“I had a gut feeling”: The moment Petro knew his MasterChef dream was over

Looking back on the MasterChef Australia grand finale, Petro tells New Idea that he felt he wasn’t going to win.

“I had a gut feeling cause I was obviously behind in the first round by five points,” he explains.

During the first round, they were both given a “Superstar Mystery Box” containing ingredients from this year’s guest judges, and they had 75 minutes to turn them into delicious meals.

Given his success with desserts in the competition, Petro decided to pursue that path.

Even though he was composed throughout the cook, one of his tart shells was bitter, which threw his flavours out of balance. In the end, he finished the first round with a score of 32 out of 40, compared to Vinnie scoring 37.

“So I had a gut feeling that it would be a very tough half for me to find my way back after that,” he explains.

He and Vinnie then had to recreate Cherish Finden’s Chinese Afternoon Tea, which included three desserts.

Despite his past success, it wasn’t smooth sailing for him – he made several errors, needed to remake elements, and even missed a page of the recipe, which meant he had to rush.

In the end, he scored 35 out of 50, and finished with 67 points, while Vinnie finished with 80 points.

“I was really just focused on doing the best I could, so I was just doing one step at a time and just focusing on the job at hand,” Petro tells New Idea.

“I did get a bit overwhelmed in the pressure set at one point. I think it’s an overwhelming experience regardless, and I had to just try my best to stay in the moment.”

He worried that he let his family down because he left his father’s business to be on the show, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I think they were just really proud of me. I mean, they were so proud that I made it into MasterChef, let alone get into the grand finale. So, really, there was only talk of support and how proud they were,” he shares with us.

The chartered accountant also says his late grandmother Sophia, who sadly passed away during the competition, was on his mind.

It was a full-circle moment for his family to watch him, he says, because they have all watched the show together.

Now, Petro is looking to the future. Because he came second, he was given $40,000 as a prize, and he explains that it’s being dedicated to renovating his home.

He’s also going to start working in Tom Sarafian’s kitchen on the weekends, after he appeared as a guest judge on the 2026 season.

It’s the start of the restaurant experience he hopes to gain, with a pop-up also in the works. Not only that, he has his eyes on appearing on TV shows.

“I’d love to do a show where I’m kind of travelling to more regional places and finding regional cuisines in Greece and Cyprus that haven’t been showcased and maybe some other sides of the world too. I feel like that’s always been a bucket list for me,” he shares.

“I’m just really excited to do what I want to do, and also see what doors open and maybe some unexpected things that come my way as well.”

Aaron unfortunately missed out on making it through to the MasterChef Australia final, going home in the semi-final service challenge.

Aaron, Vinnie and Petro were tasked with preparing main courses and desserts for 20 diners and judges Poh, Sofia and Jean-Christophe.

Fellow judge Andy Allen, who has been on paternity leave this series, made a brief cameo to mentor the remaining cooks.

His final cook came with challenges – his pork was initially undercooked, and even though he fixed it before service, the judges weren’t fans of his sauces.

It meant that everything was riding on his dessert: Basil Ice Cream with a Tomato Granita, Hazelnut Crumb and Olive Oil.

Even though his final dish left the judges speechless and wanting more, it wasn’t enough to save him.

Looking back on the night, he tells New Idea that he couldn’t have done more than he did, and by the end of it, he had “no fuel left in the tank”.

“From what I remember from the day, I put it all on the floor; I would’ve regretted not doing it the way I wanted to,” he explains, adding that he had to be “pumped” with sugars such as Coca Cola because of how exhausted he was at the end.

During the semi-final on August 3, Jean-Christophe urged the aspiring chef to stay in contact, and Aaron certainly plans to take him up on the offer!

“From someone who’s got such a big heart and asks how you’re going and teaches techniques and is so well-versed… Even in my feedback, it was always constructive,” he says about the Michelin star chef. “It’s so encouraging of someone of that calibre who sees me being a chef.”

But at the moment, he says he’s been working at a sushi restaurant, where he’s learning food preparation techniques and gaining insight into how to run a hospitality establishment.

He’s also got his eyes set on going overseas, and has some pop-up restaurants in the works with other contestants.

While he thinks he’s gained more confidence as a cook, the Medical Product Specialist says the show allowed him to express himself.

“I think I’ve become more myself,” he says.

“For the longest time, with sales, you have a facade, and then I got to express what it’s like to be me and be confident to be me.”

Casper sadly missed out on making it through to the top three on MasterChef Australia, and went home during an incredibly sentimental cook.

He, Vinnie and Aaron were given a letter from home with a box that contained an ingredient assigned to them by their loved ones.

The 28-year-old was given a letter written by his mother, Fiona, and father, Peter.

He was also given grapes, and is determined to do them justice with a dessert; however, his flavours couldn’t save him.

“I think it was like a nice conclusion to it,” the Canberra local exclusively tells New Idea after his elimination.

“It’s a bit disappointing, and when you feel like you let your parents down if you go home, but lucky they don’t put that pressure on me; they were proud of me to get to that point.”

Throughout the competition, he was dubbed the “flavour genius”, and he credits that to something he did in his past life.

“Being an engineer by trade, not an engineer by work, but always thinking a little bit inside the box of what’s the best way to approach a problem, or is there a new solution to this thing?” he tells us.

“I think I had that sort of feeling being inherently within me.”

“But it was just something when you get in the kitchen and learn new skills and that there’s another tool you can have to keep being a chef and being creative. So, it’s definitely something that grew as I went through competition.”

With hopes of keeping his current job, he also plans to gain more experience in kitchens across Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

That, and he is also planning a pop-up with his closest friends from the competition; Vinnie Gibaldi and Annabel Lloyd.

He tells us it all started when they all went to a pop-up by the beach for lunch, which ended up turning into a dinner.

While he couldn’t give too much away, he says they hope to do it by the end of the year.

Annabel was officially the last woman to be eliminated from the MasterChef kitchen, and missed out on making it through to the final four.

Her elimination marks the first time that there’s been an all-male line-up of contestants in the semi-final.

“I was really proud; the girls in that comp were like unbelievably cool,” she exclusively tells New Idea after she went home.

“They were such legends, it was really cool to be able to, I guess, wave that flag for them.”

“Any girls watching, especially young women, I just hope that it encourages them to really back themselves, especially in male-dominated areas, go for it, because you can do it.”

She and three other contestants were tasked with recreating Malaysian snacks that Poh Ling Yeow grew up with. Hoping to follow her success in the previous Pressure Test, it sadly wasn’t meant to be for the nurse.

Throughout what turned out to be her final cook, Annabel was determined to get everything done. Even though she breezed through most of the cook, she had to scramble to the finish line.

Unfortunately, parts of her snacks were undercooked.

“I had a feeling at the end of the cook that I was going to be the one to go home,” she exclusively tells New Idea. “I was obviously correct, unfortunately.”

Even though she’s sad that her journey has come to an end, she says she has loved watching it unfold.

“It was so special to be able to watch back, and now I’ve got that documented for forever,” she shares with us.

Being in a high-pressure environment is something the registered nurse is familiar with, given she works in a heart and transplant ward in a hospital.

However, she says this kind of pressure was completely different.

“I think the MasterChef pressure is like pressure that you put on yourself because although there’s clocks and people and judges counting down and stuff like that, it’s all just very much like you’re there for you and you’re cooking for yourself, whereas in the hospital, the pressure is external,” she explains.

“Someone else’s health, or at times lives, depend on decisions that you make. So it is really different.”

“I kind of pride myself on my ability to keep a really cool head in the hospital during cardiac arrest and stuff like that, which is probably the most pressure I’ve ever felt myself under.”

“But that kind of pressure I was really able to keep a lid on, whereas at times I found the emotional pressure you put on yourself and not feeling good enough and wanting to do a good job, that really got to me at times.”

Since Annabel left the competition, she’s happily back at the hospital and remains determined to maintain her nursing career while pursuing her food dream.

When she’s not working, she’s been developing recipes and planning pop-ups with other contestants, including her closest friends Casper Kenworthy and Vinnie Gibaldi.

She tells us that she has completed medical volunteer stints overseas, which she’s found fulfilling, but are also costly to undertake.

With desires to help more people overseas, she says she’d love to use her cooking to fund her trips.

Luke Harris didn’t expect to be going home on MasterChef Australia, but the challenge on July 20 marked his last in the competition.

During his last cook on the show, he and three other contestants were treated to a masterclass by Jean-Christophe Novelli, who taught them how to develop sauces.

Then, they had to recreate one to pair with a dish.​

Unfortunately for Luke, he started his sauce with 20 minutes to spare, so it was too sweet and not fully developed. The judges also had an issue with his lamb.

Speaking with New Idea after he was sent home, he said it was “bittersweet”, but he was “glad” that he was sent home instead of Aaron Kher.

“In a weird way, I was glad that Aaron wasn’t sent home, and it means we didn’t see his dreams crushed,” he tells us.

“It’s pretty devastating to know that I have to go back home.”

Despite wishing that he stayed longer, he tells us that he was glad that the “weight of the competition” was off his shoulders, and he could go back to be with his loved ones.

“It’s so much fun and a great experience, but there is a lot of pressure on us, not just from ourselves, but from fans of the show, the judges… Everyone wants us to do well,” he continues.

Throughout his time on the competition, he has gained fans who have reached out saying they’ve been inspired by his confidence in the kitchen.

While he isn’t entirely sure of what he wants to do, he says he plans to use his youth and lack of commitments to his advantage to try anything and everything.

Along with hopes to gain experience in a kitchen, he’s also excited to share his love for food and cooking through social media.

“I want to show people online that I’m learning more and they’re along for the ride and learn a thing or two as well,” he says.

Pat exceeded his own expectations, reaching the Top Seven on MasterChef Australia.

However, he was then sadly sent home, and looking back on his final cook, he exclusively tells New Idea that while he’d do things differently, he still left with his head held high.

“I still wanted to put up a dish that I was proud of, but when things started going wrong with the octopus, I had to make some quick decisions,” he tells us.

But the positive side of his elimination was that he was able to go home to his daughter, Frankie, and his partner, Emma, who was pregnant with their second child during filming. Since then, he has welcomed a daughter, Stevie, into the world.

Looking back, he tells us that reuniting with his fiancée and daughter was “pretty emotional”.

“Being away from them was by far the hardest part of the experience, so getting home and giving them both a hug made everything worth it. Nothing beats coming home to your family,” he shares.

So, how does going from the fast pace of the MasterChef kitchen compare to managing two kids under three?

“It’s definitely a different kind of pressure, but it’s the best kind,” he explains.

“Going from cooking against the clock every day to changing nappies and running after a toddler has been a bit of a change, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s been pretty special being home with Emma, Frankie and Stevie after every.”

And he’s already got a little helper in the kitchen, with Pat gushing that ice-cream obsessed Frankie loves to lend him a helping hand.

“She absolutely loves helping in the kitchen, although ‘helping’ usually means making a bit of a mess,” he quips.

Juggling MasterChef and parenting, Pat tells New Idea that he is hoping to marry his longtime partner Emma soon, but that wedding planning has “taken a bit of a back seat for now”.

When he isn’t busy with his daughters, he’s creating cooking content and hopes to gain more professional experience in commercial kitchens.

Being a part of MasterChef Australia has changed Alyona’s life as a cook and as a person.

Sadly, her journey on the show ended when she recreated Sam Aisbett’s Crab Salad during a Pressure Test on July 8.

Misreading some of the steps derailed her entire cook, where she served an incomplete dish.

Despite being sent home, she tells New Idea that it was the best scenario for her.

“I think I would have found it much harder to leave because one of my own concepts, flavours or dishes had missed the mark,” she reveals.

“Instead, I left attempting an extraordinary Michelin-starred dish. I’m a home cook who came into MasterChef wanting to become a MasterChef, and I’m proud that I fought until the very last second.”

Looking back on her journey on the show, she tells us that she started the competition constantly comparing herself to others and keeping count of the gaps in her food knowledge.

It wasn’t until her roommate, Aimee, who was also in the Top 40 but did not make it through to the Top 24, told her to focus on her strengths.

While she focused on celebrating her Eastern European heritage and techniques she loved, the exhaustion of the competition and constantly studying and practising took a toll on her.

She credits contestants Aaron, Petro and Luke for getting her through the hardest moments.

“They knew how hard I pushed myself and would sometimes basically drag me away from studying, feed me dinner and make me sit down and watch a movie,” she explains.

“I think they often knew when I needed to stop before I did. I’ll always be incredibly grateful for that and will miss our movie nights together.”

Despite the hard times, she tells New Idea that she wishes fans could see more of their lives outside the kitchen.

“There was so much cooking, studying, sharing ideas and learning from each other,” she says, and describes the other contestants as her family.

“We would go to the library together, have big cook-ups, cook dinner in the apartments and spend hours talking about food, techniques and everything we wanted to create.”

Sadly for Emily, her journey on the show is over, but she leaves with her head held high.

Even though her experience was cut short, she tells New Idea that it showed her how “mentally resilient” she is.

Despite her family owning a small Chinese restaurant in rural NSW, she always made sure to upskill in the kitchen.

“I was really working on anything I felt I didn’t know,” she continued.

“I had to checklist in my head to try to cook different proteins and carbs every cook. I was trying to get my dessert game up as well. I was making everything from scratch, even if it was available in the pantry.

“For example, I never really made noodles from scratch until MasterChef, and I would have up to 10 bundles of dough with different ratios and ingredients to figure out the best consistency.”

She tells New Idea that she plans to use everything she’s learned in the kitchen towards her food dream: Travelling around rural Australia to help young people learn more about life skills and budgeting during the cost-of-living crisis.

Despite leaving with a desire to fulfil her passions, she says she’s sad to have left the kitchen, where she enjoyed learning from the judges and contestants.

She tells how her fellow contestant, mother-of-four Hannah Johnson, who was eliminated shortly before she was, became her confidant throughout the competition.

“When we became roomies, we always had debriefing time after each cook to talk about what happened during the cook. I felt Hannah and I always tried to give each other positive vibes or time out,” she explains to New Idea.

“We took turns to make sure we were both fed and ready for the next day.

“Hannah taught me so much about desserts, so much so that she set me homework to make sure I was prepared for Dessert Week.”

Hannah’s MasterChef Australia journey came to an end during the final hurdle of Knockout Week.

Leaving the show behind was something Hannah was sad to do, but she exclusively tells New Idea that competing was a turning point for her family: Her husband and their four children.

“Sometimes as mums we can feel like we’ve lost ourselves in the process, or maybe mum guilt takes over, or we feel we should do it all by ourselves,” she tells us.

“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, try new things and allow others to support you also! My kids have learned so much through this process, and it’s grown my family in ways I could never have expected.”

With hopes of gaining commercial hospitality experience after the competition, she says she now knows that her family will support her regardless of what she pursues.

While being away from her children was challenging, she says it was great to have her co-star Pat McGarry, who is also a parent, for support. She also credits her roommate Emily Sue for helping her through the harder days during filming.

Despite being tested daily throughout the experience, she says the critiques she received were her favourite parts of the competition because they helped her learn and grow.

Even though she loved watching the once-in-a-lifetime experience back and reminiscing on it all, she tells New Idea that she wishes one of her dishes received more airtime.

“On the nostalgia challenge, I made an elevated MasterChef-worthy dish inspired by Shepherd’s Pie, and I wish there was more of why I chose that and what the dish actually was,” she explains. The dish was inspired by her mother’s cooking and her family’s history as sheep farmers.

“I was really proud of that dish and the story of my family history.”

Unfortunately for Grace, she just fell short of making it through to the Top 10.

In her final cook, she was tasked with recreating Kirsten Tibballs’ intricate chocolate Iris flower, a task that required more than 100 steps.

It was a chaotic cook for the retail assistant and former model, who made mistakes along the way.

Speaking exclusively with New Idea, she said she had no regrets about her time on the show, but it was “obviously heartbreaking”.

“I came into the competition with that as my goal, and to miss it so narrowly definitely stung,” she told us.

“I think now retrospectively, it has been such a great way to light a fire within myself to prove that I have what it takes and work really hard on my food career.”

Even though she felt like she finished on a high, she explained that she was working on techniques when the cameras weren’t rolling, but didn’t get a chance to showcase them.

“I was notoriously working on sausage making and never had the right day to give it a go!” she said.

“I had just mastered it, coming up to the top 10 when I was sent home.

“Casper told me he would try and make one in my honour, so I am looking forward to that episode if it ever comes. I also had a really cool salt-and-pepper ice cream with chocolate mousse that I was hoping to make. So many what ifs!”

She also added that she wished the cameras captured the fun contestants had in the green room.

“We had Aaron and Petro on the coffee machine every morning, epic games of Monopoly Go and Petro singing and playing guitar. It was such a good time in there,” she shared.

With many highs in the kitchen, including praise from Rick Stein, and cooking for Robert Irwin, also came hard times.

The 23-year-old credits Poh Ling Yeow for her advice and mentorship, and for helping her through hard moments.

“I remember once I was crying after a particularly tricky cook and she came over and gave me a hug and told me I needed to start trusting myself again,” she told New Idea.

“That was something I really needed to hear at that point in the comp.”

With Poh’s words in her mind, she’s ready to make her former side hustle, Dinner Party, a full-time venture.

What started as catering private parties for loved ones with her closest friends, she said, inspired her to build on it.

She also told New Idea to keep an eye out for solo projects she had in the works.

Bella’s return to MasterChef Australia was cut short during Masters Week.

Sadly, the student was eliminated on June 22 after judges described the taste of her Thai Chilled Noodle Soup as “odd” and confusing.

Even though her return to the competition was cut short, she exclusively told New Idea that it solidified her dreams outside the competition.

“Coming back to MasterChef has only reinforced that I am determined to make a career for myself in the food industry and that I’ll always keep following my passion for desserts,” she shared with us.

Even though she loved returning to the kitchen, she admitted that it took her a while to “find my groove again”.

“I’d missed quite a few episodes since my elimination, so while some things felt familiar, there was also a lot that felt different.”

Jackie’s journey on MasterChef began with her winning Poh Ling Yeow over with one of her cakes, and ended with one of her cakes not being up to scratch.

On June 15, she made a brown butter financier with figs, but it was sadly raw in the middle.

While the judges liked her orange and cinnamon ice cream, they thought her mint and lime granita did not belong on the plate, and she was sent home.

Speaking exclusively with New Idea after her elimination, she said she would’ve approached her final cook differently.

Specifically, she would’ve made sure she got the financier in the oven sooner, reconsidered her granita and removed the figs.

Her time being cut short meant she never had the chance to make other dishes she was hoping to make in later challenges.

“I really wanted to do a version of a Mont Blanc with Ube, Chestnut and Hojicha,” she revealed.

Though it may not have ended as she’d hoped, Jackie told us how lucky she felt to have been a part of the show.

“You don’t need to win the show to win. I’ve had an amazing journey, and while it’s so cheesy, the friendships and connections I’ve made from it, as well as the experience, have made me so much richer,” she said.

Before the competition, she focused on her cake page bb.flambe, which she plans to keep pouring her energy into.

But she also shared another exciting update with us.

Jackie revealed that she’s planning a series of pop-ups and dining experiences to showcase other cooks.

She also revealed that she’d love to collaborate with her fellow MasterChef competitors on some projects.

Along with gaining confidence in the kitchen, she revealed that she has also grown as an individual.

“Personally, I feel so much more confident and eager as ever to continue my food journey. I have the judges, contestants, all the crew and producers to thank for this!” she gushed.

Throughout the competition, Dot impressed the judges with her flavour combinations, but sadly, this also led to her elimination.

Sadly, she was sent home at the end of Aussie Classics Week, where guest judge Robert Irwin gave them his favourite native ingredients.

Unfortunately, her River Mint Doughnuts were out of balance.

While she was sad, she thanked the judges and contestants for their support.

Before her shock elimination and after her wedding, which took place during the competition, she exclusively told New Idea that she was surprised about how nurturing the show was.

“The judges are giving real feedback, and they always feel like mentors in the show,” she told us.

“You know, they come around, and they talk to you, and everyone just wants you to really do great.”

She continued to say that she initially thought it would be quite competitive, but loved the sense of “family” the crew, contestants and judges had on the show.

The graphic designer also spoke with us about her honeymoon plans, given she had to cancel them due to the show’s filming schedule.

She and her now-wife, Katie, initially had a holiday in Greece and Portugal booked.

After filming the show, she exclusively told us that she hoped they could mark their nuptials with a trip at the end of the year.

They also hope to buy a property.

Jack was a long-time fan of MasterChef, and even recreated the show’s famous Snow Egg when he was 11.

Sadly, his journey came to an end during Aussie Classics Week, when his pork was not up to scratch.

Taking to Instagram after his elimination, he said his time on the show was “full of highs, lows, and plenty of lessons along the way”.

“Winning would have been amazing, but it’s not why I applied,” he said in the lengthy caption.

“I came here to learn, grow, and surround myself with people who share the same passion for food. I’m leaving a better cook, but more importantly, with friendships and experiences that mean the world to me.”

He then paid tribute to his nan and thanked his partner, Liv, for her support.

“To all my fellow contestants and judges, thank you for the laughs, the lessons, and the memories,” he continued.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to share this journey with you. I’m certainly leaving this competition a far richer man than when I arrived.

“The apron is coming off, but the food journey is only just beginning. ❤️🍴.”

Going into MasterChef, Lydia knew she had a dream and didn’t want anything to get in her way.

After getting the first apron on the spot for her octopus during the Top 40 auditions, Lydia continued to impress everyone with her palette and warmth.

Even though she was sad to go home on June 3, she exclusively told New Idea that she felt like she reclaimed herself in the process.

“I actually didn’t realise that I felt like everyone’s support person until MasterChef,” the 58-year-old told us.

“It reminded me that it’s okay to have dreams at my age and that pursuing them doesn’t take away from the people you love.

“It helped me reconnect with the version of myself that had been quietly waiting for her turn and gave me permission to focus on me.”

Watching the elimination back was incredibly hard and made her “snot cry all over again”.

Looking back at her final cook, she said she shouldn’t have panicked and instead taken the time to wait for more ingredients

“I think I should have trusted myself more from the beginning,” she reflected.

“Looking back, some of my best cooks happened when I stopped second-guessing myself and simply cooked the food that felt authentic to me.”

When asked about a dish she’d make if she had more time, she had a delicious red mullet dish up her sleeve, with rosemary, vinegar, and currants.

Passionate about her Greek heritage, she told New Idea she had “pages and pages of ideas” which included aspects of her culture, and techniques she learned in the kitchen.

She even developed a moussaka dumpling and a crustless eggplant pie!

With her new skills and passion ignited, she revealed that she planned to dive “headfirst” into content creation, videography and “mastering” Instagram to share her stories and food tips.

“I’m also exploring opportunities for pop-ups and events because bringing people together around a table is still my favourite thing. It feels like the start of something big and new,” she shared.

One week after he won $10,000 for his deeply personal dish, Olaolu was eliminated from the show.

Tasked with showcasing perfect pairs, he chose coconut and pineapple, but the judges said his Breakfast Trifle missed the mark.

In the end, it was between him and 19-year old Luke Harris, but Olaolu’s dessert couldn’t save him.

“It’s safe to say it wasn’t my finest work!” he exclusively told New Idea after his elimination.

“I was spooked because I ran out of time during yesterday’s cook, and so I picked a concept that I knew I could get done in time, but wasn’t quite right, in hindsight.”

The judges were also sad to see him go, with Jean-Christophe Novelli kissing him on the cheek before he left.

Reflecting on his elimination, he told New Idea that all of the judges had a lasting impact on him.

“As ex-contesants, both Andy and Poh have a knack for pinpointing exactly where and why a cook went well or badly,” he continued.

” Sofia’s culinary knowledge is incredibly broad and deep, and Jean-Cristophe’s technical advice is next level, and he’s super encouraging.”

When asked about his plans after the show, he revealed that he hoped to do some food pop-ups.

“It would be cool to combine Nigerian flavours with some of the things I picked up during the competition and share it with anyone who’s interested,” he shared.

Throughout the competition, Miin was passionate about showcasing his Malaysian heritage.

Unfortunately, he was sent home during nostalgia week, where the contestants were tasked with showcasing their family trees.

His Kiam Chye Ark soup, which is incredibly close to his heart, had under-cooked duck and his broth lacked seasoning.

Sadly, time got the better of him, and he had to ditch his noodles and served rice, which the judges said was not necessary.

Watching it all back, he told New Idea that it was “one of the most emotional challenges of the season”.

“While I was at-peace to watch it back, I felt emotional remembering how emotional everyone was seeing our childhood photos,” he explained.

It was hard to walk away from the competition and the friends he made, who affectionately called him “Uncle Miin”.

“I think ‘Uncle Miin’ just came to being thanks to Emily,” he told us when asked about the sweet nickname.

“I guess in Asian culture it’s a term of respect for someone older. It’s really cute actually that I became everyone’s ‘uncle’.

“The bonds, the friendships and the memories are what I’ll cherish most from this experience. I wouldn’t trade that for anything else.”

He also assured New Idea that this won’t be the last we see of him, and that he’ll be back on his Instagram page promoting his food.

But he also shared something else he has in the pipeline.

“[I’ll] hopefully spend time trying to put together a range of sauces and stuff that my wife Melysa has been asking me to do for the longest time,” he exclusively shared.

While she felt calm cooking Rosheen Kaul’s intricate Chou Farci, unfortunately, Lucy’s elements were perfect and sent her home.

Even though it was the dish that sent her home, she exclusively told New Idea which challenge she’d never do again.

“You might think it was my pressure test elimination, but I actually loved that cook even though the outcome wasn’t the best!” she shared with us.

“I’d probably happily never do the cereal invention test again though, it was fun but I don’t think I need to reinvent the wheel twice.”

In saying that, she said her favourite dish that she made was her Fakeaway Noodles from the Quick Carbs challenge, which were picked as one of the top dishes of the day.

The moment made her feel like she “belonged” in the competition.

Despite being the seventh contestant to be sent home, she told New Idea that she learned a lot.

“One of the pieces of advice that has stayed with me the most came from Poh during the Top 40 auditions, after I undercooked my duck,” she explained.

“She read me like a book, and told me that I needed to trust my instincts and back myself when I know something isn’t right. It was a really important lesson early on in the competition and something I never forgot throughout my time in the MasterChef kitchen.

She also revealed that she has relocated from Queensland back to her hometown, Adelaide, and is keen to immerse herself in the city’s food scene.

“I’ll also definitely be continuing to share my journey on social media, with lots of recipes and fun content along the way, probably with some familiar MasterChef faces!” she teased.

While we have seen the contestants bond in the kitchen, she revealed that she held off-camera memories close to her heart as well.

“One of my favourite memories was in our accommodation,” she explained.

“Grace had baked this beautiful choccy cake and managed to drop it on the floor of Luke & Petro’s place. We actually all ended up eating it off the floor, a bit yucky but it was way too delicious to waste!”

Unfortunately for Kanika, her journey on the show came to an end during ‘Around the World Week’.

During the challenge, she was tasked with transporting the judges to Mexico, and had to hero corn in her dish.

Unfortunately, time got the better of her. Her Mexican Prawn and Corn Tacos with corn done three ways did not hit the brief.

While she didn’t produce any tortillas, her other elements were also not up to scratch.

Jean-Christophe Novelli said it was hard to say goodbye, and made her promise to continue cooking.

“It’s just been an incredible journey,” she explained. “So much exposure to the world of food.”

“This is not the last time you’re seeing me,” she assured. “I’m not going to stop here.”

Sadly, Alita’s Dumpling Lasagne failed to impress the judges and guest judge, Victoria Minell.

Unfortunately, her dish, which the judges said had too many ideas and was not executed perfectly, sent her home on May 11.

Even though she was sad that her time in the competition was over, she wanted to keep her passion for cooking alive.

“I loved the opportunity to push myself and to see how good a cook I really can be,” she shared.

“I’m gonna miss this place so much.

“I’m feeling content with everything I’ve done so far. I’m really proud of myself, and I’m gonna keep cooking, and I just want to keep exploring this creative side of me that I love so much.”

Bella has a passion for making desserts, but sadly, her ambitious Apple and Cinnamon Entremet was not executed to perfection, and thus sent her home.

During the May 6 episode, the contestants in black aprons were tasked with making dishes cherished by their families.

With only 75 minutes to cook, the 20-year-old’s presentation and elements let her down.

While she was devastated, the judges were also emotional when they said goodbye to her.

Sofia Levin praised her cooking for being “well-beyond” her years.

“Bella, I just want to say your ambition, your tenacity, your grit, your determination, your ability to just push through an extreme pressure… You are one of a handful of people that have those attributes in absolute spades,” Andy Allen shared.

Former contestant and judge Poh Ling Yeow tearfully said she was “so heartbroken for her”, which also made Bella cry.

“You are so young and you have so much talent,” Poh said through tears.

“I know you’re going to be a superstar, and I want you to promise me that you’re not going to let this moment define you, it’s actually what you do after this,” she continued, before inviting her to hug the judges.

Speaking exclusively with New Idea, she said it was “tough” to watch the episode back, but it gave her closure.

“It was also really nice to see the incredible dishes my fellow contestants cooked that day – especially since you barely notice what anyone around you is cooking when you’re in the moment,” she shared.

“As sad as I was to go, I feel so grateful the rest of them got to spend more time in the competition. I’m in awe of everyone’s talent.”

Despite that, she said she was “touched” by the judges’ comments.

“I’m so grateful for how much they truly cared,” she told us.

“Poh reminded me that this is just the beginning and it’s all about what I do from here. I think about that regularly, and it’s given me a lot of optimism for my future.”

While she was proud of the dishes she served, she said if she had the chance to compete again, she’d cook more of her Nonna’s traditional recipes.

As for what’s next?

She plans to get her long-time project of consolidating all of her Nonna’s recipes into a cookbook off the ground.

The student also said that she planned to keep making desserts, and wanted to see where that took her.

Being a part of the show was a dream come true for Belinda, but sadly, her journey came to an end on May 4.

Tasked with whipping up a family favourite in 36 minutes using one of the judge’s hacks.

Unfortunately, Belinda’s burger sent her home.

Despite being sad that her journey had come to an end, she was thankful.

“It’s been fantastic,” she said.

“I’ve been watching MasterChef since series one, and now I’m on the show, so you know, dream accomplished. I’ve learned that I would like to now take my cooking to another level. I don’t think you’re ever too old to start again. I’ve had eight career paths, so let’s make number nine.”

The bottom five cooks from the Invention Test battled it out to stay in the competition on Wednesday, April 29.

They faced off in a Pressure Test set by MasterChef‘s Maggie Beer, having to master her signature sour cream pastry to stay in the competition.

Sadly for Jeff Lam, he was ranked at the bottom of the table and was sent home, ending his MasterChef journey.

MasterChef superfan Jeff had applied for the show several times before making it into the kitchen.

For Megs, earning a white apron on MasterChef Australia was a dream come true. With a love for catering, she always dreamed of opening a small restaurant called “Megs Place”.

Sadly, her time in the kitchen was short-lived, and she was the first contestant to be eliminated from the kitchen.

Tasked with creating a dish that represents who they are at home, Megs bit off more than she could chew, and sadly, her prawns were undercooked.

“I’m absolutely gutted, but I’ve taken so much, I’ve learned from everyone here, so I just really wanted to thank you all, it was everything I hoped and a million times more,” she shared after she was eliminated.

While all the judges were sorry to see her go, Poh said they loved having her in the kitchen, and they couldn’t wait for her restaurant to open.

“I’m definitely heartbroken that I didn’t get to stay longer,” Megs said quietly in a confessional, adding that she was “sad” that she didn’t get enough time to showcase her skills.

“I’m extremely grateful; this is a place where dreams are made of, and I had that for a short time.”