“I still had to do a lot of work on myself to learn to not take it so personally because in the competition, you do take it so personally,” she said.
“And going up against the likes of Julie [Goodwin], Mindy [Woods], and Sashi [Cheliah] is so daunting as they’ve all done such incredible things – but I’m excited to show not only what I’ve learned about Indian cuisine, but also how I’ve grown as a person.”
A huge deciding factor in her decision to return to the cooking show was her 11-year-old son Phoenix, who hasn’t had a chance to witness his mum in action.
“He was only two years old the first time I was on the show, so I really wanted to take him through that experience with me. It’s going to be really special,” she said.
After welcoming her son in 2011, Sarah’s passion for food came to life after she spent a few years living in London with her son’s Punjabi grandparents.
And it seems her love for cooking has been passed down to her son, who has taken a liking to the culinary world.
“He loves cooking,” she gushed. “He used to make paratas [a Bangladeshi flatbread] with his grandma so we love making those every Sunday and he’s mastered the poached egg.”
She added: “He also comes to India with me, so I’m making sure he’s soaking up that culture over there.”
With the complete support of her beloved son, Sarah will be putting all her skills to the test this season on MasterChef: Fans & Favourites.
After coming in tenth place on season six of the hit series, she’ll be aiming for a shot at redemption by going even further this time - or winning completely.
Having immersed herself in different cuisines around the world, from French to Punjabi, Sarah will certainly be one to watch this season.
