Before they return to the kitchen, here’s what your MasterChef favourites have been up to
Sashi Cheliah, Julie Goodwin and Billie McKay return for this season of MasterChef. Photo: TND
In a win for MasterChef fans, favourites from across the franchise will return for an all-new season of the beloved cooking competition.
MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites will bring together 12 past challengers, including season winners, and 12 avid foodies keen to see if they have what it takes to beat the best of the best.
The new season will once again unfold under the watchful eyes of judges Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo.
From seasons 1 to 13, here are some of the stars returning to the MasterChef kitchen, and what they’ve been up to since their time on the show.
Julie Goodwin (Season 1)
The original MasterChef Australia queen Julie Goodwin has returned.
Goodwin won Season 1 of the hit reality TV series back in 2009, defeating Poh Ling Yeow in a nail-biting final.
Yeow competed on MasterChef Australia: Back to Win in 2020, and while she was a strong, albeit chaotic, competitor, Yeow placed sixth.
Since winning MasterChef, Goodwin has written several cookbooks, become a mainstay of TV and radio, and launched a cooking school.
Classes range from learning the ins and outs of a Greek feast to the tastes of Texas. Junior cooks can take part in Goodwin’s cooking camps, too.
“Cooking for me has grown out of a desire to feed my family, to feed my friends, to nourish people and to make them happy,” Goodwin said in the teaser.
“It’s all about heart. It’s all about love.”
Billie McKay (Season 7)
After winning her season of MasterChef, Billie McKay moved to London to work at madcap Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck.
McKay has featured several times on MasterChef as a guest judge, sharing her knowledge with contestants.
“I’m coming back because I love food so much,” McKay said.
“I love cooking so much and there is something about that [MasterChef] kitchen that’s sort of drawing me back.”
Sashi Cheliah (Season 10)
Sashi Cheliah has been a busy, busy man since winning MasterChef in 2018.
The Singapore-born chef, who wowed the judges with his use of spices, owns Gaja restaurant, Gaja Express (health-focused lunch meals and coffee) and Sashi’s Secret, a line of delicious meal kits.
“Cooking is my life. I love it so much and doing MasterChef twice – wow, that would be a dream come true,” he said.
Tommy Pham (Season 13)
Tommy Pham competed in last year’s season of MasterChef and made it to the top eight.
Pham found himself as a cook in the MasterChef kitchen, establishing a modern take on traditional Vietnamese dishes.
After his stint on MasterChef, the kindergarten teacher joined the early childhood education and care provider Only About Children as a food ambassador.
As part of the gig, Pham shares family-friendly recipes, hosts cooking workshops and helps children understand the importance of food and nutrition.
Budding cooks can find Pham’s recipes on his Instagram.
Michael Weldon (Season 3)
Before competing on MasterChef in 2011, Michael Weldon was a film projectionist.
Now he’s the co-host of Farm to Fork on Channel 10 and an ambassador for Coles.
Sarah Todd (Season 6)
Sarah Todd has really made a name for herself in the food industry since competing on MasterChef in 2014.
She is a celebrated restaurateur, cookbook author, TV host and social media personality with almost 400,000 followers on Instagram alone.
Todd is also a co-host of Farm to Fork.
Alvin Quah (Season 2)
Since appearing on MasterChef, Alvin Quah hosted the cooking show Malaysia Kitchen in 2016.
Passionate about making Malaysian cuisine as popular as others, you can expect Quah to cook up a slew of mouth-watering dishes upon his return to the MasterChef kitchen.
Minoli De Silva (Season 13)
Minoli De Silva renewed her passion for Sri Lankan cuisine after competing in last year’s season.
Eliminated early, De Silva fought for an elusive second chance in the MasterChef kitchen and made it to the top 10.
De Silva has continued to share her love for cooking on Instagram, where she has amassed almost 30,000 followers.
MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites is coming soon to Channel 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
