| “ | I don't need to be a rich man. I'm gonna go through the rest of my life doing what I love. | ” |
Anthony Richard "Tony" Scruggs (April 2, 1959 - April 6, 2024) was a contestant on Season 2 of MasterChef. He ranked in 16th place. He unfortunately passed away on April 6, 2024.
Personality[]
Tony was shown to be a quiet but also nice to most of his competitors. While he showed potential very early on, his time got cut short in the competition after his lack of familiarity with homemade pasta sent him home in the very first Pressure Test of the season. He did had a brief feud with Max over differing leadership styles, and conflicting personalities.
Season 2[]
Episode 1[]
Episode 2[]
Episode 3[]
Episode 4[]
Episode 5[]
Episode 19[]
Episode 20[]
Competition History[]
| Week 5 | In/In |
|---|---|
| Week 6 | Eliminated |
Post MasterChef[]
- After his appearance, Tony briefly ran a catering company specializing in barbecue foods before opening his own restaurant Old Crow Smokehouse in 2013.
- He passed away on April 6, 2024 from an unknown cause. He was 65 years old.
Trivia[]
- At 52, he is the oldest contestant of the season.
- Tony celebrated his 52nd birthday during filming.
- He is the fourth former contestant to have appeared on the U.S. version to pass away, following Josh (season 3), Ben (Junior season 6), and Beth (Season 4).
Quotes[]
- (After being eliminated) "I came into this as somebody who's getting too old to do what I have done all of my life. I love to cook. I'm gonna open a little chalkboard restaurant with my wife. I don't need to be a rich man. I'm gonna go through the rest of my life doing what I love. They gave me respect which is worth more than any of the money. I'm truly grateful for that."
Gallery[]
Season 2[]
Tony's Confessional
Tony's Audition Dish
Tony receiving his Apron
Tony's Boot Camp Dish
Tony in the Blue Team
Tony in a Black Apron
Giuseppe, Esther, Jennifer, Max, Alejandra, Christian, Tracy, and Tony in the Ravioli Pressure Test
Tony's Pressure Test Ravioli
Jennifer, Esther, and Tony in the Ravioli Pressure Test Bottom 3
Tony Eliminated
External links[]
Tony Scruggs on Instagram
References[]
| MasterChef U.S. Season 2 |
|---|
| Judges |
| Gordon Ramsay • Graham Elliot • Joe Bastianich |
| Contestants |
| Jennifer Behm • Erryn Cobb • Christian Collins • Christine Corley • Esther Kang • Jennie Kelley • Tracy Kontos • Max Kramer • Giuseppe Morisco • Adrien Nieto • Tony Scruggs • Suzy Singh • Alejandra Schrader • Alvin Schultz • Angel Moore-Soukkay • Ben Starr • Derrick Prince • Mark Raffaeli |