A contestant on MasterChef Spain has sparked fierce online debate after refusing to cook pork on religious grounds, with judges putting her at risk of elimination as a result, soon after.
Soko, a Muslim contestant on the Spanish version of the hit show, told judges: “For me, my religion is more important than anything else.”
The row came after the Gambian-born nurse had already been criticised for misusing an expensive cut of meat earlier in the episode.
During the task, Soko attempted to create a sauce using a premium entrecôte steak after failing to find the ingredients she originally wanted, prompting disbelief from the judging panel.
The row came after the Gambian-born nurse had already been criticised for misusing an expensive cut of meat
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MASTERCHEF ESPANA
“This pot is worth €150. This dish would be priceless,” one judge remarked.
Although she apologised and admitted she had failed to “respect the product,” the situation quickly intensified when the discussion turned to cooking pork.
Soko made clear she would not handle pork under any circumstances.
She told the judges: “If something is haram, if it’s forbidden, then if you can’t eat it, you shouldn’t handle it either.”
The judges sent Sako straight to elimination
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MASTERCHEF ESPANA
Judges responded bluntly: “Here, you come to cook everything,” before handing her a black apron and sending her into the elimination round.
The exchange has since gone viral, with viewers sharply divided over whether the contestant’s stance should have been respected.
Some criticised the programme for putting her in that position at all.
At the end of the instalment, Soko managed to avoid elimination as the judges sent home fellow contestant, Vicente.
Soko, a Muslim contestant on MasterChef Spain, refuses to cook pork: “For me, my religion is more important than anything else.”
The judges send her straight to elimination: “Here, you come to cook everything.”
— Azat (@AzatAlsalim) April 9, 2026
Soko refused to cook pork on religious grounds
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MASTERCHEF ESPANA
The controversy is not the first of its kind for the MasterChef franchise, which has repeatedly faced scrutiny over how it handles religious and cultural sensitivities.
In MasterChef Australia, contestant Amina Elshafei was eliminated during a pork-based challenge, while in the following year, Samira El Khafir exited the competition under similar circumstances.
Ms Elshafei later returned for the 2020 Back to Win series, where she was required to cook non-halal beef.
Unable to taste the dish herself, a fellow contestant stepped in to help.
Soko was handed a black apron which put her at risk of elimination
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MASTERCHEF ESPANA
Elsewhere, contestants have spoken about other challenges.
Shelina Permalloo, who won MasterChef UK in 2012, previously highlighted the difficulties of navigating a food industry heavily centred around alcohol, which she does not consume for religious reasons.
The show has also faced wider cultural controversies, including the so-called “RendangGate” scandal in 2018, when judges were accused of cultural ignorance for criticising a traditional Malaysian dish for not being “crispy.”