I agree with Emily. These kids are incredibly talented and don't seem to be coerced at all. They all love what they're doing and help each other when they can. The judges are genuinely impressed at the results the kids turn out and are very helpful and supportive. I worked in the culinary industry for years and this show seems 100% authentic to me.

I can't imagine these kids' parents are too far away from them during filming. These kids have so much talent and they are surprisingly graceful. They're excellent team players and aren't vindictive like the adults can be.

Get ready for 25 more seasons of this crap

While I enjoy Masterchef, I skip this one. It exploits the children who compete, and encourages parents to push or direct their children down paths of precociousness, instead of letting them just be kids.