Lovable larrikin Declan Cleary is also back to win on MasterChef, but he’s nervous about battling it out in the kitchen against his best friend Rhiannon.
“We clicked straight away back in 2022 and our connection has only grown stronger over the last couple of years,” says the 27-year-old Sydney builder, who came third on the show’s 15th series, just behind Rhiannon.
The pair has since visited each other’s homes, both to cook and to enjoy a “cheeky Chandon or two”. But that isn’t all Declan’s been up to. He’s scored a new role at famed chef Josh Niland’s eatery Fish Butchery. The role is a “dream come true” for the seafood-obsessed cook.
“I work there for free one day a week. Even though I’m doing an eight-hour shift, it feels like my day off because I’m doing what I love.”
Despite his new skills and mastery of Southeast Asian flavours, Declan is worried that being the youngest contestant on Back To Win will hinder his chances.
“It’s intimidating going up against these people,” he says. “A lot of them have their own restaurants. That’s where the nerves stem from.”
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win screens 7.30pm Monday to Wednesday on TVNZ 2 and streams on TVNZ+.
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