MasterChef Australia‘s Annabel Lloyd has finally set the record straight about the romance claims rocking the 2026 season.
Annabel found herself at the centre of romance rumours with her co-star Vinnie Gibaldi during filming, and after her exit, she’s setting the record straight.
Speaking exclusively to New Idea, she firmly denied any sparks were flying, insisting they are just close friends.
Annabel also clarified why they were both wearing similar necklaces, which many fans believed signalled a romantic relationship between them.
Vinnie has been seen wearing an Italian horn on a chain, a symbol meant to ward off the evil eye, which resembles a chilli; while Annabel wore something very similar in a few episodes.
“It’s not a chilli, it’s a piece of coral,” she clarifies, adding that it’s from her mother’s friend, who makes jewellery and doesn’t have a link to Vinnie.
The romance rumours began swirling when MasterChef lovebirds Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary appeared on the 2026 season, bringing their twin daughters, Claudia and Charlotte, along.
When they both walked into the kitchen, Annabel gushed about how their love story began on the show, and pondered whether there is a “Sarah and Declan” in the 2026 cohort of contestants.
Annabel cryptically said she “wasn’t allowed to say” on air, sending fans into a frenzy and sharing theories online. However, Annabel has now told New Idea that there was no hidden meaning to her remark.
“It’s funny because Declan is my first friend from MasterChef, because we auditioned together when I first auditioned,” she explains.
“It’s just the fact that I’ve watched him go through life and then meet Sarah; it was more from a place of I’m so happy that he’s had this incredible journey through MasterChef, and how cool that would be to have that be your story.”
Sarah and Declan famously met during the 2025 Back to Win season and then fell in love, had twins, and got engaged.
So, why did Annabel share an Instagram post with the words “1 like and I’ll drop my tell-all on the secret MasterChef romances 😈” if nothing was going on?
It was simply “tongue “cheeky tongue in cheek” and nothing more, she insists.
“I’m just myself, and I think people who don’t know me, ie everyone who’s watching and the public, maybe took what I said literally,” she says.
While fans were busy scouring the internet to find proof, the registered nurse explains that the contestants were laughing as it unfolded.
“We were like, let’s have some fun. We’re all just like, this is hilarious, this is so funny,” she continues.
So, the bottom line, Annabel is not romantically involved with her co-stars, and there is no Declan and Sarah love story this season.
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