TORONTO (January 18, 2016) – Cupid’s arrow strikes a new batch of home cooks as Canada’s favourite food fight returns with MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 3 airing Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT beginning Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV GO app. With food and love intimately intertwined, gourmands and food-lovers from a diverse array of backgrounds and with varying expertise, step out of their homes and into the MASTERCHEF CANADA Kitchen to test their skills as they face-off against their fellow competitors. Challenge after challenge, viewers see who is meant to be as these talented home cooks turn up the heat on the audition process, preparing signature dishes for esteemed judges Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung, and Claudio Aprile.

The premiere episode will be available to viewers early through an exclusive preview beginning Monday, Feb. 8 at CTV.ca, the CTV GO app, and on set top box. New episodes of MASTERCHEF CANADA will also be available on demand at CTV.ca and on the CTV GO app, and will encore Mondays at 8 p.m. ET beginning Feb. 15 on M3, Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT beginning Feb. 20 on CTV Two, and Sundays at 5 p.m. ET/PT beginning Feb. 21 on CTV. Viewers can check out past MASTERCHEF CANADA episodes back-to-back with Seasons 1 and 2 streaming now exclusively on CraveTV^TM.

“After two outstanding seasons of this series, it’s no surprise that Canadians have rallied behind these home cooks to make MASTERCHEF CANADA a fan favourite nationwide,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV. “The Sunday at 7 p.m. timeslot provides a great opportunity for family viewing, and MASTERCHEF CANADA fans have a lot to look forward to this season with a new, diverse batch of home cooks and exciting new challenges.”

Finishing its second season with an average audience of 1.7 million viewers, MASTERCHEF CANADA was the #1 Canadian series last spring among total viewers, A18-49, and A25-54, and appetites are whet for a new season of drama and kitchen competition. At stake this season is a $100,000 cash prize and the title of Canada’s next MasterChef, giving the Season 3 finalists every incentive to put their signature dishes on the line for a shot at being the last one standing in the kitchen.

The Top 40 cooking for the MASTERCHEF CANADA title are:

• Alawn Lai, a Real Estate Developer from Markham, Ont.
• Alex Gabriele, a Sales Administrator from Montréal, Qué.
• Allie Romao, a Staffing Consultant from Edmonton, Alta.
• Amanda Caruso, a Costumer from Montréal, Qué.
• Amanda Gill, an Athletics and Student Life Coordinator from Montréal, Qué.
• April Lee Baker, a Homemaker from Calgary, Alta.
• Carlo Lato, a Server from Montréal, Qué.
• Carrla Cowley, a High School Teacher from Sturgeon County, Alta.
• Coco Perron, in Customer Service from Montréal, Qué.
• Danae Daniels, a Model from Vancouver, B.C.
• Dave Kantor, VP Operations, Telecommunications from Edmonton, Alta.
• David Young, a Carpenter from Moncton, N.B.
• Domingo Lumanog, a Brand Manager from Calgary, Alta.
• Dru Davids, a Graphic Designer from Edmonton, Alta.
• Elizabeth Bowers, an Administrator from Toronto, Ont.
• Ernie Chow, a Management Consultant from Toronto, Ont.
• Fanassa Kettle, a Pharmacist from Montréal, Qué.
• Jacqueline Clark, an Accountant from Abbotsford, B.C.
• Jasdeep Sra, a Carpenter from Surrey, B.C.
• Jennifer Baglione, a Salon Manager from Maple, Ont.
• Jeremy Senaris, a Building Plan Examiner from Winnipeg, Man.
• Jose Torres, a Flight Attendant from Calgary, Alta.
• Julia Mark, a Makeup Artist from Burnaby, B.C.
• Kendra Olesen, a Server from Saskatoon, Sask.
• Les Barr, a Farmer from Digby, N.S.
• Mags Kandis, a Writer and Designer from Wellington, Ont.
• Mary Berg, an Insurance Broker from Toronto, Ont.
• Matthew Astorga, a Digital Design Consultant from Pitt Meadows, B.C.
• Michelle Nault, a Teacher from Bolton, Ont.
• Mike Johnson, a Student and Cheerleader from London, Ont.
• Nicole Olthius, a Stay-At-Home Mom from Cardston, Alta.
• Reno Vaccaro, a Phys Ed Teacher from Montréal, Qué.
• Robyn Held, an Investment Banker from Toronto, Ont.
• Sean Hickey, an Auto Worker from London, Ont.
• Shawn Karls, a Doctor from Montréal, Qué.
• Terry Adido, a PhD Law Student from Edmonton, Alta.
• Travis Petersen, Manager, Oil and Gas Industry, Calgary, Alta.
• Veronica Cham, a Lawyer from Toronto, Ont.
• Vince Spitale, a Contractor from Pickering, Ont.
• Zhara Mian, Unemployed from Toronto, Ont.

In the premiere episode (Sunday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. ET/PT), following national auditions to discover Canada’s most promising home cooks, the finalists handle their first pressure cooker of the competition as they prepare their signature dish for judges Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung, and Claudio Aprile. For some, this will be the kiss of death as the judges’ discriminating palates will determine whose plates are worthy of a coveted white apron. With the home cooks requiring a ‘yes’ from each judge to receive an apron this season, it’s harder than ever for the finalists to make it into the coveted Top 14. When the competition continues during the second episode, airing Sunday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, a select number of home cooks will compete in a head-to-head challenge with the hope of advancing in the competition and reaching the Top 14.

Viewers can visit CTV.ca/MasterChefCanada for exclusive content throughout the season, including additional details about this season’s finalists and the MASTERCHEF CANADA judges, as well as interviews, recipes, and more. Fans can also watch exclusive must-see videos where the home cooks are put to the test with rapid-fire questions and share their ‘Best, Worst, and First’ dishes. CTV.ca also serves up a behind-the-scenes look at this season’s challenges and delectable dishes.

The MASTERCHEF format and finished programmes are represented internationally by Endemol Shine Group, and is based on a format originally created by Franc Roddam.

MASTERCHEF CANADA is produced by Proper Television in association with CTV. President of Proper Television, Guy O'Sullivan is executive producer, along with Proper's Vice-President and Creative Director, Cathie James. For Bell Media, Tina Apostolopoulos is Production Executive, Factual and Reality, Independent Production; Robin Johnston is Director, Factual and Reality, Independent Production; Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production; Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV; Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting.