MasterChef Junior interview: Ariana Feygin talks surprising elimination
So what did she think about her elimination, her time in the competition, and the exposure that some of her heritage got as a part of the series? We touch on all of these subjects in a new exit interview!
CarterMatt – What made you want to be a part of the show this season?
Ariana – I have watched MasterChef Junior since the first season and I was so inspired by the passion and love for food the kids and judges had. It was such an incredible opportunity to grow as a chef, a leader, and teammate. It has been my lifelong dream to compete on the show and when I saw there was an open call, I was determined to make it happen!
What was your favorite moment from your time in the competition?
One of my favorite moments on the show was leading my team to victory as team captain after successfully catering a wedding! My leadership was put to the test in many ways and I worked so, so hard during the challenge. The feeling that I didn’t let my team down and knowing the importance of our accomplishment was priceless.
Before your final episode, did you feel like you had a really good shot to win? I know that you were a favorite for a lot of people out there!
Being eliminated at that stage of the competition was definitely disappointing. I felt confident in my abilities and had excelled in almost every challenge up to that point. I didn’t expect my journey to end that way but the judges had to make a decision based solely on that one dish. However, I still had the most amazing experience and could not be more thankful for such an incredible opportunity to represent Minnesota and my heritage.
You spoke a good bit about food hailing from Belarus on the show, a cuisine that I don’t think too many Americans are familiar with. Have people wanted to talk with you more about it since seeing you on the show?
It was so exciting to be able to showcase my heritage during my time on the show. Having both my parents come from Belarus (eastern Europe), I have gotten to learn more about the beautiful culture and food there. It is so much fun to incorporate what I have learned from my family in my dishes and it feels special to be able to share it with so many people.
What was the biggest lesson you learned from being on MasterChef Junior?
The biggest lesson I learned on the show was the incredible amount of focus and communication it requires to work in a real life kitchen team. If you lose your rhythm for a single moment, the service could be completely derailed. It really requires an enormous amount of concentration and teamwork in order to be successful in such an environment.
What do you want to do in food next?
Competing on MasterChef Junior has gotten me even more excited about my future in the food industry! I would love to develop my own company related to food and have my own cooking show. But most importantly, I want to leverage my passion for cooking as a platform to make the world a better place and hope to inspire other kids to chase their dreams and reach for the stars.
Related – Be sure to get some other contest on this season, including interviews
Want more news on MasterChef Junior?
Whether it be reviews, interviews, or other great content, you can check out all of it just by liking CarterMatt on Facebook right now. (Photo: Fox.)