Cooking prodigy Bryson McGlynn discusses TV experience
Lee County pre-teen Bryson McGlynn, aka Cheese Curd, beat out dozens of aspiring young cooks for the honor of competing on national television on Season 9 of FOX’s MasterChef Junior, then he out-cooked 11 other contestants to bring home the grand prize. On May 29, he was guest of honor at a community celebration hosted by WXTX FOX 54 and Glynn Smith Chevrolet, where a host of well-wishers stopped by to offer congratulations and support. The Cheese Curd sat down with The Observer to discuss his journey to the top of the culinary world and what he plans for the future.
BY ANITHA STIEFEL | THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Now that Season 9 of FOX TV’s MasterChef Junior is complete, 12-year-old Bryson McGlynn is free to talk about his experiences before, during and after the filming of the show. To get the inside scoop, the Observer had an in-depth interview with Bryson, who lives in Auburn but attends Fox Run School in Opelika where his father is a band director. Following are the questions and answers.
The Observer: When did you start cooking?
Bryson: I started when I was about 3. I would pull a chair up with my parents and help out. As I got older, I started to get more serious. When I was 8, I started cooking competitively all over the country.
The Observer: When did you realize you’re good at it?
Bryson: When I was about 10 I started learning that I must not be too bad, because I looked back over the previous two years and realized that I had placed in the top 10 everywhere I went. I still feel like I have so much to learn, though, and I want to keep learning.
The Observer: What was your motivation to get on the show?
Bryson: It was always a dream be on the show. I have been watching this show and Chef Ramsay when I was little. I felt like maybe I could do this even though my style is a little different, so I kept practicing.
The Observer: When did you start applying?
Bryson This is the first season I have applied. I have practiced a lot though and been working on my social media page with coming up with different recipes for a while before applying.
The Observer: How did you go about getting on the show? What was the process?
Bryson: I applied to be on the show and then I had to go through a lot of interviews and cooking demonstrations. This was a long process. The next thing you know I am flying out to LA to have a chance to get my white apron. I then had a semifinal round. From here, that then narrowed it down to the top 12 and I was fortunate to be in the top 12 and get that white apron.
The Observer: When was the show taped?
Bryson: The show was recorded in late fall 2023.
The Observer: How long were you in Los Angeles?
Bryson: Including the semifinal round, it took about two months to record everything.
The Observer: Where did you stay while you were there?
Bryson: We were put up in a hotel, and my dad was with me. It was a very nice hotel, and everyone was so nice, but it was still a regular hotel room and being there that long made that room get smaller and smaller.
The Observer: How often were the challenges held?
Bryson: We had school six days a week, so challenges were not always every day. They were basically every two or three days.
The Observer: What did you do when you were not filming?
Bryson: SLEEP! We sometimes would do a little sightseeing, but we were so tired we wanted to sleep. And we would swim at the hotel pool together. We would walk to the mall that was close. We did go to the Santa Monica Pier one day, the Observatory, and a few other things but it was a lot of trying to catch up on rest.
The Observer: You still stay in touch with the other contestants. Is that important to you?
Bryson: I talk to them a lot. They are like family to me. We are all so busy, but we try to call, FaceTime or text each other as much as possible.
The Observer: What have been the benefits of going through this experience?
Bryson: I learned a lot of responsibility and perseverance. I learned to keep pushing yourself no matter what. I also know that I have made some of the closest friends throughout this country and will keep them close to me forever.
The Observer: Did you get any hands-on instruction from the chef-judges?
Bryson: They would come around in the challenges and give advice. It was up to us to listen to them to do what they suggested.
The Observer: You’ve seen the show on television — what was different about how it looked or felt in reality?
Bryson: It’s more nerve racking! It goes so fast! The one hour seemed like 10 minutes sometimes. Keeping up with Chef Ramsay is like trying to race a lightning bolt!
The Observer: What does it feel like to be a “celebrity”?
Bryson: I don’t like to call myself a celebrity. It’s different. A lot of people like to come get pictures, which is fun. I think it’s most important to try to help push people my age to work hard, and if that means I call myself a celebrity to do that, I will.
The Observer: How are you coping with all the attention?
Bryson: Good. It’s definitely different. I love to show my passion in cooking and hope I can show that to others.
The Observer: What demonstrations and/or competitions do you have coming up?
Bryson: I have quite a few that are lining up all across the country. I will be posting these on my social media accounts when they become official. My goal is to continue my passion of cooking and try to help others in cooking.
The Observer: Besides cooking, what are your other hobbies and interests?
Bryson: I love to play percussion. After breaking my arm, I took a break from baseball, but I am ready to jump back in it again.
The Observer: Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
Bryson: To any kids that are thinking about doing something like this or anything — follow your dreams! It can happen if you work very hard. I always say that cooking brings people together and that’s what I love. I love to cook and bring people together!
