I think reality TV now needs a big kick up the a - to get creative and be meaningful, I think. Otherwise, people are becoming famous for having no talent, based on pure exposure. That's the grating part.

Two key ingredients in any successful chef: a quick learner and someone with a sharp brain.

Being assertive and somewhat really firm has to be backed up with being fair.

There's a bond among a kitchen staff, I think. You spend more time with your chef in the kitchen than you do with your own family.

What you're experiencing now [on "MasterChef," on "Junior"] is what life's going to be like for the next four, five decades. You're going to go through those bumps. Bringing you back in contention and giving you that kind of confidence, they're huge. But they let it go, there's no fear, they're naughty, they're rude, and they know there's no parents and there's no school teacher so they can have fun, and it shows.

How many chefs do we know that prefer cooking for chefs than they do customers, yet customers are returning repeatedly and it's the level of support that determines the level of success that restaurant will have.

I didn't get depressed, I don't get depressed.