While being a part of MasterChef Australia has been a dream come true for Petro Papathomas, he has also been dealing with an unimaginable loss.
Sadly, the Greek/Cypriot native lost his beloved grandmother, “Yiayia” Sophia, while he was filming MasterChef.
He credits Sophia, as well as his mother, as one of his earliest inspirations and teachers in cooking.
Speaking exclusively to New Idea, Petro says he has carried his grandmother’s legacy all the way to the top three.
“It was very hard because it kind of came out of nowhere,” he says of her death.
“And you are in a bit of a bubble there, so there’s really no time to stop. It was very hard to grieve while still trying to stay alive in the competition.”
Petro says he was able to visit Sophia one final time during filming, after he received the call about her health.
“I got to see her basically half an hour before she lost consciousness and eventually passed away, but I’m very blessed that I got to see her briefly for one last time,” he reveals.
With the competition still in full swing at the time, he says he felt an overriding sense of guilt for not being with his family.
During that stage of the competition, he explains that he was “unravelling”, but thinking about her spurred him through each round.
With the finale in sight, he says he knew she’d be proud of his efforts and determination to honour his heritage through his dishes.
He also celebrated his late grandmother’s legacy by making her Cypriot Ravioles during the family tree challenge.
“I’ve been brought up with those values and those traditions, and I was really close to both sets of my grandparents, and I spent a lot of time with them,” he explains.
“So food is a big thing for us. So Cypriot and Greek food has always been at the forefront. And I think connecting the essence of that to everything I do has been important.”
Looking back on the difficult time, he thanks the crew and cast members for helping him get through it.
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