Age: 39

State: Victoria

Instagram: @theegram

Previous season & place: Season 15, placed 4th

Affectionately known as ‘Bread Boy’ from MasterChef Australia season 15, while Theo Loizou’s passion for carbs remains unmatched, his desire to rise up the ranks of this year’s competition also burns bright. After finishing in fourth place last time, Theo is most definitely Back To Win, driven to secure the top prize.

Having juggled his electrician work with weekly kitchen shifts to sharpen his skills in the kitchen, Theo intends to show off his improved knowledge of flavour profiles and increased attention to detail. 

Having also worked with various brands since season 15, Theo’s dream of opening his own bakery remains firmly on the agenda. Theo plans to start out small from his parents’ property to service farmers’ markets and build the business up from there.

Fans will recall Theo’s tenacity to chase his dreams and change the course of his life. In 2019 after 12 years as a tradie, Theo packed up his life and moved to France. Despite not speaking the language, he landed a job in a Parisian boulangerie. What was meant to be a six-month trip turned into three years, and he not only learnt about baking from masters of the craft, but he also fell in love. Theo and partner Laure relocated back to Melbourne, becoming engaged in 2024.

With a cooking style that can be both rustic and refined, as an all-rounder Theo taps into French and Italian techniques and plans to delve deeper into his family’s heritage this season. His mother, father and aunties have all inspired him in the kitchen, so expect Theo to highlight more of the flavours of Greece and Cyprus.

Theo looks up to chefs like Thomas Keller, Ferran Adria, Alex Atala and Magnus Nilsson and dreams one day of releasing his own cookbook.

Knowing that his mental strength will be a huge part of succeeding at the challenge ahead, Theo is pacing himself to rise above the pressure and keep his cool to claim a Back To Win victory.