Mary Jayne Buckingham

“

I am a nice good Southern lady, but I will bless your heart on one hand and I will kick your ass in the other.

”

Hometown	Bastrop, TX
Age	59
Occupation	Hospice Nursing Assistant
Statistics
Placement	13th (Withdrew)
Episode Eliminated	Legends: Michael Mina - Meat Roulette

Mary Jayne Buckingham was a contestant on Season 11: Legends of MasterChef. She ranked in 13th place.

Personality

Mary Jayne had a heart of gold and was sweet to her fellow contestants. She exhibited a strong passion for cooking and was energetically enthused by each guest chef appearance. Her audition showed great potential, as the judges were fighting over who would get the last bite of her dish. Unfortunately for Mary Jayne, she was denied the opportunity to fully showcase her talent by an illness that forced her to prematurely withdraw from the competition.

Competition History

Week 4	In
Week 5	In
Week 6	Withdrew

Post MasterChef

• After her appearance, Mary Jayne has hosted a number of online baking classes.
• On March 9, 2022, Mary Jayne filed a lawsuit to the production of MasterChef for pressuring her to film and not giving her medical treatment despite her suffering from a stroke.

Trivia

• At 59, she is the oldest contestant of the season.
• She is the third contestant to withdraw, first being Gordon (Season 5) and second being Dan (Season 6).
  • She is also the second contestant to withdraw due to illness, first being Gordon.
  • She is the first female contestant to withdraw.
• She is the second contestant to have their audition dish licked clean by Gordon, after Fred.

Quotes

• "Flippin' doo-dah"
• "I am a nice good Southern lady, but I will bless your heart on one hand and I will kick your ass in the other."
• (During the Monkfish Challenge) "The only thing going through my head is 'Check please.'"

Gallery

Mary Jayne's Confessional

Mary Jayne's Audition Dessert

Mary Jayne receiving her Apron

The Announcement of Mary Jayne's Withdrawal