New South Wales, 31, Recruitment Specialist

Born in Scotland and raised in the UK from the age of six, Stephen Rooney now calls Redfern in Sydney his home.

After a stint travelling in South America and working in New Zealand, Stephen and his long-term girlfriend Georgina settled in Australia in 2008.

Stephen wondered whether he might be too old for a career change, but he has now left a secure job behind, craving creativity and a new challenge in food.

He hopes that competing on MasterChef Australia will be the leg up he needs to crack a new industry.