Who was eliminated on MasterChef: Dynamic Duos'?

Ashley and Ricky, a sibling duo, were sent home on Night 2 of MasterChef: Dynamic Duos when their dish placed them in the bottom three. They had had a solid show, holding together the tears and grief with a strong family connection and a drive to show the judges as well, but they did not move to the next round after their Mystery Box challenge.

“Being eliminated definitely sucks,”

Ashley said, summing up the sentiment of a tough night in the kitchen.

From 11 hopeful duos, only 10 remain as the competition heats up. With sweet and spicy ingredients and high expectations, the second round pushed contestants to their limits. Here’s how the drama unfolded and what led to Ashley and Ricky’s exit.

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Sweet, spicy, and a MasterChef elimination twist

The Mystery Box challenge this week wasn’t a typical one. Instead of one box, each station had two: one with sweet ingredients and the other with spicy ingredients. Contestants were told to combine at least two items from each box. But the biggest surprise? They didn’t get to pick their protein. That job went to Michelle and Zach, who had won the previous challenge.

As the judges—Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Tiffany Derry watched closely, it became clear that some duos were thriving while others were falling behind. Though Michelle and Zach had the advantage of assigning proteins, their own strategy nearly backfired.

But for Ashley and Ricky, the challenge proved too much. Their dish failed to hit the right notes, and by the end of the night, they were sent home.

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What went wrong for Ashley and Ricky?

Ashley and Ricky were eliminated after their dish landed in the bottom three alongside Azu and Javier, and the very duo who chose the proteins, Michelle and Zach. While Michelle and Zach narrowly escaped elimination, Ashley and Ricky weren’t so lucky.

“I think our big, loud Italian family are going to be proud of us,”

Ricky said after the decision was announced.

“They are not going to hate us because we had one bad dish.”

Ashley, a bit more blunt, added:

“There’s no other way to say it. It looked like an amateur dish. You can’t really hide it.”

Their exit was the first proper shake-up of the season. The siblings bid an emotional, tear-filled goodbye as they wrapped up their MasterChef cooking experiences. knowing they had given everything they had, but it just wasn’t good enough on the day.

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The duos who advanced

While Ashley and Ricky were sent home, ten other teams managed to hold on to their aprons. Adam and Joel, the brothers from Georgia, and Azu and Javier, the divorced Miami duo, made it through. Darce and Courtney, who work together as animal ER nurses, stayed strong in the competition. Jessica and Jesse impressed the judges with their dish and were among the first called up.

Other duos who survived the round include Kayla and Ryan Kate from MasterChef Junior, and Rachel and Julio. Michelle and Zach, despite their protein-picking backfire, also advanced.

That left Ashley and Ricky as the only team packing their knives this week. But their exit proves just how high the bar is set, as even one off-dish can end your journey.

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What’s coming up next on MasterChef

With ten duos left in the game, the competition is only getting tougher. The upcoming team challenge will test cooking skills, communication, leadership, and strategy. And with Rachel and Julio picking their own squad, the pressure’s already on.

As for the rest of the duos, they’ve survived two eliminations, but nothing is guaranteed. The MasterChef kitchen doesn’t tolerate off days, and everyone knows it. One bad decision, one undercooked element, or one poorly balanced flavor can shut the door.

Ashley and Ricky’s elimination serves as a reminder that even with strong chemistry, you’ve got to bring more than just heart to the MasterChef table.

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MasterChef continues Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.