How Poh Ling Yeow made friends with grief, herself after shock loss of mum

The Advertiser

4 days ago

Poh Ling Yeow was thrilled to learn she had been nominated for a Gold Logie but the honour also brought some difficult feelings back to the surface for the popular MasterChef judge.
Poh, 51, was working overseas when her mother, Christina, died in 2022.
She had decided to go ahead with the trip despite knowing Christina was unwell, figuring her mother was a fighter and still had time up her sleeve. It is a regret she will carry for the rest of her life, but also one she is starting to make peace with.
Read more from The Senior
"It's funny, like, it'll [grief] sort of like die down a little bit... and then certain moments in your life will turn it up," she said.
"I think [it resurfaced] because this is a big moment, and I think it also points to how... I think so much of what we do, we don't realise, is inspired by wanting someone, people that you love, to be proud of you."
While the honour has brought her grief back to the surface, she doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing. Over time, she has come to accept the fact that going on the trip was a bad choice that she made, but also part of her nature as a risk-taker.
"Yesterday, I had a really good cry with Dad, and, again, it's like making a friend out of it.
"I think [it's about] trying to find peace in the fact that it's not something that will ever be resolved because it's just so huge, but that there are moments when you can laugh about it."
As a self-described awkward kid, Poh said Christina's approval meant a great deal to her.
She said her mum was one of two women who had a huge influence on her passion for food, the other being her aunty Kim. Her mother was the one who taught her how to bake.
"She's definitely sort of, she's the one that's definitely encouraged this sort of fastidiousness, this sort of perfectionism and obsession with detail [in my cooking]. It was always, Mum."
It has been 16 years since Poh rose to fame as a contestant on MasterChef.
Now a popular judge on the top-rated reality TV show, she said she is extremely grateful for the Gold Logie nomination and to know she is held in such high esteem by the Australian public.
"I always get beautiful people coming up to me in the street and giving me like, so much love... and it really has been a huge factor in me finding acceptance with myself."
She said growing up in Malaysia, she felt like an outsider. The feeling was only exacerbated when she moved to Australia at the age of nine and realised she looked very different to the other kids.
Those physical differences still come to mind from time to time.
"Even like, you know, on MasterChef, when I'm standing next to [fellow judge] Sofia [Levin], I'll often feel self-conscious because she's got all these sort of, like, physical attributes that I associate with beauty and that I don't feel like I have, you know, like long legs... long limbs."
"It's really interesting how much it still comes to me on a day-to-day level, but I'm old enough, I'm smart enough and busy enough to kind of go, it's not something that you need to put energy into."
Poh for the Gold Logie win? Vote here: https://vote.tvweeklogies.com.au/
The TV Week Logie Awards are on Sunday, August 3.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Poh Ling Yeow was thrilled to learn she had been nominated for a Gold Logie but the honour also brought some difficult feelings back to the surface for the popular MasterChef judge.
Poh, 51, was working overseas when her mother, Christina, died in 2022.
She had decided to go ahead with the trip despite knowing Christina was unwell, figuring her mother was a fighter and still had time up her sleeve. It is a regret she will carry for the rest of her life, but also one she is starting to make peace with.
Read more from The Senior
"It's funny, like, it'll [grief] sort of like die down a little bit... and then certain moments in your life will turn it up," she said.
"I think [it resurfaced] because this is a big moment, and I think it also points to how... I think so much of what we do, we don't realise, is inspired by wanting someone, people that you love, to be proud of you."
While the honour has brought her grief back to the surface, she doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing. Over time, she has come to accept the fact that going on the trip was a bad choice that she made, but also part of her nature as a risk-taker.
"Yesterday, I had a really good cry with Dad, and, again, it's like making a friend out of it.
"I think [it's about] trying to find peace in the fact that it's not something that will ever be resolved because it's just so huge, but that there are moments when you can laugh about it."
As a self-described awkward kid, Poh said Christina's approval meant a great deal to her.
She said her mum was one of two women who had a huge influence on her passion for food, the other being her aunty Kim. Her mother was the one who taught her how to bake.
"She's definitely sort of, she's the one that's definitely encouraged this sort of fastidiousness, this sort of perfectionism and obsession with detail [in my cooking]. It was always, Mum."
It has been 16 years since Poh rose to fame as a contestant on MasterChef.
Now a popular judge on the top-rated reality TV show, she said she is extremely grateful for the Gold Logie nomination and to know she is held in such high esteem by the Australian public.
"I always get beautiful people coming up to me in the street and giving me like, so much love... and it really has been a huge factor in me finding acceptance with myself."
She said growing up in Malaysia, she felt like an outsider. The feeling was only exacerbated when she moved to Australia at the age of nine and realised she looked very different to the other kids.
Those physical differences still come to mind from time to time.
"Even like, you know, on MasterChef, when I'm standing next to [fellow judge] Sofia [Levin], I'll often feel self-conscious because she's got all these sort of, like, physical attributes that I associate with beauty and that I don't feel like I have, you know, like long legs... long limbs."
"It's really interesting how much it still comes to me on a day-to-day level, but I'm old enough, I'm smart enough and busy enough to kind of go, it's not something that you need to put energy into."
Poh for the Gold Logie win? Vote here: https://vote.tvweeklogies.com.au/
The TV Week Logie Awards are on Sunday, August 3.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Poh Ling Yeow was thrilled to learn she had been nominated for a Gold Logie but the honour also brought some difficult feelings back to the surface for the popular MasterChef judge.
Poh, 51, was working overseas when her mother, Christina, died in 2022.
She had decided to go ahead with the trip despite knowing Christina was unwell, figuring her mother was a fighter and still had time up her sleeve. It is a regret she will carry for the rest of her life, but also one she is starting to make peace with.
Read more from The Senior
"It's funny, like, it'll [grief] sort of like die down a little bit... and then certain moments in your life will turn it up," she said.
"I think [it resurfaced] because this is a big moment, and I think it also points to how... I think so much of what we do, we don't realise, is inspired by wanting someone, people that you love, to be proud of you."
While the honour has brought her grief back to the surface, she doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing. Over time, she has come to accept the fact that going on the trip was a bad choice that she made, but also part of her nature as a risk-taker.
"Yesterday, I had a really good cry with Dad, and, again, it's like making a friend out of it.
"I think [it's about] trying to find peace in the fact that it's not something that will ever be resolved because it's just so huge, but that there are moments when you can laugh about it."
As a self-described awkward kid, Poh said Christina's approval meant a great deal to her.
She said her mum was one of two women who had a huge influence on her passion for food, the other being her aunty Kim. Her mother was the one who taught her how to bake.
"She's definitely sort of, she's the one that's definitely encouraged this sort of fastidiousness, this sort of perfectionism and obsession with detail [in my cooking]. It was always, Mum."
It has been 16 years since Poh rose to fame as a contestant on MasterChef.
Now a popular judge on the top-rated reality TV show, she said she is extremely grateful for the Gold Logie nomination and to know she is held in such high esteem by the Australian public.
"I always get beautiful people coming up to me in the street and giving me like, so much love... and it really has been a huge factor in me finding acceptance with myself."
She said growing up in Malaysia, she felt like an outsider. The feeling was only exacerbated when she moved to Australia at the age of nine and realised she looked very different to the other kids.
Those physical differences still come to mind from time to time.
"Even like, you know, on MasterChef, when I'm standing next to [fellow judge] Sofia [Levin], I'll often feel self-conscious because she's got all these sort of, like, physical attributes that I associate with beauty and that I don't feel like I have, you know, like long legs... long limbs."
"It's really interesting how much it still comes to me on a day-to-day level, but I'm old enough, I'm smart enough and busy enough to kind of go, it's not something that you need to put energy into."
Poh for the Gold Logie win? Vote here: https://vote.tvweeklogies.com.au/
The TV Week Logie Awards are on Sunday, August 3.
Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.