Saying goodbye to one of the giants: even the judges didn't believe this was the one eliminated from "MasterChef"

Even the judges couldn't believe it: following a particularly challenging task that brought Ethiopian cuisine straight to "MasterChef," we said goodbye to one of the contestants who was a top contender for the final. Jackie Azulay, who returned to the program specifically to close a personal chapter, received the lowest score from the judges and was eliminated. At the dramatic moment of the announcement, she stood next to another giant of the season, Eliav Sasson, and none of the judges or contestants could believe that one of them would have to leave.

Jackie leaves the show having impressed the judges with exceptional dishes—including a perfect score from Yuval Ben Neriah in a previous round.

"Last time you made a perfect dish, a very delicate dish. You said that people think you are pushy and assertive, but that you are also as delicate as that dish and you can't put it into words," Eyal Shani said. "I remembered it at night, and in bed, tears came to my eyes. I loved you endlessly."

Jackie was moved to tears, and chef Avi Biton expressed the feeling of a missed opportunity: "One day we receive a perfect score as cooks, and the next day there are failures. It is sad that you are measured by a less successful dish."

However, Azulay insisted there was no reason to be sad. "I came to close a circle and say a huge thank you for the opportunity to do what I love. I wanted to win, but I teach myself that I am in first place all the time. That's it, it's over, it's a competition and it's a bummer to leave. When they said I was leaving, I realized how mature I am. I have developed to make myself believe that I am good, and I know that I am the best there is wherever I go. It is important for me to say, with Jackie's cynicism, that I have not yet won any reality show. Not yet."