Samantha Daily

Hometown	West Des Moines, IA
Age	20 (Season 9) 23 (Season 12)
Occupation	College Student (Season 9) Pastry Chef (Season 12)
Statistics
Mystery Box(es) Won	1 (Season 9) 0 (Season 12)
Elimination Test(s) Won	0 (Season 9) 0 (Season 12)
Team Challenge(s) Won	3 (Season 9) 0 (Season 12)
Pressure Test(s) Survived	3 (Season 9) 1 (Season 12)
Top Entries	3 (Season 9) 0 (Season 12)
Bottom Entries	8 (Season 9) 1 (Season 12)
Placement	4th (Season 9) 17th (Season 12)
Episode Eliminated	The Semi Final (Season 9) Gordon Ramsay loves vegans! (Season 12)

Samantha Daily was a contestant on Seasons 9 and 12 of MasterChef. On Season 9, she was mentored by Gordon Ramsay and ranked in 4th place, and on Season 12, she ranked in 17th place.

Personality

In Season 9, Samantha was a great cook with a kind heart, but had an overall inconsistent string of performances. She started off somewhat weakly, barely getting an apron and struggling in multiple Skills Tests, and she lacked proper knowledge of other cuisines at first. She would also get emotional when she has dishes that are poorly executed, or when she knew she could do better. However, she also did well on numerous occasions, being able to use her style of cooking to her advantage in multiple Mystery Boxes and some Pressure Tests. Unfortunately, she went into a downward spiral at the Final 6, and inevitably was eliminated right before the finale for the mistakes she made in her Three Course Replications.

In Season 12, Samantha supposedly came back with much more knowledge of food than she did last time, getting an apron more easily with a supposedly complicated pasta dish. However, she was nowhere near as well-performing in the kitchen, often making basic mistakes and eventually getting tripped up by a Vegan challenge, being eliminated by a dish that was said to be incomplete and bland.

Competition History

Week 4	In/Immune
Week 5	Low/In
Week 6	Win
Week 7	High/Low
Week 8	Win
Week 9	Win/Immune
Week 10	In/Immune
Week 11	Pressure Test
Week 12	In/In
Week 13	In/Low
Week 14	Win
Week 15	In/In
Week 16	Pressure Test
Week 18	High/In
Week 19	Low
Week 20	In/In
Week 21	Low/Low/Win
Week 22	Eliminated

Season 10

Episode 4

Samantha made a cameo appearance as a guest at the Season 10 Pool Party.

Competition History

Week 4	In
Week 5	In
Week 6	Lose
Week 7	Eliminated

Post MasterChef

• After her first appearance, Samantha ran cookery classes and worked in a bakery, decorating cupcakes at Scratch Cupcakery and hosting at Trostel's Dish throughout Autumn 2018.
• In January 2019, she became a university student at the International Culinary Center in Manhattan, taking up Gordon's offer of culinary training.
  • While in culinary school, she also worked part time in Momofuku Milk bar in New York as well.
• After graduating from culinary school in November 2019, Samantha worked at a NYC restaurant and had plans to travel to Europe, but due to the coronavirus, the restaurant shut down.
• She has since relocated to Iowa and worked as an Assistant Manager/Cake Decorator/Social Media and Wedding Coordinator at The Bake Shoppe Des Moines c. August 2020, before starting as Pastry Chef at Aura Restaurant and Lounge in April 2021. She also became a foster for Puppy Jake Foundation (Iowa) and currently posts food recipe dishes on Instagram.

Trivia

Season 9

• At 20, she is the youngest woman of the season.
  • She is tied with Dara (Season 12) for being the youngest contestant in the American series to make the top 4 semi-finals.
• She is also tied with Cutter (season 5) for most times on the bottom, nearly getting eliminated in 8 challenges.
  • By extension, they both share that distinction amongst all 4th placed semi-finalist contestants as well.
• Like Gabriel from season 8, Gordon offered her a full tuition to culinary school upon her elimination.
• She was the first eliminated contestant to work for judge Christina Tosi following her competing on MasterChef.
  • Fred (season 10) would become the second.
• According to this article, Samantha was in her senior year at the University of Kentucky prior to auditioning in November 2017.

Season 12

• She is the first contestant and first female contestant who received lesser bottom entries during their second run on the show.

Quotes

Season 9

• "You know, I'm supposed to be in classes right now, doing exams, but instead, I'm working a 2 Michelin star restaurant. What could go wrong?"
• (After being eliminated) "I'm saddened to be going home, but the Samantha that's leaving learned to be confident and that confidence comes from Gordon, my mentor, believing in me enough to help me pursue my culinary dreams outside of this competition. When one door closes, another one opens, and the door is opening on my future in this industry and I'm so excited."

Season 12

• "I studied at the International Culinary Center and I graduated with my degree in professional pastry arts with all of the honors, of course."
• (After being eliminated) "To be back to cook for these judges again has been amazing. It's an amazing experience connecting with some of these other chefs. In past seasons, they've looked at somebody's potential, but we all have potential, so that's not a factor this season. Season 12 is unlike any other beast, but my culinary journey is not over for me. The competition is just too tough this year."

Gallery

Season 9

Samantha's Confessional

Samanta's Audition Dish

Samantha receiving her Apron from Gordon Ramsay

Samantha's Skills Test Crab

Ryan, Olusola, Darrick, Ralph, Samantha, Gerron, Farhan, Matt, and Stephanie in the Crab Skills Test Bottom 9

Samantha's Crab Benedict Replication Dish

Samantha in the Blue Team

Samantha in the Red Team

Samantha in a Black Apron

Samantha's Walnut Mystery Box Dish

Bowen, Samantha, and Cesar in the Walnut Mystery Box Top 3

Samantha's Churros

Shanika, Bowen, Alecia, and Samantha in the Churros Bottom 4

Samantha's Cajun Seafood Mystery Box Dish

Bowen, Cesar, Samantha, Ralph, Mark, and Ryan in the Cajun Seafood Mystery Box Top 6

Chelsea and Samantha's Five Ingredient Dish

Samantha's Pressure Test Cupcakes

Samantha's Citrus Dish

Samantha's Skills Test Halibut

Samantha's Halibut Dish

Samantha, Chelsea, and SJ in the Halibut Bottom 3

Samantha and Shanika's Tag-Team Mediterranean Platter

Samantha's Pressure Test Pappardelle

Samantha's Pressure Test Mezzalune

Samatha's Pressure Test Garganelli

Samantha's Scraps Mystery Box Dish

Samantha, Ashley, and Cesar in the Scraps Mystery Box Top 3

Samantha's Whole Ingredients Dish

Samantha's Pressure Test Molten Lava Cake

Samantha's Pressure Test Chocolate Mousse

Samantha's Pressure Test White Chocolate Panna Cotta

Samantha and Farhan in the Chocolate Pressure Test Bottom 2

Samantha with her Mother

Samantha's Loved Ones Mystery Box Dish

Samantha's Heart Dish

Gerron and Samantha in the Heart Bottom 2

Samantha's Pressure Skills Test Beef Kebabs

Samantha's Pressure Skills Test Meatballs

Bowen and Samantha in the Beef Pressure Skills Test Bottom 2

Samantha's Pressure Skills Test Filet Mignon

Gerron and Samantha's Final 4 Dish

Gerron and Samantha in the 3-Course Replication Pressure Test

Samantha's Risotto Replication Appetizer

Samantha's Salmon Replication Entrée

Samantha's Sticky Toffee Pudding Replication Dessert

Samantha Eliminated

Season 10

Cesar, Samantha, and Emily at the Season 10 Pool Party

Season 12

Samantha's Confessional

Samantha's Audition Dish

Samantha & Alejandro Reinstated

Samantha in the Red Team

Samantha’s Failed Vegan Dish

Shelly, Samantha, and Fred in the Vegan Bottom 3

Samantha Eliminated (2nd Time)

External links

• Samantha Daily on Instagram