Ms. Tanya Koivusalo reports

TWO HOME COOKS, ONE PRIZE: ERIC CHONG AND MARIDA MOHAMMED COOK THEIR WAY INTO THE SEASON FINALE OF CTV'S MASTERCHEF CANADA, APRIL 28; TOP CONTENDERS TAMMARA BEHL AND KAILA KLASSEN ARE ELIMINATED FROM THE MASTERCHEF CANADA KITCHEN; THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON THE SEASON FINALE OF MASTERCHEF CANADA, AIRING MONDAY, APRIL 28 AT 8 P.M. ET/7 P.M. CT ON CTV; MASTERCHEF CANADA IS RENEWED FOR A SECOND SEASON, WITH CASTING FOR SEASON 2 OPEN NOW AT CTV.CA/MASTERCHEFCANADA

Get ready for a sizzling-hot season finale, Canada! As revealed on last night's episode of BCE Inc.'s CTV's Masterchef Canada, Eric Chong, a chemical engineer from Oakville, Ont., and Marida Mohammed, a stay-at-home mom from Toronto, are the final two top home cooks in contention for a $100,000 grand prize and the life-changing title of Canada's first-ever Masterchef. The revelation comes following the announcement on Monday, April 21, that CTV has ordered season two of Masterchef Canada, with casting already open on CTV's website.

The culinary competition took a dramatic turn last night when two top contenders were knocked out of running with their dishes. Despite her best efforts, Tammara Behl of Calgary fell to the bottom during the mystery box challenge and, in a surprise twist, was eliminated from the Masterchef Canada kitchen. And while Kaila Klassen of West Kelowna, B.C., won over guest judge Joe Bastianich (Masterchef) with her Italian-inspired mystery box dish, one minor mistake in the pressure test sent her home, leaving the top-two hopefuls in their iconic white aprons with the title and grand prize still in sight.

Mr. Chong and Ms. Mohammed began their journeys alongside thousands of Canadian culinary hopefuls in pursuit of the coveted white apron. They rose above the rest of the competition in an intense series of challenges and elimination tests featuring the country's top-16 home cooks. In last night's episode, both home cooks impressed Mr. Bastianich during the mystery box challenge, and won over the taste buds of Masterchef Canada judges Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile to earn their spots in the finals.

In the first-ever season finale (airing Monday, April 28, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, on CTV), after surviving 14 episodes of extraordinary challenges, the final two home cooks, Mr. Chong and Ms. Mohammed, go head to head in a three-course culinary battle. With their families and former competitors cheering them on, they battle it out for $100,000, the Masterchef Canada trophy, and a life-changing title. The season finale will be available on demand following its broadcast on CTV's website and CTV GO.

Viewers looking for a more comprehensive culinary experience with Masterchef Canada can visit the CTV website this week to check out a season one recap in photos, and watch exit interviews with eliminated home cooks Ms. Behl and Ms. Klassen. Plus, viewers wanting to enter the kitchen themselves can find more information about how to join the season two casting call right now on CTV's Masterchef website. Fans can also continue to send in Instagram photos of their culinary masterpieces for Masterchef Canada judge Mr. Bonacini to judge, with one winning plate selected every week.

Viewers can catch Ms. Behl and Ms. Klassen live on Canada AM and CP24 Breakfast on Tuesday, April 22, as they discuss their elimination from Masterchef Canada. Ms. Behl and Ms. Klassen will also face off in a Masterchef Canada redemption relay competition this morning on the Marilyn Denis Show on CTV.

The top-two home cooks

Mr. Chong

Signature dish:  Pan-seared duck breast with rice, red Thai curry sauce, homemade spring rolls and plum sauce

A self-proclaimed ninja, Mr. Chong already has a lot of varied experiences under his belt. He's a chemical engineer, a graduate of McMaster University and a cook for the last 15 years. At six years old, he began with simple tasks in the kitchen and worked his way up, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who was the head chef at a Chinese restaurant. Determined to prove himself, Mr. Chong loves cooking foods with a wow factor. Some dishes in his repertoire include a vegetarian mushroom risotto, and fresh homemade pasta. He cites Masterchef judge Gordon Ramsay as his chef idol.

Mr. Chong's motivation stems from a desire to prove his worthiness as a chef to his parents. Cooking wasn't an acceptable career option in his household, but now, with a chance at the title of Masterchef Canada, Mr. Chong is hoping to prove he has a viable future as a successful chef. If he wins, Mr. Chong wants to open his own restaurant in his hometown of Oakville, Ont. He'd also like to be a food critic and thinks being paid to eat and increase his food knowledge would be an amazing job.

Ms. Mohammed

Signature dish:  Trini bake and red snapper with a trio of sauces: tamarind sauce, chadon beni sauce, and a cucumber Scotch bonnet sauce

Ms. Mohammed is a personal trainer from Toronto. Her cooking spark ignited at the age of six, when her mother would have Ms. Mohammed help to make roti. Everything her mother prepared seemed delicious -- even exotic foods like chicken feet and bitter melon, which is why she remains Ms. Mohammed's main cooking inspiration. Ms. Mohammed loves cooking stewed chicken with macaroni pie, but her signature dish is "curried anything." She isn't exactly in love with baking or desserts as she finds the precision required too exact.

Ms. Mohammed is after some exposure on Masterchef Canada. She wants to share her passion for food with the country and spotlight her Trinidadian influence. A restaurant co-owned with her twin sister Narida is in the works if she wins the grand prize. Ms. Mohammed would also love to host a cooking show featuring Caribbean fusion dishes one day.