With the 90-minute finale episode drawing an incredible 3.7 million viewers last Sunday it was the most watched non-sports TV show since ratings began.

A recent MX newspaper mentioned runner-up Poh was seen as the winner in the marketing race, having more market appeal among young people and intrigue than the winner. Producing interesting, sometimes crazy dishes in the eyes of the average Australian such as rice congee with 100-year-old egg, along with her quirky personality, makes for a popular appeal.

As an avid fan having followed the contestants’ journey from the very beginning, it was hard not to form favouritisms, whilst observing their transformation in cooking knowledge and skills.  I think what makes Masterchef so unique in comparison to other reality shows such as Big Brother and Australian Idol, is the realisation of talent.  All of the contestants did not have prior expertise in cooking, but with guidance from chefs with years of experience, it was interesting to see what became of them throughout the series.

Watching the finale episode and barracking for Poh, I was interested to see what thoughts everyone had during the advertising breaks. Logging onto Twitter, “Go Poh” and “Go Julie” were trending topics!

It was only in the final break before the announcement I was horrified to see people publicising the winner with posted links to the Sydney Morning Herald articles.  Curiosity got the better of me and the articles concluded Poh the winner. This made me ecstatic but very disappointed that after three months of weekly followings, it was all spoiled by one Tweet!

Having not been true at all, I was again, bitterly disappointed. This is one major downfall in real-time social media. Sometimes the good ol’ fashioned way of finding out news yourself, is best.  I’m just glad that Twitter was not invented when the last Harry Potter book was released.

/Elizabeth.