From secret earpieces to preferential treatment – this season of MasterChef Australia: Back to Win has been dogged by rumours of cheating.
WATCH: MasterChef’s Jock Zonfrillo reveals thoughts on Indigenous food
Now, current contestant Khanh Ong has confessed to being caught up in just that.
In his upcoming book, A Gay Guy’s Guide to Life Love Food, the talented TV cook splices recipes with his personal life stories. But the most surprising revelation is an admission to having been cheated on in the past.
“There’s stories in there about ex boyfriends and being cheated on and those are obviously coming from hurtful places,” Khanh, 28, tells New Idea, explaining that his unconventional book is structured so that the recipes complement different life stories and emotional states.
“There’s also one ex who doesn’t know he’s been mentioned in the book,” Khanh admits. “His name is changed, but when it comes out, I might get a few angry emails or texts,” he adds.
“But it was all the truth! You cheated, you live with it!”
Ahead of the release of the new tome, the popular contestant has revealed some insider secrets from the MasterChef set.
Winner leaked
Several MasterChef contestants have already earned frontrunner status – but there’s only one standout in Khanh’s mind.
“If it’s not me, then I really hope Reynold [Poernomo] wins, because he deserves it,” says Khanh.
“He’s put in all the hard yards, he has travelled the world and worked for free at amazing restaurants just to learn. That’s commendable; it’s amazing. He’s really talented.”
However, Khanh hints that viewers shouldn’t discount Emelia Jackson, dubbing her the “dark horse” of the competition.
“Emelia is so consistent, she’s amazing, she’s sassy and has all the personality in the world,” Khanh says. “And she is just an incredible human being.”
New rules
Changing the rules halfway through the season is never ideal. But Khanh reveals it became a necessity when the MasterChef production was affected by the government regulations put in place due to COVID-19.
“Jock basically told us, ‘With the new government rules and guidelines in place, we have new rules as well’,” Khanh explains.
“The crew were pared back due to the one person per four square-metre rule. We were no longer allowed to taste each other’s food. And it got really awkward when people would leave because we couldn’t hug them,” Khanh adds.
“Even the benches moved, because we couldn’t be too close to each other. It was a little bit weird at the beginning, but we got used to it.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea. Out now!
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