Kids show off their creativity in LEGO Masters Jr.
Some very lucky kids are about to live out every child’s dream: access to unlimited LEGO bricks and a blank canvas for their imaginations to run wild. In the brand-new series LEGO Masters Jr., five pairs of junior builders spanning ages nine to 17 get to team up with celebrity LEGO enthusiasts to compete in weekly challenges and bring their creations to life, brick by brick. Kelly Osbourne hosts.
In each episode, the LEGO building teams work under the pressure of the countdown clock to piece together themed sculptures. When time runs out, they must face the judges, who are expert builders themselves, whom viewers might recognize from Fox’s adult-size LEGO-building series. Brickmaster Amy Corbett, who’s also a judge for LEGO Masters, and one of the finalists from its first season, Boone Langston, make up the LEGO Masters Jr. judging panel.
Impressing the judges each week not only gets the little brickmasters closer to earning the title of LEGO Masters Jr. champions, but a grand prize totalling nearly US$50,000. Andy Richter, Ravi Patel, Porsha Williams, Alison Sweeney and Jordin Sparks are the celebrity partners joining the contestants.
In an official trailer for the upcoming series, the contestants’ enthusiasm is palpable, even falling out of their chairs with excitement before tugging at heartstrings when the waterworks start as the stress of the competition becomes too much. The little engineers construct a speeding LEGO car, and use the Disney castle, Harry Potter and Ninjago as inspiration for weekly build challenges.
So, who are these tiny brickmasters? Working with Richter are 13-year-old neighbours and best friends Will and Crosby from Minneapolis. Best friends Stella (12) and Chelle (14) have Sparks on their team, who shared in a Variety exclusive on the new series that she is “not a Master level yet, but I’m pretty good at following the instruction booklets!” So it sounds like they make a solid trio together.
Siblings Max (nine) and Zoe (13) from Greenville, South Carolina, are almost neighbours to their celeb helper, Williams, from Georgia. The reality star told Variety that LEGO is a big deal in her household, saying, “my daughter Pilar thinks it’s the coolest thing that I am on LEGO Masters, and when she gets older, she will be the first to sign up.”
Brothers Ajay (13) and Zak (11) know exactly what they came to LEGO Masters Jr. to do and are prepared to execute their vision. Their celebrity helper, Sweeney, was on the receiving end of their instruction and said in the trailer, “I haven’t been bossed around like this in a long time.” Finally, Patel, a devoted LEGO Masters fan, is teamed up with Vincent (nine) and Hudson (11) from Portland, Oregon. Patel told Variety that he is a lifelong LEGO fan, reached out to be on the show and can’t wait to watch with his kids. He is matched for intensity with his partners, all three of them showed up ready to fight wearing their karate gi.
The regular Fox series, based on the British series of the same name, has run for five seasons with Will Arnett, the voice of LEGO Batman in 2014’s The LEGO Movie, as the host. It was announced in June that season six of LEGO Masters will be welcoming a new host in Nick Cannon, as Arnett passes the torch. Cannon is, of course, known for hosting the Fox staple The Masked Singer, and also stepped in to keep Beat Shazam rolling while regular host Jamie Foxx recovered from a stroke in 2023.
“It’s an honour to join the series and host another show with my Fox family,” Cannon said in a statement, adding, “I can’t wait to see the insane creations and give away a big bag of money to the best of the best.”
The series premiere of LEGO Masters Jr. airs Monday, August 18, on CTV2 & Fox