A young chef whose father works as a firefighter for Marion County is one of the final seven contestants on MasterChef Junior.
Michael Seegobin is currently competing in season nine of the show, which airs on Fox and features celebrity chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay.
Seegobin has showcased his skills in the first four episodes of the show, which have aired weekly on Monday from March 4 to March 25. He was among 12 contestants who were selected from hundreds of applicants.
Over the first four weeks of the competition, five other young chefs have been dismissed from the competition.
During the most recent episode, contestants visited the Magic Castle, which is a popular clubhouse for magicians and magic enthusiasts that is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Seegobin and his fellow chefs were tasked with feeding all of the staff and magicians who are part of the Academy of Magical Arts at the facility.
Seegobin was selected as the captain of his team for the episode, which aired on March 25.
“Being a team captain, the biggest challenge for me is making sure that everything is cooked good, making sure people are communicating,” said Seegobin during the episode.
He and his teammates developed a menu together and then worked to execute their dishes for multiple waves of tables.
Despite a couple of hiccups, Michael’s team successfully navigated the task at hand and claimed victory in the episode. One of Michael’s teammates praised his leadership in the victory.
“I’m so proud of my team and Michael, because, if we didn’t have him, I don’t know what we would have done,” said Bryson, an 11-year-old chef from Alabama.
A preview for the next episode shows contestants will be faced with a “nightmare challenge” wherein they will have to use ingredients they “hate” to make something “delicious,” according to Ramsay.
Michael, who loves to cook seafood and is currently working on his pastry skills, is the son of Dean Seegobin, a 21-year Marion County Fire Rescue veteran.
The young chef’s father is currently assigned to MCFR Station 27 in Weirsdale.
Tune in and cheer on Michael Seegobin during the next episode of MasterChef Junior on Monday, April 15, at 8 p.m. on Fox.