Why fans were left 'teary' when celebrity chef Shannon Bennett made a surprise appearance on MasterChef Australia
Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett made his long-awaited return to MasterChef Australia on Wednesday night and it was an emotional experience for viewers.
The Melbourne-born culinary expert, 49, appeared on the popular Channel Ten cooking series for the first time since 2023 to help contestants prepare a pea purée.
'Just a little bit of cooking. Show you a couple of things!' Shannon said as he took them through the steps to prepare the dish.
His top-notch culinary skills left the contestants in awe, with Callum Hann remarking: 'I'm loving watching Shannon cook! Every time you watch one of these guru chefs, you always learn something.'
Emotional fans took to social media to share their excitement at seeing Shannon in the kitchen.
'I was so teary seeing him back in the studio. He is a hero and in my mind should have been one of the new judges last year,' one person wrote.
The Melbourne-born culinary expert appeared on the popular Channel Ten cooking series for the first time since 2023 to help contestants prepare a pea purée
'He has all the skills and is empathetic. Hopefully he will be a judge one day if that is what he wants.'
'You learn from the legend,' a second person added and a third wrote.
'He made it look easy.'
Last month, Shannon's ex-partner Madeleine West welcomed her seventh child - her first that he is not the father to.
The 47-year-old shared a glimpse at her newborn in an Instagram post, revealing the child was in excellent health.
Alongside a truncated image of the child, the Neighbours star wrote: 'Earthside at last… and utterly perfect'.
The Australian actress did not reveal the sex or name of her new arrival at the time, nor has she revealed the father's identity.
Madeleine recently opened up about her seventh pregnancy at the age of 47.
The star already shares five daughters and one son with Shannon, who she was in a relationship with from 2005 - 2018.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, she said she was not letting naysayers get to her and is determined to keep 'dancing to the beat of my own drum'.
She said many people were shocked to learn she was pregnant with yet another child at her age, but she was also 'surprised' by the sheer amount of support she received.
'There was a lot of shock, naturally. And then, "Are you sure? You're at this point in your life. Your career is blossoming. You've got all these kids",' she told host Tara Brown.
'But I am surprised by so many people who have reached out saying, "I've done what you're doing and I felt so alone. I felt like everyone would see me at the playground and they would think I'm grandma".'
When asked if she had ever been called a 'grandma at the playground', the actress responded: 'Oh yeah, naturally. But my argument has always been I've always danced to the beat of my own drum.'
The TV star - who shares Phoenix, 19, Hendrix, 16, Xascha, 14, Xanthe, 12, and twins Xalia and Margaux, 10, with Shannon.
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2 hours ago
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Mel C flaunts her sizzling six-pack as she shares slew of snaps from recent trip Down Under - including a loved-up display with new boyfriend Chris Dingwall
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Her abs were again on show in an later photo, with Sporty Spice unsurprisingly enjoying a visit to the gym in a matching shorts and bra combo. It wasn't all sports and yoga for Mel Down Under however, with the slew revealing that she had taken in a Dua Lipa performance during her trip away. And the 50-year-old seemed to be having a whale of a time watching the British superstar's Radical Optimism tour, with Mel filmed dancing the night away in the crowd. In another video, Mel revealed exactly how she manages to wear stilettos for an entire day - by taping her toes together. The footage showed a man - presumably her stylist - prepping the Spice Girl to slip into a pair of heels while explaining exactly how the method works. 'The science says that by taping toe two and three together, it will redistribute the pressure on the foot meaning Melanie can do a full day in the world's most heeled high heels,' he said. '(Our inspiration is) Vanessa Williams while performing in The Devil Wears Prada, she told the world that this was the secret to getting through a full day in stilettos, and let's see if she's a liar.' Mel also put on a loved-up display with her film director boyfriend Chris, who is believed to be in his 40s, in a selfie shared to her Instagram on Thursday. While it remains unclear how the couple met, they confirmed romance rumours last June when they attended Glastonbury together. Chris - who stands at around 185cm tall - is a model who has also tried his hand at acting, writing and film directing. During their time together in Australia, the couple were pictured sharing a cheeky kiss while enjoying a day on the beach. Since going public with their romance, Mel and Chris have also enjoyed a summer break in Ibiza together. They were seen sharing a steamy kiss during a PDA-filled boat ride on the island. In July, Mel also cosied up to her new partner as they enjoyed a day out at Wimbledon in south west London. The singer keeps her love life largely out of the spotlight but previously spoke about how she was banned from dating in the early days of the Spice Girls - while her bandmates were free to pursue romances. 'Looking back what struck me was it was one rule for one and another for the others, right?' she previously told Australia's The Project. 'I think when you are vulnerable as well, people go, I don't think it's good for you'. Mel said the rule for the other women was, 'she is fine, she can have a boyfriend, she can cope with having a boyfriend, she is strong enough but you are not'. 'It makes you question yourself when you are already vulnerable,' Mel added. On Thursday, it was reported that Simon Fuller – the man who managed the band, created Brand Beckham and helped found Victoria Beckham's fashion empire – is keen to organise a tour to mark the group's 30th anniversary next year. He has the support of Mel C, Mel B and Emma Bunton, and has spent more than a year trying to win Geri Halliwell-Horner round to the idea. A source told The Mail's Alison Boshoff: 'Geri isn't interested in stepping foot on a stage again.' So the plan she agreed to was for Abba-style avatars of the girls, which would 'perform' in concert. But Victoria is being left out of discussions and will not be part of the virtual line-up. A source said: 'Simon Fuller planning a tour has caused yet another schism. Victoria is f****d off that they have gone with him and there is no way that she will be a part of it. 'The bad feeling seems to go back to her and David having to spend millions on buying him out of Beckham Brand Holdings. He still has a stake and board seat on her fashion business. There is resentment there. 'Geri wants to do the avatars idea. She isn't interested in coming back and doing a tour. She doesn't need to. This is the one idea which Simon has had which has tempted her.' The source added: 'Simon Fuller is the only person who could get Geri to rejoin the Spice Girls, but he is the one person in the world who could never persuade Victoria.' No wonder only Mel C and Emma Bunton went to Mel B's 50th birthday celebrations in Leeds last weekend. All of the 'girls' showed up for Victoria's 50th birthday last year, but it seems that they are in separate camps once again. In fact, there has not yet been a meeting to discuss plans with Geri and the other Spice Girls in the same room because 'at any given point
