MasterChef is back, and Australia were rooting for Jackie Yu as she served a chiffon cake to the queen of the dessert herself, Poh Ling Yeow, on Sunday, April 19.
It might have been a risky move, but it paid off for the tech recruiter, who earned a white apron on the spot and the judge’s seal of approval.
Speaking exclusively with New Idea, Jackie said seeing Poh compete on season one was a pivotal moment for her.
Who is MasterChef Australia 2026 contestant Jackie Yu?
“The first season started out as such a humble show, I remember watching Poh up on the podium as a finalist and feeling so seen,” she explained.
“It was during a time when I still didn’t feel connected to my heritage, yet there was an Asian-Australian woman on TV making it to the end of the competition while honouring her own heritage. I’ve since realised how formative representation is.”
Food has been a way for the second-generation Chinese-Australian to connect with her heritage. Her father, JJ, also worked as a chef when he first arrived in Australia, and her dinner catch-ups with him are some of her most memorable moments with food.
Growing up, she said she wanted to “hide” her heritage to fit in, but now, she embraces it.
“I’m so comfortable with my identity now and excited that I get the chance to be creative and cook dishes that feel authentic to me – Chinese dishes with a modern take, while also experimenting with unique Asian-forward flavour pairings,” she explained.
“I feel like I’m truly reconciling the two worlds that I’ve been brought up in and get to have fun with it!”
With her French stepfather, she also loves to incorporate European flavours into her dishes.
With an extensive food palette and a sweet tooth to boot, she started her cake side hustle bb.flambe, where she creates cakes for loved ones and events.
She told New Idea that MasterChef has ignited her passion not just for cakes, but also for sharing her love of food with the wider community.
“There’s so much cooking out there that deserves a spotlight, and I’d love to build on the community for this – through social media and physical pop-ups and experiences,” she explained.
Even though season 18 has barely started, she revealed that she had some work in the pipeline with her fellow contestants.
“It’s hard to conceptualise still, but I think of MasterChef as the catalyst for everything I want to achieve next with my food dreams,” she continued.
“It’s helped me realise that I want to pursue a career in the food industry and I’m hoping it’ll open up some doors to do so or at least motivate me to break those doors down myself!”
She also revealed that a friend told her that one of her family friends went on the show with no expectations. The friend in question? Justin Narayan, who ended up winning!
With this, she just thought… why not?
You can watch MasterChef Australia every Sunday at 7pm and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
