I caught an episode of MasterChef by chance on February 21, 2019, on Sky. I stopped to watch because it opened with the introduction of Emanuele, Giacomo, Giovanni, and Luca—young men with Down syndrome who are passionate about cooking. For them, cooking means sharing "love and friendship."
Emanuele, Giacomo, Giovanni, and Luca competed alongside the two brigade teams. It was beautiful to see how quickly they felt part of the group, working with real passion. When chef Barbieri asked Giovanni "how are you?", he answered: "Good—I feel like one of them!" Barbieri shot back: "But you ARE one of them!".
The lunch was held to celebrate forty years of AIPD (the Italian Association of People with Down Syndrome), with sixty guests at table. The young men served the dishes, after other members of the association had handled the setup and place settings—with helpful humor from judge Joe Bastianich. When interviewed, they explained that while serving, they always smile, work quickly, and make sure everyone eats together so no one feels left out. The episode ended in a shower of red confetti and embraces between the judges and the young men.
I was struck by this segment—Bastianich called it one of the most beautiful he'd ever seen on the show. MasterChef is usually a cutthroat competition, yet these young men somehow brought out the judges' true nature. They showed a tenderness free of condescension and a ease that the judges rarely display with regular contestants.
