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Tay eliminated from 'MasterChef: Legends' over technicality, angry fans call his exit 'unfair'

'That Tay got eliminated instead of Joseph or Alejandro is mind-boggling and so, so unfair,' wrote a fan

Season 11 of 'MasterChef' is the season of legends, so it goes without saying that the competition among the contestants is not only cut-throat but also the bar to impress the judges is pretty high. After managing to consistently perform well and impress judges with his innovative dishes and unique take on classic dishes, Tay Wildberry, a 29-year-old radio host from Omaha, Nebraska managed to make it to the top ten, but his journey on the show has now come to an end.

Tay has time and again been praised by the judges- Aaron Sanchez, Joe Bastianich, and Gordon Ramsay, for his creativity and the unique touch he gives to each of his dishes. So, when the first mystery box challenge of the season featuring some of the freshest and finest ingredients from California was presented to the top ten contestants, the judges had very high expectations from him. 

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The mystery box was brought in by legendary chef Jonathan Waxman who was paying homage to California cuisine by bringing in some of the finest ingredients such as prawns, sea urchin, grapefruit, avocado, and fresh wasabi. The challenge was that the contestants had to whip up a dish using all the five components of the mystery box within one hour. 

Tay decided to cook prawn tostada with cilantro grapefruit slaw and avocado wasabi crema. He was very excited for the judges to try his dish as he was extremely confident about its flavors and taste. Although Tay managed to complete whipping up the dish within one hour and he was satisfied with the outcome, it suddenly hit him that he forgot to incorporate the Uni butter into the dish. Tay left the butter in the refrigerator so he was worried about how the judges would react to this slight lapse. 

The judges placed him in the bottom three. But after tasting the dish they were impressed with the rich flavors, but couldn't ignore the fact that he forgot to add Uni butter to the dish. So, when it was time to pick a home cook who would be going home, they all picked Tay despite his dish tasting fantastic, so he was sent home on account of a technicality. Fans were furious on seeing the judges' decision as they felt that Alejandro Valdivia should have been the one to go home as he has been in the bottom three thrice already. Alejandro's dish hadn't impressed the judges either.

An angry fan tweeted, "Joe literally threw Joseph's plate across the table but Tay is the one going home. Okay then. #MasterChef." "That Tay got eliminated instead of Joseph or Alejandro is mind-boggling and so, so unfair #masterchef," seconded another fan. "Wow but what did you expect Tay dish tasted and looked better than the other two. First time in the bottom but he's black . It never fails. Done with this season. #MasterChef," shared a fan.

Many fans threatened to quit watching the show based on how 'unfair' it is. A fan wrote, "#MasterChef Unfair and Unbelievable sending Tay home. Will not watch MasterChef anymore." "So #MasterChef would rather have sh*t served on a plate by someone who's been in the bottom 3 at least twice rather than have a dish w/ "good flavors" from Tay who's won a competition. If this is what constitutes a "masterchef" then I only have 3 words to say: #BlackLivesMatter," expressed a fan. "I've been disappointed with contestant eliminations before, but this one is beyond atrocious Tay didn't deserve to go out like that. Unless someone tells me they bring him back in the next episode and kick off Joseph instead, I think I'm done with #MasterChef," added a fan.

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