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'MasterChef: Legends' episode with 'racist' Paula Deen as judge dubbed 'mistake'

'I can’t believe @GordonRamsay is endorsing @Paula_Deen by working with her. She is a racist. Won’t be watching #MasterChef,' declared a fan

What sets Season 11 of 'MasterChef' apart from the previous seasons is the addition of 'Legends' in every episode. Legends aka celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Curtis Stone, Morimoto, etc, have been roped in to help the judges- Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Aaron Sanchez with judging the dishes presented to them on the culinary competition.

The premiere episode of 'MasterChef: Legends' featured legendary chef Emeril Lagasse who is known for his Creole food dropped in to help the judges in handing out the coveted white aprons. The second episode featured handsome chef Curtis Stone assisting the judges with picking the aspiring home cooks that would go on to compete in the culinary competition and the latest episode featured famous Southern queen of desserts aka Paula Deen as the legend. While the judges and contestants were thrilled over having Paula in the kitchen, fans however weren't impressed and began slamming the show and showrunners for roping in Paula as the judge owing to her racist history.

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Back in 2013, Paula made headlines when a few court documents from a lawsuit against her were made public. The documents revealed that the queen of Southern desserts used the N-word several times in front of her employees at one of her restaurants. Paula reportedly said that she no longer used the word, as reported by Delish. "That's just not a word that we use as time has gone on. Things have changed since the '60s in the south. And my children and my brother object to that word being used in any cruel or mean behavior. As well as I do," the celebrity chef said.

She also admitted to wanting her Black employees to dress and behave a certain way while she was planning a wedding party. "I mean, it was really impressive. That restaurant represented a certain era in America … after the Civil War, during the Civil War, before the Civil War … It was not only black men, it was black women … I would say they were slaves," Radar quoted her as saying during the deposition. 

Considering her racist comments from the past, fans weren't pleased to see Paula judging on an episode of their favorite cooking competition show 'MasterChef'. A fan tweeted, "Everytime i hear paula dean’s racist cackle on #MasterChef i cringe." "#MasterChef "People aren't usually this smart at 23!" Yay we got boomer bullsh*t from the racist southerner  this whole episode is a mistake," wrote a fan. "It's ridiculous, especially after everything that happened during her downfall. Who's next, Roseanne Barr? Don't wanna give them any ideas #MasterChef," commented a fan.

Many fans were disappointed watching Paula on the show and wondered what the showrunners were trying to convey by bringing her on the show. A fan expressed, "Mind you, #MasterChef COULD have picked someone who is of color, who is LGBTQ+, or who doesn't have a history of racist behavior...BUT, instead they go out of their way to choose this old has-been who got herself cancelled ages ago. Are they trying to appeal to the MAGA crowd?"

"Really #masterchef you couldn’t find anyone less racist to bring on than Paula Dean? Maybe it’s time to stop watching. And I see a lot of white legends, where is the diversity?" questioned a fan. "I can’t believe @GordonRamsay is endorsing @Paula_Deen by working with her. She is a racist. Won’t be watching #MasterChef," declared a fan.

'MasterChef: Legends' Season 11 airs every Wednesday at 8/7c only on FOX.