28-05-2025
'Looks so different': MasterChef Australia fan favourite Julie Goodwin shocks fans with dramatic new slimmed-down physique
Beloved MasterChef Australia winner Julie Goodwin has surprised fans with a fresh new look, debuting a dramatically slimmed-down appearance in a recent social media video.
The 54-year-old chef, who won the very first season of the hit cooking show back in 2009, took to TikTok on Tuesday to promote her upcoming appearance at the Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival.
Filmed casually in her garden, Goodwin wore a bright pink jumper paired with dangly pink floral earrings and bold red-rimmed circular glasses, beaming as she shared her excitement for the event.
"Hey fellow food lovers, Julie Goodwin here, and I'd like to invite you to join me at the kitchen presented by Ausbuild this August at the Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival," she told fans.
"I'll be taking to the stage to share my passion for simple, soulful food that gets you and your family and friends together around the table together."
She added that she'd be doing demonstrations "across the whole festival along with a whole array of fantastic demonstrators".
"I can't wait to meet you, chat with you, do some demonstrations, share some tips and have a great time."
But while many were excited to hear about her upcoming appearance, it was Goodwin's striking transformation that really caught fans' attention.
"What happened to Julie? I don't recognise her," one user wrote, while another added: "Omg you look so different!"
A third fan commented: "I've just seen this post and wowsers, I was shocked!" while another asked if Julie could share her weight loss tips.
"Omg! Julie! I barely recognised you! Loved you when I first saw you on MasterChef and love you now! All the best for demos. Would you mind sharing how you've slimmed down?" they asked.
While most users agreed the MasterChef star looked "happy and healthy", the video also attracted negative remarks, some of which had to be deleted by festival organisers.
"Unfortunately, there have been some negative ones that we have had to remove," organisers responded after a fan asked: "Where are all the missing comments?"
Several users chimed in to say it was "inappropriate" to comment on someone's weight at all.
Since her rise to fame on MasterChef, Goodwin has become a fixture in Australian households, building a successful career as a cookbook author, Australian Women's Weekly columnist and TV personality.
Based on the NSW Central Coast, she's returned to the MasterChef kitchen twice, once for All Stars in 2012, and again as a contestant in 2022.
She also opened her own cooking school, Julie's Place, and co-hosted the Central Coast radio show Rabbit and Julie Goodwin on Star 104.5 from 2015 until 2019.
But behind the scenes, Goodwin faced serious personal struggles, including a drink driving offence in 2018 and an attempt on her life in 2020.
After receiving care at a mental health facility, she courageously shared her journey with fans in an open letter, and has continued to speak out to raise awareness and support for others.
In 2024, she published her memoir Your Time Starts Now, chronicling her path to recovery.
She also returned to television as a contestant on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Dancing with the Stars, a guest judge on My Kitchen Rules, and even joined Sunrise earlier this month for a cooking segment with host Matt Shirvington.
Thankfully, she recently revealed to Nine Honey that she's in a good place.
"I'm good, I really am," she said.
