is absolutely insane. I was also fortunate to win two tough team challenges, which felt pretty amazing.

Was there any specific challenge you wanted to be a part of this season but didn’t get a chance to?

The finale hahaha. Honestly, I don’t know what is coming up in the rest of the season, but I imagine I’m going to be kicking myself a couple times wishing I had seared my steak a little harder, so I could have continued competing. The show producers always throw the contestants in crazy situations, which while stressful, are also very special.

What’s next for you now? What are you doing to leverage your experience on the show moving forward?

My passion for all things food has only been ignited further since my participation on MasterChef. While I don’t foresee any personal restaurant ventures in the future, I do currently have my fingers in a couple different pies. My MasterChef journey is over, but I’m expecting this won’t be the last time you see my name on the big screen.

More from this week’s episode

You can head over to this link if you do want to check out our full review from the episode! We’ll be back with an exclusive preview and more next week. (Photo: Fox.)