After being put through the paces in a brutal pressure test, Nick Riewoldt plated up a near-perfect dish, earning him the title of Celebrity MasterChef 2021.
WATCH BELOW: The telling sign that Nick Riewoldt would win Celebrity MasterChef
After competing against Tilly Ramsay and Collette Dinnigan in the final challenge, Nick won the competition and raised a total of $100,000 for his chosen charity, Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision.
Taking to Instagram after his win, Nick expressed just how much it means to him to have raised that money for his chosen charity, and to finally have a trophy to take home.
“Winning was never the reason for participating, BUT it does feel good to finally lift some silverware (cue the memes🤪),” he quipped.
Nick added: “Wow what a bonus @maddiesvision !!!! So incredibly proud to have stood alongside two amazing women @tillyramsay @collettedinnigan throughout that excruciating final day.”
“Thank you to the ultra cool judges @fooderati @andyallencooks @zonfrillo , @bensonmarty and the entire @masterchefau crew for helping us keep our heads. You guys made it the most amazing experience. Thank you.”
The amazing effort he put in for his charity, which Nick co-founded following the tragic passing of his sister Maddie in 2015, made the win all the more special for the AFL champion.
The Instagram page for Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision echoed that sentiment in their own post and said: “The prize money means so so much for our community and will make a big difference to people with Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes.”
The grand finale saw the remaining three celebs go through a four-hour-long pressure test set by Martin Benn to replicate his Metropolis dessert.
While both Tilly and Collette put in an amazing effort, Nick’s dish was near-perfect, earning him the highest score and the winning title.
Shortly after his win was announced, MasterChef judges Melissa Leong and Andy Allen took to Instagram to share some words for Nick’s incredible time in the kitchen.
“From day one, you showed each fellow contestant genuine care and kindness, learned, focused and took on each challenge with everything you had,” Melissa penned.
“It was a privilege to get to know you, and as a leader, a professional, a husband and a dad, more people could stand to be more like you. Maddie would be so damned proud of you,” she said.
Andy also praised Nick for his well-deserved win and said: “The way you went about the competition is a testament to the bloke you are. Humble, friendly, supportive, creative and competitive in the right way.”
The two judges also took a moment to shine a light on the admirable efforts put forward by the runners-up, Tilly and Collette.
“@tillyramsay & @collettedinnigan you two ladies rocked it! The grit and determination you both showed when the chips were down is something that you just can’t teach!” Andy said.
Melissa also wrote: “@collettedinnigan, I’m glad I got over being starstruck on ep 1 to see you slay in our kitchen the way you do the catwalk, and @tillyramsay: we will all be working for you one day… the sky’s the limit, babe!”