MasterChef Australia winner Laura Sharrad reveals filming two endings was ‘weird'
The Adelaide-based restaurateur finally took out the title on Tuesday night's Channel 10 finale, proving third time's a charm after twice placing runner-up on previous all-star seasons.
Speaking to news.com.au, Sharrad confirmed she and fellow finale competitor Callum Hann had to film alternate endings at the Melbourne kitchen late last year, a process many viewers deem 'cruel', with the pair having to fake both winning and losing scenarios following an hours-long battle.
'It's funny because the first time I did this [MasterChef] there was two endings, so I kind of knew what was going to happen,' Sharrad said.
'It's like, 'One of you will go first, one of you wins first, you do a winning speech, and then the confetti gets picked up, we reload the confetti gun, and then you do round two'.
'And then you obviously do a losing speech as well. So a bit of acting is required. My acting skills aren't great. We're cooks, we'll never make it as actors. Let's be real.
'It's a very, very weird thing, but I think it's the best thing to do to protect the show and nothing leaking.
'It's such a long production, and everyone works so hard to get to the end. I know some people will say it's a little bit cruel that you don't really know what's happening, but it's the best way to keep the secret and to make sure everyone's hard work pays off.'
Laura later found out she was the winner, in much less fanatic circumstances, shortly after the last episode was shot.
'It was a very casual conversation with the producers and Callum and myself, that was it,' she said.
'A very small amount of people in a room. And we just got told … They were just like, 'Laura, you're our winner.'
'So it was very casual. But it was nice to also have that moment with Callum, just the two of us there. We both have been runner up, so we both know that feeling. We've gone through the competition twice together. So, you know, as lovely as it would have been to have that moment in real time, just to have that one-on-one time with Callum was really special.'
As part of her winning package, Laura – who runs two restaurants in her home city – is still waiting on the $250,000 cash prize to hit her bank account. Once that happens, she has a very relatable plan for what to do with it.
'I'm going to take a screenshot of my bank account, just so I've got that memento forever,' she said.
And then?
'I actually don't know. I've had a little while to think about what I'm going to do with it and I'm stuck,' she admitted.
'If anyone's got any suggestions, let me know. But I think I'll just sit on it for a while and just look at it. And I think if something comes up at the right time, whether it's a venture business-wise … But I'll let it do its own thing and just forget about it for a little while.'
Returning to the kitchen for a third time in a bid to finally take out the crown, things were very different for Laura for the latest season, having welcomed her first child, daughter Florence, with her husband Max in April last year.
She was still breastfeeding her newborn during filming, confessing to barely having slept amid motherhood and her busy MasterChef schedule.
'The two times before this it was just me there and I felt like I could really give myself to the process, but this time was definitely harder,' Laura said.
'I have an amazing support system. We had a wonderful nanny who was with me while we were filming. I was still breastfeeding literally the whole season as well. Physically, I felt like I couldn't fully commit.
'Honestly, looking back, I'm like, I was mad. What was I doing? But it's so funny, when I slept I didn't cook well at all, and then when I had like one or two hours sleep I was like, I'm on.'
She mustn't have slept too well before the finale, then, with a laser-focused Laura delivering near-perfect dishes.
'I was probably the calmest I think I've ever been in that kitchen,' she said.
'And no one would believe me. When I told my friends last night, they were like, 'you're not calm, you're chaos.' But there was just weird energy that came over me.
'My brain was kind of telling my body, there's one shot at this, this is it. You've said you're not going back [as a contestant]. This is your last opportunity. You just go in there and do whatever you can to take it out.'
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