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I only have one wrinkle, and I sit on it!

Thomas "Tommy" Walton (born July 25, 1961) was a contestant on Seasons 6 and 12 of MasterChef. On Season 6, he ranked in 7th place, and on Season 12, he ranked in 15th place.

Personality

Tommy is one of the most memorable, nicest, and funniest contestants to ever appear in the history of the show,.

In Season 6, Tommy came into the competition being quirky, artistic, light-hearted, and flamboyant. From the beginning, he started off with an ego and while this turned out to be arrogance, he quickly dialed down his overconfidence and became one of the strongest cooks of the season after a disastrous Pressure Test. Although he was able to succeed individually, he could easily fall apart whenever it came to team challenges as he would often be frazzled and disorganized while working with others, which led to his elimination. Due to his sense of humor and overall silly attitude, he was generally well-liked by the other home cooks, except for Katrina, who was the only contestant who was annoyed with his behavior, but usually for a self-absorbed, petty, or seemingly no reason for hating him.

In Season 12, he returned with the same personality but got off to a very poor start where he landed in the bottom of the first two challenges, but was saved due to previous season frontrunners Stephen and Cate making more simple mistakes. He remained in the middle for a few more challenges before making a big mistake in the "Bake to Win" Challenge where he accidently put his tart dough in the blast chiller with it being frozen. This mistake ultimately sealed his fate and lead to his elimination.

Season 6

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Episode 10

Tommy won his first mystery box challenge during the Mystery Box Challenge. The mystery box was filled with rice and Tommy created a delicious Bamboo Rice Jambalaya. Gordon like the dish so much so that he stumbled with his words and accidently made a homosexual joke (ironically Gordon has a wife, while Tommy has a husband). The prize for winning this challenge was for his dish to be featured in Family Circle Magazine. He was also safe from participating in the pressure test, making him the first contestant to enter the Top 10. He also got to decide what the contestants would use as the main ingredient for the pressure test. The theme of the pressure test was pairs, and out of choices (pineapple & ham, tomato & basil, and peanut butter & jelly) he chose the PB&J. He also had a choice of saving two contestant from elimination. While he chose Claudia as his first, she refused and participated in the elimination challenge (proving her skills in the process that she didn't need to be saved) he then chose to save Nick, who gladly accepted the saving. So much so that Nick gave Tommy a bear hug.

Episode 11

Episode 12

Episode 13

Episode 14

Episode 15

Tommy was eliminated from the Top 7 on MasterChef during a team pressure test challenge. He was partnered with Katrina and needed to replicate an elaborate party platter. They made it to the bottom two teams and as only one contestant was being eliminated, Tommy was asked to take his apron off and leave the competition. He left in true Tommy Walton style with his signature flair.

Episode 19

Episode 20

Competition History

Week 3 In/Immune
Week 4 Low
Week 5 In/In
Week 6 Win
Week 7 In/In
Week 8 Win
Week 9 In/Immune
Week 10 Win/Immune
Week 11 Win
Week 12 Low
Week 13 High/Win
Week 14 Win
Week 15 In/Eliminated

Season 7

Episode 4

Tommy made an appearance at fellow Season 6 contestant, Nick Nappi's wedding.

Season 10

Episode 4

Tommy made an appearance as a guest at the Season 10 Pool Party.

Season 12

Episode 2

Competition History

Week 4 Low
Week 5 Low
Week 6 Win
Week 7 In
Week 8 In
Week 9 Eliminated

Post MasterChef

  • After his first appearance, Tommy regularly appears on cookery segments on a local tv station, is a teacher, designer and a brand ambassador for Daelmans.

Trivia

Season 6

  • At 53, he is the oldest man of the season.

Season 12

  • At 59, he is the oldest contestant of the season.
  • He is the fourth contestant who received more bottom entries during their second run on the show. Following Stephen, Cate and Dara (All from Season 12)

Quotes

Season 6

  • (Introduction) "I am sure some of the other contestants will, you know, have to take my with a grain of salt, but I'm a regular guy from the south side of Chicago who's made good. I've been a fashion designer for my entire life, and I think fashion and food is related. It is a visual art form. My food is really pretty to look at. You have to eat with your eyes before you eat with your stomach."
  • (Before facing off against Stephen) "I don't like to be overconfident, but I'm the next MasterChef."
  • "I want that MasterChef apron more than I want a Chanel Haute Couture dress."
  • "I only have one wrinkle and I sit on it."
  • "Baking is not my forte. I don't even eat cinnamon rolls! Obviously, Katrina knows more about pies, cakes, cookies, donuts, and cinnamon rolls than I do, so I've got to bring it.
  • "No, I'm not done. I'm gonna whoop some serious ass. I'm from Chicago."
  • Ramsay: "Who do you want to leave the competition?"
    Tommy: "The bitch who tried to throw me under the bus, Katrina. I should show her a lesson."
  • (When running late during the cinnamon rolls pressure test) "That box, that the cinnamon rolls are supposed to go in, that's my casket."
  • "They call it the dreaded Pressure Test for a reason, and I am the recipient of 100% full...dread...from the Cosmos."
  • (When describing his cinnamon rolls) "I really wanted to do something with green tea, I love the color and then the perfume of the pistachio nuts and orange zest together would create a symphony for your mouth."
  • (While being judged for his cinnamon rolls) The first tuxedo is not gonna come out great. There's always number two and number three."
  • "I have never been more embarrassed and here I am, in the MasterChef kitchen, looking like a straight-up fool; and Katrina is laughing at me. At ME, Tommy Walton."
  • "Everywhere I go, I'm just getting full-on volcanic hatred from everybody. I'm just trying to help, and all I'm getting is STABBED IN THE EYEBALLS WITH A SHARP STICK!"
  • (About Christopher overcooking the oysters) "Being Creole, I know my way around oysters. I know oysters cooked grilled, raw, flambéed, in Thanksgiving stuffing, but they're not listening to me."
  • "I hate to say it, but I told you. I TOLD you."
  • (After Ramsay makes a homosexual comment about himself with him) "The truth comes out!"
  • "Gordon Ramsay loves my dish so much; he wants to wake up with me! Gordon Ramsay, you are such a bad boy!"
  • "I'm starting to sweat like James Brown"
  • "I'm trying to plate these plates and get these plates out, and all I can hear is 'TOMMY DON'T, TOMMY, TOMMY, PLEASE!' Don't uwghuwghuwgh OH, GOD!'
  • "It's like three wild dogs in the yard BARKING AND BARKING AND BITING at each other. Do you know what I have to say about that?!"
  • (To Katrina) "Shut up!"
  • "That's right. SHUT UP!"
  • (After telling Katrina to shut up) "Miraculously, she shut up. I should do that more often."
  • (After being eliminated) "I feel absolutely blessed that I was a part of this MasterChef journey. Coming here as a fashion designer, I was gonna do all fancified, Europeanised versions of food, but it took me to come all the way here to MasterChef for me to go back home; but the most incredible experience of all was having Gordon, Graham, and Christina as mentors. I'm used to being misunderstood my entire life; I've always had to explain to everybody why I am the way I am, but here, I know I got to represent myself truthfully and be who I am which is a big bright shining multi-faceted disco ball."

Season 12

  • "Since being on MasterChef, I've done morning cooking shows and I wound up being a brand ambassador in the Netherlands. My competitors think that I'm all talk and all fashion, but you know what? I'm ready to showdown in this kitchen."
  • "This is my wishbone. You go get your own wishbone, Joe."
  • (About the Spirits Mystery Box) "I like to drink a nice glass of white wine or champagne. I've never cooked with scotch. I've never tasted scotch. Does it go with something sweet, something savory? I have no idea, but I know one thing. I've gotta think of something fast."
  • (About the Baking challenge) "I love baking, but I like to take my time in the solemnity and calmness of my kitchen at home and this is not a calm kitchen."
  • (After being eliminated) "Today I had an absolute cascade of disaster, but every tough lesson is a life lesson. I was really glad to be here with the most talented people. It's the best of the best, and I didn't do my best tonight, so I'm going home."

Gallery

Season 6

Season 7

Season 10

Season 12

External links


References

MasterChef U.S. Season 6
Judges

Gordon RamsayGraham ElliotChristina Tosi

Contestants

Justin BanisterDarah CarattiniCharlie ChapmanVeronica CiliDan ColladoOlivia CrouppenAilsa Von DobeneckShelly FlashKatrina KozarStephen LeeChristopher LuMateo McConnellNick NappiDerrick PeltzKerry PrinceJesse RomeroAmanda SaabClaudia SandovalHetal VasavadaTommy WaltonBrianna WatsonSara Zacek

MasterChef U.S. Season 12: Back to Win
Judges
Gordon RamsayAarón SánchezJoe Bastianich
Contestants
Bri BakerFred ChangSamantha DailyShelly FlashDerrick FoxChristian GreenEmily HallockStephen LeeGabriel LewisBowen LiCate MeadeWillie MikeBrandi MuddShanika PattersonAmanda SaabMichael SilversteinAlejandro ValdiviaTommy WaltonShayne WellsDara Yu
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