'Craziest ride of my life': MasterChef judge leading by example
"I was an electrician at the time, and I had sent out the application [to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia] thinking nothing would come of it," he tells Weekender.
"A friend of mine dared me to do it, actually.
"I still remember being on the job site and getting a phone call from an unknown number - this was a couple of months after I'd filled out the application, so I'd pretty much forgotten all about it.
"I answered, and it was a producer on MasterChef asking if I could come down to Sydney and have a crack.
"So I had to talk to my boss, who was my cousin, and I was like 'Mate, I've gotta go down to Sydney for a couple of days and I'll see you next week'. Well, one thing led to another and another and I never went back to the job site!"
Andy, who was born and raised in Maitland, was one exam away from completing his electrician qualifications. He loved to play basketball and he loved to cook, and watched cooking shows to improve his skills.
But he took a punt, made it to the final 24 contestants on season four of MasterChef Australia, and on July 25, 2012, defeated Julia Taylor and Audra Morrice in the grand finale.
After the show, he published his first cookbook, The Next Element, and started working as a cook at Sydney restaurant Three Blue Ducks.
In 2016, he jumped on board as a co-owner when the Three Blue Ducks opened a new restaurant in Rosebery. Two years later, it was awarded an SMH Good Food Guide chef's hat.
Andy dipped his toe into the television presenting world, working on Andy and Ben Eat Australia, Andy and Ben Eat The World, Farm To Fork and Three Blue Ducks for Network 10.
In 2020, in what was a first for the series worldwide, Andy returned to the MasterChef kitchen as a judge. He's currently on our television screens as a judge on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win alongside Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
He's in Melbourne when Weekender calls, having recently bought a house with wife Alexandra (the couple married in 2022) for $3.85 million in Northcote.
I know how much he paid because the finer details of the sale were shared widely by the media in April.
"I was pretty shocked at that ... it must have been a slow news day," Andy quips.
"Alex and I had been toying around with the idea of buying a place down here for a while. I'm loving it - I have jobs to do, mow the lawn, all that stuff. I'm finding myself turning into my old man, which is a little bit scary. I now understand why he would just potter around the house on a Saturday morning."
Any electrical work that needed to be done?
"No, we got a place that was fully ready to go," he replies, laughing.
"It's the first home we've purchased together, so it's nice to feel a sense of accomplishment for something we've worked really hard for."
He describes his first season as a judge, alongside Jock Zonfrillo and Melissa Leong, as "bizarre".
"Matt [Preston], Gary [Mehigan] and George [Calombaris] had done their thing for such a long time. It wasn't so much nerves, I was more wondering how this was going to go," Andy says.
"It was so weird, as soon as I got that first critique out, I realised that they respected my opinion, they respected what I'd done in the industry, they just wanted to get better, and they knew that this was a huge learning process.
"It was a huge weight off my shoulders.
"Doing Back To Win again, I feel like I'm part of the furniture now at the studio."
MasterChef is produced in more than 50 countries and airs in 200 territories. I ask why it is that MasterChef Australia continues to rate the highest among international audiences.
"You know, I have thought about it, and I reckon it's so popular because we treat it as a cooking competition," Andy says.
"I mean, I was a sparky in Newcastle before I filled out that application form and went on the craziest ride of my life.
"When all you're trying to do is get the best out of people in such a positive environment, they realise that they can grab onto this opportunity with both hands and see what they can do with it. They know it can change their lives."
There are so many former MasterChef Australia contestants working in the food industry, in the media, and writing books. It's proof that this is a competition with a reward that extends beyond the $250,000 prize money.
"We film for five-and-a-half months a year, contestants leave their friends, their family, their careers. There's so much on the line for the contestants," Andy says.
"It's an experience for people to walk into that kitchen, let their guard down, lap it up and see what they can get out of it.
"The MasterChef kitchen is the ultimate leveller. It doesn't matter how much experience you've got, the challenges are just so random, and you can't be good at everything."
Scottish-born Jock died unexpectedly in April 2023, the day before season 15 of MasterChef Australia was due to premiere. The outpouring of grief from the 46-year-old's industry peers, family, friends and fans has been well-documented.
Andy and Jock shared a strong bond and were great mates. Was it difficult to carry on as a judge in a space that Jock filled with his personality and presence?
"Oh, it was rough at the start. It was rough," Andy says.
"I'm kind of lucky, I guess, because I've never had someone really close to me pass away, especially so suddenly. This was a full crash course in grieving.
"On last year's series, the first shot was just me in the kitchen with a light shining on me, 20-odd new contestants running through the doors, and I just remember feeling it was sink or swim at that point.
"There was one part of me going 'This is going to be really hard' and another part going 'What would Jock do?' And I know he would just get in there and do the best job that he possibly could.
"That's been my mission for a couple of seasons now; to really make sure that what we created lives on in the best possible way.
"And there's still many times when I get that wave of grief that sweeps me up ... and that's one of the things I've learned about grief, it will hit you any time, it will hit you over the most insignificant thing, and you just have to accept that and continue to move forward."
Andy reckons he's "getting there" when it comes to dealing with his grief.
"Last year it was a lot about missing Jock and wishing he was around. This year, I still miss him every single day, don't get me wrong, but for me it's now more about celebrating him and trying to move forward," he says.
"Sometimes this wave comes over me, it will be one small, minute thing and it just gets you, it cripples you, and there have been times on set when I just go white for no reason and the producers are, like, 'Are you OK?'
"But you have to just process it and move forward. When you love someone dearly and they're not there any more, that's what happens."
Outside of the MasterChef kitchen, Andy enjoys spending time in his own. He creates and shares cooking videos on social media and says he is inspired by the contestants he judges week in and week out.
"Cooking is still an outlet for me. I still enjoy it," he says.
"I'll come home after a 12-hour day and cook Alex dinner. That's my switch-off time, I can just focus on what's for dinner. It sounds so cringe but it's also so real: when there's a lot of other stuff going on in your life, you can process it while you're cooking a bowl of pasta.
"I get to spend six months of my life being inspired by what contestants can do with food when they're put under pressure. If you're not inspired in that kind of situation, it's probably time to give it up, you know?"
He had been training for a half marathon, however, says he "did a hamstring seven weeks out".
"I'm still not 100 per cent better. But my wife got there, and she ran another one last week. She's got the bug," he says.
In 2022, Andy co-founded new mid-strength beer Travla with Australian actor Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Warcraft, Raised By Wolves, Dune: Prophecy, Black Snow, Boy Swallows Universe), so that is also keeping him busy.
"He's a funny, unique man who will not quit until it's a success. He's the best business partner I could ever ask for," Andy says.
"Travla has started to go really, really well. It's starting to kick some goals as a beer brand that celebrates country living and country values.
"Travis is a country boy. He grew up just outside of Echuca, at Lockington, and it doesn't matter where he goes or what he does, he'll always be that guy from Lockington.
"He's got this total juxtaposition of what he's exposed to through what he does in Hollywood and around he world, but at heart he's a guy who just wants to be on the farm."
So, does he ever miss his sparky days?
"My tool kit is still at Mum and Dad's," he says.
"I'll go home to visit and sometimes there will be a box of downlights or a couple of ceiling fans in front of the door, and Mum gives me the eye.
"I can't really say no, can I?"
Andy Allen was working for his cousin on a building site in Wickham 13 years ago when he received the phone call that would change his life.
"I was an electrician at the time, and I had sent out the application [to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia] thinking nothing would come of it," he tells Weekender.
"A friend of mine dared me to do it, actually.
"I still remember being on the job site and getting a phone call from an unknown number - this was a couple of months after I'd filled out the application, so I'd pretty much forgotten all about it.
"I answered, and it was a producer on MasterChef asking if I could come down to Sydney and have a crack.
"So I had to talk to my boss, who was my cousin, and I was like 'Mate, I've gotta go down to Sydney for a couple of days and I'll see you next week'. Well, one thing led to another and another and I never went back to the job site!"
Andy, who was born and raised in Maitland, was one exam away from completing his electrician qualifications. He loved to play basketball and he loved to cook, and watched cooking shows to improve his skills.
But he took a punt, made it to the final 24 contestants on season four of MasterChef Australia, and on July 25, 2012, defeated Julia Taylor and Audra Morrice in the grand finale.
After the show, he published his first cookbook, The Next Element, and started working as a cook at Sydney restaurant Three Blue Ducks.
In 2016, he jumped on board as a co-owner when the Three Blue Ducks opened a new restaurant in Rosebery. Two years later, it was awarded an SMH Good Food Guide chef's hat.
Andy dipped his toe into the television presenting world, working on Andy and Ben Eat Australia, Andy and Ben Eat The World, Farm To Fork and Three Blue Ducks for Network 10.
In 2020, in what was a first for the series worldwide, Andy returned to the MasterChef kitchen as a judge. He's currently on our television screens as a judge on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win alongside Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
He's in Melbourne when Weekender calls, having recently bought a house with wife Alexandra (the couple married in 2022) for $3.85 million in Northcote.
I know how much he paid because the finer details of the sale were shared widely by the media in April.
"I was pretty shocked at that ... it must have been a slow news day," Andy quips.
"Alex and I had been toying around with the idea of buying a place down here for a while. I'm loving it - I have jobs to do, mow the lawn, all that stuff. I'm finding myself turning into my old man, which is a little bit scary. I now understand why he would just potter around the house on a Saturday morning."
Any electrical work that needed to be done?
"No, we got a place that was fully ready to go," he replies, laughing.
"It's the first home we've purchased together, so it's nice to feel a sense of accomplishment for something we've worked really hard for."
He describes his first season as a judge, alongside Jock Zonfrillo and Melissa Leong, as "bizarre".
"Matt [Preston], Gary [Mehigan] and George [Calombaris] had done their thing for such a long time. It wasn't so much nerves, I was more wondering how this was going to go," Andy says.
"It was so weird, as soon as I got that first critique out, I realised that they respected my opinion, they respected what I'd done in the industry, they just wanted to get better, and they knew that this was a huge learning process.
"It was a huge weight off my shoulders.
"Doing Back To Win again, I feel like I'm part of the furniture now at the studio."
MasterChef is produced in more than 50 countries and airs in 200 territories. I ask why it is that MasterChef Australia continues to rate the highest among international audiences.
"You know, I have thought about it, and I reckon it's so popular because we treat it as a cooking competition," Andy says.
"I mean, I was a sparky in Newcastle before I filled out that application form and went on the craziest ride of my life.
"When all you're trying to do is get the best out of people in such a positive environment, they realise that they can grab onto this opportunity with both hands and see what they can do with it. They know it can change their lives."
There are so many former MasterChef Australia contestants working in the food industry, in the media, and writing books. It's proof that this is a competition with a reward that extends beyond the $250,000 prize money.
"We film for five-and-a-half months a year, contestants leave their friends, their family, their careers. There's so much on the line for the contestants," Andy says.
"It's an experience for people to walk into that kitchen, let their guard down, lap it up and see what they can get out of it.
"The MasterChef kitchen is the ultimate leveller. It doesn't matter how much experience you've got, the challenges are just so random, and you can't be good at everything."
Scottish-born Jock died unexpectedly in April 2023, the day before season 15 of MasterChef Australia was due to premiere. The outpouring of grief from the 46-year-old's industry peers, family, friends and fans has been well-documented.
Andy and Jock shared a strong bond and were great mates. Was it difficult to carry on as a judge in a space that Jock filled with his personality and presence?
"Oh, it was rough at the start. It was rough," Andy says.
"I'm kind of lucky, I guess, because I've never had someone really close to me pass away, especially so suddenly. This was a full crash course in grieving.
"On last year's series, the first shot was just me in the kitchen with a light shining on me, 20-odd new contestants running through the doors, and I just remember feeling it was sink or swim at that point.
"There was one part of me going 'This is going to be really hard' and another part going 'What would Jock do?' And I know he would just get in there and do the best job that he possibly could.
"That's been my mission for a couple of seasons now; to really make sure that what we created lives on in the best possible way.
"And there's still many times when I get that wave of grief that sweeps me up ... and that's one of the things I've learned about grief, it will hit you any time, it will hit you over the most insignificant thing, and you just have to accept that and continue to move forward."
Andy reckons he's "getting there" when it comes to dealing with his grief.
"Last year it was a lot about missing Jock and wishing he was around. This year, I still miss him every single day, don't get me wrong, but for me it's now more about celebrating him and trying to move forward," he says.
"Sometimes this wave comes over me, it will be one small, minute thing and it just gets you, it cripples you, and there have been times on set when I just go white for no reason and the producers are, like, 'Are you OK?'
"But you have to just process it and move forward. When you love someone dearly and they're not there any more, that's what happens."
Outside of the MasterChef kitchen, Andy enjoys spending time in his own. He creates and shares cooking videos on social media and says he is inspired by the contestants he judges week in and week out.
"Cooking is still an outlet for me. I still enjoy it," he says.
"I'll come home after a 12-hour day and cook Alex dinner. That's my switch-off time, I can just focus on what's for dinner. It sounds so cringe but it's also so real: when there's a lot of other stuff going on in your life, you can process it while you're cooking a bowl of pasta.
"I get to spend six months of my life being inspired by what contestants can do with food when they're put under pressure. If you're not inspired in that kind of situation, it's probably time to give it up, you know?"
He had been training for a half marathon, however, says he "did a hamstring seven weeks out".
"I'm still not 100 per cent better. But my wife got there, and she ran another one last week. She's got the bug," he says.
In 2022, Andy co-founded new mid-strength beer Travla with Australian actor Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Warcraft, Raised By Wolves, Dune: Prophecy, Black Snow, Boy Swallows Universe), so that is also keeping him busy.
"He's a funny, unique man who will not quit until it's a success. He's the best business partner I could ever ask for," Andy says.
"Travla has started to go really, really well. It's starting to kick some goals as a beer brand that celebrates country living and country values.
"Travis is a country boy. He grew up just outside of Echuca, at Lockington, and it doesn't matter where he goes or what he does, he'll always be that guy from Lockington.
"He's got this total juxtaposition of what he's exposed to through what he does in Hollywood and around he world, but at heart he's a guy who just wants to be on the farm."
So, does he ever miss his sparky days?
"My tool kit is still at Mum and Dad's," he says.
"I'll go home to visit and sometimes there will be a box of downlights or a couple of ceiling fans in front of the door, and Mum gives me the eye.
"I can't really say no, can I?"
Andy Allen was working for his cousin on a building site in Wickham 13 years ago when he received the phone call that would change his life.
"I was an electrician at the time, and I had sent out the application [to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia] thinking nothing would come of it," he tells Weekender.
"A friend of mine dared me to do it, actually.
"I still remember being on the job site and getting a phone call from an unknown number - this was a couple of months after I'd filled out the application, so I'd pretty much forgotten all about it.
"I answered, and it was a producer on MasterChef asking if I could come down to Sydney and have a crack.
"So I had to talk to my boss, who was my cousin, and I was like 'Mate, I've gotta go down to Sydney for a couple of days and I'll see you next week'. Well, one thing led to another and another and I never went back to the job site!"
Andy, who was born and raised in Maitland, was one exam away from completing his electrician qualifications. He loved to play basketball and he loved to cook, and watched cooking shows to improve his skills.
But he took a punt, made it to the final 24 contestants on season four of MasterChef Australia, and on July 25, 2012, defeated Julia Taylor and Audra Morrice in the grand finale.
After the show, he published his first cookbook, The Next Element, and started working as a cook at Sydney restaurant Three Blue Ducks.
In 2016, he jumped on board as a co-owner when the Three Blue Ducks opened a new restaurant in Rosebery. Two years later, it was awarded an SMH Good Food Guide chef's hat.
Andy dipped his toe into the television presenting world, working on Andy and Ben Eat Australia, Andy and Ben Eat The World, Farm To Fork and Three Blue Ducks for Network 10.
In 2020, in what was a first for the series worldwide, Andy returned to the MasterChef kitchen as a judge. He's currently on our television screens as a judge on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win alongside Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
He's in Melbourne when Weekender calls, having recently bought a house with wife Alexandra (the couple married in 2022) for $3.85 million in Northcote.
I know how much he paid because the finer details of the sale were shared widely by the media in April.
"I was pretty shocked at that ... it must have been a slow news day," Andy quips.
"Alex and I had been toying around with the idea of buying a place down here for a while. I'm loving it - I have jobs to do, mow the lawn, all that stuff. I'm finding myself turning into my old man, which is a little bit scary. I now understand why he would just potter around the house on a Saturday morning."
Any electrical work that needed to be done?
"No, we got a place that was fully ready to go," he replies, laughing.
"It's the first home we've purchased together, so it's nice to feel a sense of accomplishment for something we've worked really hard for."
He describes his first season as a judge, alongside Jock Zonfrillo and Melissa Leong, as "bizarre".
"Matt [Preston], Gary [Mehigan] and George [Calombaris] had done their thing for such a long time. It wasn't so much nerves, I was more wondering how this was going to go," Andy says.
"It was so weird, as soon as I got that first critique out, I realised that they respected my opinion, they respected what I'd done in the industry, they just wanted to get better, and they knew that this was a huge learning process.
"It was a huge weight off my shoulders.
"Doing Back To Win again, I feel like I'm part of the furniture now at the studio."
MasterChef is produced in more than 50 countries and airs in 200 territories. I ask why it is that MasterChef Australia continues to rate the highest among international audiences.
"You know, I have thought about it, and I reckon it's so popular because we treat it as a cooking competition," Andy says.
"I mean, I was a sparky in Newcastle before I filled out that application form and went on the craziest ride of my life.
"When all you're trying to do is get the best out of people in such a positive environment, they realise that they can grab onto this opportunity with both hands and see what they can do with it. They know it can change their lives."
There are so many former MasterChef Australia contestants working in the food industry, in the media, and writing books. It's proof that this is a competition with a reward that extends beyond the $250,000 prize money.
"We film for five-and-a-half months a year, contestants leave their friends, their family, their careers. There's so much on the line for the contestants," Andy says.
"It's an experience for people to walk into that kitchen, let their guard down, lap it up and see what they can get out of it.
"The MasterChef kitchen is the ultimate leveller. It doesn't matter how much experience you've got, the challenges are just so random, and you can't be good at everything."
Scottish-born Jock died unexpectedly in April 2023, the day before season 15 of MasterChef Australia was due to premiere. The outpouring of grief from the 46-year-old's industry peers, family, friends and fans has been well-documented.
Andy and Jock shared a strong bond and were great mates. Was it difficult to carry on as a judge in a space that Jock filled with his personality and presence?
"Oh, it was rough at the start. It was rough," Andy says.
"I'm kind of lucky, I guess, because I've never had someone really close to me pass away, especially so suddenly. This was a full crash course in grieving.
"On last year's series, the first shot was just me in the kitchen with a light shining on me, 20-odd new contestants running through the doors, and I just remember feeling it was sink or swim at that point.
"There was one part of me going 'This is going to be really hard' and another part going 'What would Jock do?' And I know he would just get in there and do the best job that he possibly could.
"That's been my mission for a couple of seasons now; to really make sure that what we created lives on in the best possible way.
"And there's still many times when I get that wave of grief that sweeps me up ... and that's one of the things I've learned about grief, it will hit you any time, it will hit you over the most insignificant thing, and you just have to accept that and continue to move forward."
Andy reckons he's "getting there" when it comes to dealing with his grief.
"Last year it was a lot about missing Jock and wishing he was around. This year, I still miss him every single day, don't get me wrong, but for me it's now more about celebrating him and trying to move forward," he says.
"Sometimes this wave comes over me, it will be one small, minute thing and it just gets you, it cripples you, and there have been times on set when I just go white for no reason and the producers are, like, 'Are you OK?'
"But you have to just process it and move forward. When you love someone dearly and they're not there any more, that's what happens."
Outside of the MasterChef kitchen, Andy enjoys spending time in his own. He creates and shares cooking videos on social media and says he is inspired by the contestants he judges week in and week out.
"Cooking is still an outlet for me. I still enjoy it," he says.
"I'll come home after a 12-hour day and cook Alex dinner. That's my switch-off time, I can just focus on what's for dinner. It sounds so cringe but it's also so real: when there's a lot of other stuff going on in your life, you can process it while you're cooking a bowl of pasta.
"I get to spend six months of my life being inspired by what contestants can do with food when they're put under pressure. If you're not inspired in that kind of situation, it's probably time to give it up, you know?"
He had been training for a half marathon, however, says he "did a hamstring seven weeks out".
"I'm still not 100 per cent better. But my wife got there, and she ran another one last week. She's got the bug," he says.
In 2022, Andy co-founded new mid-strength beer Travla with Australian actor Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Warcraft, Raised By Wolves, Dune: Prophecy, Black Snow, Boy Swallows Universe), so that is also keeping him busy.
"He's a funny, unique man who will not quit until it's a success. He's the best business partner I could ever ask for," Andy says.
"Travla has started to go really, really well. It's starting to kick some goals as a beer brand that celebrates country living and country values.
"Travis is a country boy. He grew up just outside of Echuca, at Lockington, and it doesn't matter where he goes or what he does, he'll always be that guy from Lockington.
"He's got this total juxtaposition of what he's exposed to through what he does in Hollywood and around he world, but at heart he's a guy who just wants to be on the farm."
So, does he ever miss his sparky days?
"My tool kit is still at Mum and Dad's," he says.
"I'll go home to visit and sometimes there will be a box of downlights or a couple of ceiling fans in front of the door, and Mum gives me the eye.
"I can't really say no, can I?"
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‘I'm a sucker for pain': MasterChef winner hits the jackpot on third attempt
After three attempts, Laura Sharrad has finally won MasterChef Australia. The 29-year-old chef from Adelaide beat Callum Hann in Tuesday night's intense Back to Win grand final, which pitted former contestants against one another. Sharrad spoke to TV editor Louise Rugendyke about her win and if she was, indeed, truly crazy for putting herself through it all again and again - and again. Congratulations! How are you feeling? Honestly, amazing. It is the most surreal feeling, waking up a winner. Being able to achieve a goal that I've had for so long is a very, very special one. How long ago did you film the grand final episode? Production wrapped up a few months ago. So I've been keeping my mouth zipped shut. It was so hard. The only person that knew, other than myself, was my husband Max, and we were getting questions coming in from everywhere: our parents, siblings, friends, work colleagues, business partners, everyone wanted to know. We did film two endings, so we just kept saying: 'I'm going to find out on the day.' It's wild that you film two endings – one where you win and one where you don't. Did you have to practise your happy and sad face? I'm grateful I don't need to use that [sad] face ever again! But it is really hard. The winning and losing speech are similar in the weirdest way because you've already achieved so much just getting there. It is hard to find the right words as well, when everyone is looking at you and wanting you to say the most incredible things, and you want to make sure you thank everyone. You've been a finalist three times, does that mean you have held the MasterChef Australia trophy three times, but had to fake it twice? That feels quite cruel. The original season I did [in 2014], we had two endings. The first Back to Win [series in 2020], we didn't. So I've experienced it all. I've held a trophy twice, technically, but only won once. How hard was the final Pressure Test, where you had to recreate the floral dessert by Philippine pastry chef Miko Aspiras? I saw you swear when the curtain dropped to reveal it ... I'm pretty sure they stopped filming when I was trying to say a word that starts with F and ends with K! Even watching my reaction last night, I was like: 'What is happening? This is insane.' I was terrified because this [dessert] is going to decide my fate in this kitchen. But it was so delicious. Of the three finals you have competed in, which one has been the most difficult? The first one was hard because I was so young [Sharrad was only 18] and I didn't have the experience. And the second time around was really hard because it was COVID, so our families weren't there. [Winner] Emelia [Jackson] and I weren't meant to hug, but we did because it was like 'I haven't hugged someone for months'. But I definitely think this was probably the hardest. Going up against Callum, he's one of the best cooks MasterChef has ever had as a competitor. And the [Pressure Test] dish was truly hard. It was a 4½-hour cook - an absolute marathon. You are mad. Why would you put yourself through this level of stress three times? Loading It's really not normal. I'm a sucker for pain. I've said I'm not going back as a contestant, I'm hanging up my apron, I'm retiring. And then last night, I was like: 'Oh my god, it looks so fun. I would love to go back just for one cook.' And then I'm like: 'No, you're going to give yourself a heart attack.' I loved that you said on the final episode that being a mum to 15-month-old Florence had really changed your perspective on cooking. There are so many things that hold people back from achieving their goals. And sometimes it's not achievable. For me, I had a five-month-old baby, and I was like: 'What am I doing?' I breastfed full-time through the whole season, until two weeks before the end. But I wanted to show Floss you can do whatever you want to, if you put your mind to it. She also started her solids journey while I was filming. Those solids must be pretty good when your mum is on MasterChef Australia. She was eating all the things I was practicing with. One day, she had marron and my husband's trying to take a photo of her, and I was like: 'Don't, people are going to think that we're such snobs feeding a nine-month-old baby marron.' But it did get the shellfish allergy test out of the way. You have faced all three sets of judges on the show – Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston in season six; Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong in season 12 and now Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Allen, again, in season 17 – who is the most intimidating? That is a hard one. I feel like the OG boys, back in the day, were pretty intimidating. I saw a video online the other day of Gary calling a dish disgusting. That's brutal. But I think that was a very different style of TV back then. Did any of the judges have a 'tell', like in poker, where you knew you were on a winner? Jean-Christophe always struggled to keep the emotion in. He'd always come over, mid-cook, and he'd be tasting something, and Andy would be there, trying to build the jeopardy – 'Are you going to pull this off?' – and Jean-Christophe is there smiling and tasting the sauce and saying, 'Oooh, that's delicious'. And Andy's like: 'You're not meant to say what's happening!' Loading What was the first thing you cooked once you were out of the MasterChef kitchen? Please tell me it was a cheese toastie? I consumed so many cheese toasties while I was in the green room [while filming]! It was a bowl of pork sausage ragu pasta. It was nice to have my brain switch off completely from like: 'Oh, do I have to practice this?' You think about food in the weirdest way when you're on the show, you dissect everything. So to go back to home cooking is so nice.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I'm a sucker for pain': MasterChef winner hits the jackpot on third attempt
After three attempts, Laura Sharrad has finally won MasterChef Australia. The 29-year-old chef from Adelaide beat Callum Hann in Tuesday night's intense Back to Win grand final, which pitted former contestants against one another. Sharrad spoke to TV editor Louise Rugendyke about her win and if she was, indeed, truly crazy for putting herself through it all again and again - and again. Congratulations! How are you feeling? Honestly, amazing. It is the most surreal feeling, waking up a winner. Being able to achieve a goal that I've had for so long is a very, very special one. How long ago did you film the grand final episode? Production wrapped up a few months ago. So I've been keeping my mouth zipped shut. It was so hard. The only person that knew, other than myself, was my husband Max, and we were getting questions coming in from everywhere: our parents, siblings, friends, work colleagues, business partners, everyone wanted to know. We did film two endings, so we just kept saying: 'I'm going to find out on the day.' It's wild that you film two endings – one where you win and one where you don't. Did you have to practise your happy and sad face? I'm grateful I don't need to use that [sad] face ever again! But it is really hard. The winning and losing speech are similar in the weirdest way because you've already achieved so much just getting there. It is hard to find the right words as well, when everyone is looking at you and wanting you to say the most incredible things, and you want to make sure you thank everyone. You've been a finalist three times, does that mean you have held the MasterChef Australia trophy three times, but had to fake it twice? That feels quite cruel. The original season I did [in 2014], we had two endings. The first Back to Win [series in 2020], we didn't. So I've experienced it all. I've held a trophy twice, technically, but only won once. How hard was the final Pressure Test, where you had to recreate the floral dessert by Philippine pastry chef Miko Aspiras? I saw you swear when the curtain dropped to reveal it ... I'm pretty sure they stopped filming when I was trying to say a word that starts with F and ends with K! Even watching my reaction last night, I was like: 'What is happening? This is insane.' I was terrified because this [dessert] is going to decide my fate in this kitchen. But it was so delicious. Of the three finals you have competed in, which one has been the most difficult? The first one was hard because I was so young [Sharrad was only 18] and I didn't have the experience. And the second time around was really hard because it was COVID, so our families weren't there. [Winner] Emelia [Jackson] and I weren't meant to hug, but we did because it was like 'I haven't hugged someone for months'. But I definitely think this was probably the hardest. Going up against Callum, he's one of the best cooks MasterChef has ever had as a competitor. And the [Pressure Test] dish was truly hard. It was a 4½-hour cook - an absolute marathon. You are mad. Why would you put yourself through this level of stress three times? Loading It's really not normal. I'm a sucker for pain. I've said I'm not going back as a contestant, I'm hanging up my apron, I'm retiring. And then last night, I was like: 'Oh my god, it looks so fun. I would love to go back just for one cook.' And then I'm like: 'No, you're going to give yourself a heart attack.' I loved that you said on the final episode that being a mum to 15-month-old Florence had really changed your perspective on cooking. There are so many things that hold people back from achieving their goals. And sometimes it's not achievable. For me, I had a five-month-old baby, and I was like: 'What am I doing?' I breastfed full-time through the whole season, until two weeks before the end. But I wanted to show Floss you can do whatever you want to, if you put your mind to it. She also started her solids journey while I was filming. Those solids must be pretty good when your mum is on MasterChef Australia. She was eating all the things I was practicing with. One day, she had marron and my husband's trying to take a photo of her, and I was like: 'Don't, people are going to think that we're such snobs feeding a nine-month-old baby marron.' But it did get the shellfish allergy test out of the way. You have faced all three sets of judges on the show – Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston in season six; Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong in season 12 and now Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Allen, again, in season 17 – who is the most intimidating? That is a hard one. I feel like the OG boys, back in the day, were pretty intimidating. I saw a video online the other day of Gary calling a dish disgusting. That's brutal. But I think that was a very different style of TV back then. Did any of the judges have a 'tell', like in poker, where you knew you were on a winner? Jean-Christophe always struggled to keep the emotion in. He'd always come over, mid-cook, and he'd be tasting something, and Andy would be there, trying to build the jeopardy – 'Are you going to pull this off?' – and Jean-Christophe is there smiling and tasting the sauce and saying, 'Oooh, that's delicious'. And Andy's like: 'You're not meant to say what's happening!' Loading What was the first thing you cooked once you were out of the MasterChef kitchen? Please tell me it was a cheese toastie? I consumed so many cheese toasties while I was in the green room [while filming]! It was a bowl of pork sausage ragu pasta. It was nice to have my brain switch off completely from like: 'Oh, do I have to practice this?' You think about food in the weirdest way when you're on the show, you dissect everything. So to go back to home cooking is so nice.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
MasterChef Australia winner Laura Sharrad reveals filming two endings was ‘weird'
MasterChef Australia winner Laura Sharrad has given a peek behind the curtain on the unnatural finale filming process. 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 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.'
