Age: 38

Occupation: Social Worker

Jules has four kids: two sons, Jay and Ishy (both 15), and daughters Elisha (19) and India (16). Over the past 10 years Jules has had 29 foster children.

Jules has spent her life helping others. Following the birth of her son, Jules started working in child protection and later moved onto working with teenagers in crisis. In addition to counseling, she helped to rebuild a women's refuge in the Solomon Islands which inspired her to set up the Women And Children's Care Initiative Incorporated, an organisation aimed at providing and supporting refuge for women and children who are victims of abuse and exploitation.

Jules states that her biggest hurdle has been trying to figure out why she is here and how she can best help others.

"This question was probably sparked by the death of my stepsister to leukemia when I was 19 and the suicide of a very close friend three years later. I try not to take life for granted."

When Jules was 20 she was working as a waitress and had a dream offer of a chef's apprenticeship, but motherhood and a love of kids steered her in another direction. She sees MasterChef Australia as her opportunity to now follow that dream.

"I am ready to do something for me. I have always wanted to cook but I became a young mum and chef's hours were not realistic. I am in a better position to follow my own dreams now."

Jules was inspired to cook by both her parents from a young age. Her English father was passionate about sourcing good food and her Thai mother was an amazing cook. She has many memories of spending long periods of time in Thailand with her mother's family and cooking over the fire with her aunty, pounding beetlenuts for hours on end.

Her dream is to open a restaurant that serves indigenous cuisine and teaches people how to cook with indigenous foods.