It’s been three years since Diana Chan took out the top spot on Season 9 of MasterChef Australia.
WATCH: MasterChef editing fail shows Melissa Leong in two places at once
Now, speaking exclusively to New Idea, the foodie spills on success, behind-the-scenes secrets and what she thinks of the new season.
Here are eight surprising revelations from the reality show.
Competition is fierce
“In the beginning, it’s hard because you’re put in a house with 24 strangers. There are a lot of egos, a lot of competition; everyone’s trying to outdo each other. But as the weeks passed, everyone kind of calmed down.
It is challenging because you’re spending 24/7 with them, so it either brings you together or drives you apart.”
Producers make you cry
“[I didn’t like] when you were asked about whether you missed your family. I get it, it’s showbiz, they do what they need to do [to] get a tear out of you, but the emotions are real. I can’t tell you anyone who didn’t miss their family.”
No star treatment
“In my year they showed us arriving in fancy Jaguars, but we actually got dropped off in
a bus. But the crazy part is that people always ask if we really only have one hour to cook. Yes, all of that is true. The show doesn’t discount on the calibre of what people can do.”
It’s not totally real
“First and foremost, people must remember that while they’re watching real people, reality TV is there to entertain people, so everything has a little bit of mayo on it. Producers know what people want [to see], so what they choose to edit, produce, show is entirely up to them.”
Judging is brutal
“At the end of the day, the judges have to be honest in their judging process; it’s not about the relationship you have [with contestants] and there’s no benefit for the judges to favour any particular person.”
Forced to stay quiet
“I had a bit of Stockholm syndrome, I think, when I left, because you pretty much leave the competition and you’re left to go and fend for yourself. You can’t talk about the competition because you’ve obviously signed NDAs [non disclosure agreements], so it’s tough. Mentally, it’s hard; it’s an emotional roller-coaster.”
Contestants clash
“There were a few little arguments here and there, but nothing massive, and that’s normal – because every friendship, every relationship, has arguments. But as a group, in my year my group seemingly all got along.”
It is mentally gruelling
“We filmed two endings and so that really plays on your mind – whether you’ve won or you didn’t. We had to wait for three months and only found out on the day itself. So that mentally really … unless you’re a strong person or like you can handle that, it really does affect people.”
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