Very soon a whole new crew of hopefuls will walk through the doors to the MasterChef kitchen, ready to tackle Pressure Tests, Mystery Boxes, and some of the toughest culinary challenges our judges can throw at them.
We’ve already met a handful of hopefuls who have their fingers crossed that they’ll be able to impress the judges and score themselves an apron when Season 12 kicks off.
Speaking of the judges -- alongside Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo is season 4’s own champion, Andy Allen -- the tremendous trio return once again to guide our new batch of contestants through one of the toughest and most rewarding competitions.
Here’s what the past winners of MasterChef Australia have been up to.
Julie Goodwin
Who could forget that moment where Julie Goodwin took home the title of Australian MasterChef for the very first time back in 2009? Standing alongside Poh Ling Yeow in the grand finale of Season 1, Julie went on to become a TV chef, published six cookbooks, and opened Julie’s Place where she runs cooking classes and special events.
Adam Liaw
After winning the second season, Adam Liaw went on to publish six cookbooks and regularly contributes to The Guardian, Sunday Life, and GoodFood. Since his win in 2010, Adam has hosted a handful of food and travel shows including the Destination Flavour series as well as Hidden Japan with Adam Liaw. He also has his YouTube channel where he regularly posts recipes, tips, and tricks.
Kate Bracks
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Kate’s love of all things sweet saw her publishing her cookbook -- appropriately titled The Sweet Life: Basics and Beyond -- which showcased her expertise in desserts and baked goods that saw her win Season 3. She also travelled extensively doing cooking demos, and even ran workshops in and around her home of regional NSW, helping those in the community to rescue waste and increase flavour in their cooking.
Andy Allen
From winning Season 4, Andy has come full circle to return to the MasterChef kitchen as a judge. But before he stepped back into the familiar high-paced kitchen, Andy and his mates Mark Labrooy and Darren Robertson established Three Blue Ducks. With five restaurants now across Australia, Three Blue Ducks also spawned a TV series of the same name where the trio attempted to create six new dishes for their restaurant.
Since joining the MasterChef judging panel, Andy presided over the incredible Back To Win season as well as MasterChef Junior.
Emma Dean
Facing off in the Season 5 finale, Emma and Lynton Tapp had to face Ben Shewry’s 700-layered dessert, “Plight of the Bees”. Taking out the top prize, Emma also won a close friendship with Lynton and, after their season, the pair went on to host My Market Kitchen for several seasons together. Just a few months after her win in 2013, Emma’s cookbook A Homegrown Table was published, featuring her love of farm-to-table and signature recipes.
Brent Owens
Since his win in Season 6, Brent released his cookbook Dig In! which featured his take on Aussie classics. Following that, he filmed the series Brent Owens: Extreme, Authentic & Unwrapped where he travelled to South Africa, exploring the various terrains and cooking traditional dishes with local communities. Brent also co-founded a Bio-Tech company and recently announced that he was starting a Life Science degree at Harvard.
Billie McKay
Straight out of her win in Season 7, having conquered a Heston Blumenthal recipe she was offered a job at his restaurant The Fat Duck. After spending several months in the UK working at the restaurant, Billie returned and was a regular contributor for Delicious. During the 11th season of MasterChef, Billie returned to the kitchen to serve as one of the show’s mentors. After she finished her time in England and travelling around Europe, Billie returned to her family farm in country NSW where she makes cheese with her mum.
Elena Duggan
Following her win in Season 8, Elena continued to merge her passions for food and education, not just through her website but also in her podcast Appetite For Change which she hosts with Rob Rees. In 2019 Elena also hosted My Market Kitchen alongside MasterChef alum Khanh Ong, and made a guest appearance in Season 11 as a mentor in a team challenge.
Diana Chan
Having won the title during Season 9, Diana has continued to bring her incredible flavours and love of Malaysian cuisine to audiences. Co-hosting 10 Minute Kitchen, Diana is also the host of Asia Unplated on SBS Food. Having launched a pop-up restaurant and designed menus for Malaysia Airlines, Diana has also collaborated with Golden Wok to produce a line of frozen dumplings.
Sashi Cheliah
Since Sashi’s win in Season 10, he hasn’t been the only one from his family to walk through the doors of the MasterChef kitchen. Following in his dad’s footsteps, last year Sashi’s son Ryan took on the challenge of Junior MasterChef. Meanwhile, his dad continued to live his food dream, opening GAJA By Sashi. The Adelaide-based restaurant serves up the fusion Asian dishes that saw Sashi sail through the competition, as well as a handful of bespoke cocktails on offer. Sashi also recently launched his line of home chef kits, Sashi’s Secret, with step-by-step instructions and ingredients to bring some of his favourite flavours home with you.
Larissa Takchi
The youngest winner of MasterChef Australia so far, Larissa was only 22-years-old when she won a perfect score for her finale dessert. Since her time on the show, Larry has been hard at work offering private catering and cooking classes as well as continuing to work at her family restaurant, Wild Pear Cafe, in New South Wales. She also recently celebrated her wedding to her now-husband Luke, who proposed to her just a week after she was crowned winner of Season 11!
Emelia Jackson
When a group of MasterChef favourites all returned for their second chance at the title of MasterChef, it was Emelia Jackson and her flawless desserts that saw her rise to the top of the competition like one of her perfect choux buns. Since her time on the show, Emelia has launched her financier pre-mix sets, runs hands-on classes, and offers incredible bespoke cakes for those lucky enough to see her stunning creations in real life.
Who will be the next talented chef to join this list of incredible foodies? We’ll have to wait and see when MasterChef returns.
MasterChef Australia is coming soon to Network 10. Want more MasterChef? Watch full seasons on demand on 10 play.
