Tilly Ramsay Tells Us What It Was Like Working With Her Dad On MasterChef Junior (p1)

Tilly Ramsay is no stranger to the spotlight, having grown up watching her culinary icon father Gordon Ramsay dazzle fans with his cooking skills and sharp wit. However, she has already created an impressive portfolio for herself, launching her own cookbook, amassing more than 11 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, and appearing on multiple shows like “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Next Level Chef U.K.” The 22-year-old told us in an exclusive interview that she would watch her dad behind-the-scenes as a child and felt inspired to one day follow in his footsteps. She’s done just that.

After appearing on “MasterChef Junior” multiple times since she was just 12 years old, Tilly Ramsay has now made the big shift to being a judge on the hit series. Season 9 premieres March 4 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox. It will also feature celebrity chefs Aarón Sánchez, Daphne Oz, and the patriarch himself, Gordon Ramsay. This year, talented kids between the ages of 8 and 13 will compete in a series of challenges — like cooking a meal for the Harlem Globe Trotters and a field competition at the iconic Magic Castle in Los Angeles — to take home $100,000 in prize money.

Tilly revealed to us what it was like working so closely with her father, what fans can expect to see this season, the impressive first meal she mastered at a young age, and what she’s most proud to make for her family full of cooks.

What it was like on the set of ‘MasterChef Junior’

You’ve appeared on “MasterChef Junior” many times throughout the years. What made you officially decide to make the leap to be a judge on the show?

I loved coming on from a young age with my dad. I think I was first age 12 when I came on. I loved watching what he’s done. In school holidays, I used to sit at the side of the set and watch him and the other judges and watch the kids, which was always really cool. Then, when I was asked to do the Christmas special, that was important to me. I had so much fun doing that. It was a very fun time. And then getting asked to do a full season was a dream come true because I got to do everything I’ve admired my dad doing for years.

What can fans expect to see this season that’s different from seasons past?

This season is very competitive; everyone was incredibly good. It was full of passion, it was energetic, and some amazing challenges. And what I think is so nice is every season is different because it comes with different characters. You’ve also got different challenges. It’s all very exciting.

In a recent interview, Aarón Sánchez said you bring a “youthful exuberance” to the show. What was it like to be at the judge’s table with him as well as Daphne Oz?

It was amazing getting to be around Daphne and Aarón. They’re so knowledgeable, and they’re so passionate as well. Learning from them was really cool. Aarón, he makes me laugh a lot. He and my dad, they wind each other up. They’re always a bit like brothers. They jab at each other. They have a lot of fun. Hearing his food stories and his style of cooking is very interesting to me. Because again, it’s different to what my dad does, it’s different to what I know. So it’s just exciting learning.

And then being around Daphne, for me, she’s like a role model. She’s so cool. She is also so knowledgeable, and I’ve learned her story of how she became who she is and what she does, all the different ways she learned about food, and all the different experiences she had. Hearing that just excites me, and the things that I could do and what different routes you can go down, which is pretty exciting.

I felt like I was constantly learning, even hearing them critique a dish, hearing them say their personal changes, what they would do slightly differently, or what they really liked. Then I go home and I’m like, “Oh, if I’m making that, remember, Aarón said he would do this and Daphne would do that.” It just felt like I learned so much.

What it was like working with her dad as a judge

Was it difficult at all for your dad to turn off “dad mode” and treat you like a professional peer?

Yes and no because he knows how hard I want to work, and it’s a big thing. I’ve grown up with both my parents busy in different jobs and doing different things and I’ve seen their work ethic and it’s always inspired me to be like them. Dad’s always said, “You put in the hours, you get results.” So, I’d like to think he didn’t have to feel like he had to turn off dad mode. That he could see that I was trying my best to be as good as I could be in a new situation.

You guys seem like you have a great relationship. Was he at all a micromanager, or did he let you do your own thing?

I’d say he let me do my own thing for sure. There are times he’s a micromanager. When I’m cooking at home, he’ll come in and be like, “No, no, no, remember, do it this way.” And I’m like, “No, Dad, I’m doing it this way.”

And as much as it pains him to hear the words “no,” I think he’s learned that I’ve got to learn to have my own style and hold my own in just a certain way. So, no, I wouldn’t say he micromanages. He only really does that when he wants to get involved with what I’m doing in the kitchen.

Were there any challenges you faced working together?

I personally wouldn’t say that was a challenge. I enjoyed every minute of it. I felt so lucky seeing him, and trying to be like him was really cool. We just wind each other up a lot of the time. We tease each other. We just have fun. That’s always great. The challenge would be trying to be as good as he is. That’s what I always want to be, like have his work ethic, try and gain as much knowledge as I can to be like him.