MasterChef Australia season 8
Chef Matt Preston, George Calombaris, and Gary Mehigan will return as host and judges of the show Network Ten

The wait is almost over. MasterChef Australia season 8 will premiere in Australia on 1 May with 24 new amateur cooks who will go on a mouthwatering journey for the title. Fan favourite chef judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan will return to mentor and polish the culinary skills of the contestants.

Click here to watch the premiere show live stream online on Network Ten's official website in Australia.

Marco Pierre White will also return as a guest judge and the mystery dish challenger for the popular cookery reality show. British chef Nigella Lawson will appear in a few episodes of the reality show to challenge the contestants to prepare one of her signature dishes.

Knowing the immense popularity of the show even outside Australia, Preston has hinted that this time the competition will be a lot tougher. "Contestants come in a number of different flavours," he told Yahoo. "They come as the ones who come as great cooks, and they come as the ones we can develop into great cooks and who grow during the series; I think of Adam Liaw, Andy Allen and Brent Owens as great examples of that."

He also warned that the eviction will be a bit like The Game Of Throne as anyone can be in the danger zone as the show proceeds. "You just don't know who is going to go next; no one is safe."

In a promo video of MasterChef, Mehigan claims that the show is the best apprentice in the world. The show is popular for the unique and spectacular dishes prepared by the untrained chefs and many have made their names known in the culinary industry right after they left the show.

"That's the great thing, the heritage of the show, the fact we can point to all these people who have done so many brilliant things in the industry. There's a real sense that you don't need to win the show to have a big success," Preston added.

MasterChef Australia 2016 will premiere on 1 May at 7.30 pm in Australia on Network Ten.