Brent
Brent has some big plans bubbling away.
After leaving the show voluntarily in 2021 for mental health reasons, only to return this season in a powerful display of perseverance, can Brent Draper claim the MasterChef Australia crown?
“It would be life-changing to win,” confesses the Queensland boilermaker, 32, who recently spent a year travelling around Oz in a renovated bus. “But I’ve already won just by stepping back into the kitchen and giving it another crack.”
Along with trying to become king of the kitchen, Brent is focused on the arrival of his and wife Shonleigh’s second child in November, as well as the launch of a unique cookbook.
“It will come complete with a mental health tool kit, which I think is really needed to help others who are doing it tough,” he says.
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Declan
Declan hopes to inspire other tradies to get into the kitchen.
The youngest of the contestants, Declan Cleary loves that he’s made it this far after months of high-pressure cooks.
“I came into the competition to make my family proud,” reveals the 25-year-old Sydney carpenter. “I’m so grateful to have got much further than I ever thought I would.”
A seafood specialist who learnt to fish from his grandfather, Declan also takes inspiration from his travels, having visited Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico and Papua New Guinea.
If he wins, the first thing the tradie will do is buy his mum and dad a new car, then go home to give his longtime partner Talya a big hug and take their pet pooch Sol to the dog park!
Theo
Theo dreams of having his own bakery one day.
With $250,000 at stake, Theo Loizou is more motivated than ever to take home the MasterChef trophy.
“My eyes are on winning now,” declares the 37-year-old electrician, who credits his love of food to his Greek and Cypriot family. “The top four doesn’t seem as important.”
Also motivating Theo is his French partner Laure, who the keen boxer met while working in a Parisian boulangerie and recently relocated to Melbourne to be with him.
“The hardest part of MasterChef was leaving Laure alone after just arriving in the country,” confesses Theo, whose culinary idols are Anthony Bourdain and Rick Stein. “She’s been my number-one supporter, so I feel guilty and am forever in her debt.”
Rhiannon
Cooking her heart out for her late mother.
Keen to show her kids that anything is possible, no matter your age, Rhiannon Anderson says being on MasterChef has propelled her personal growth.
“I have a strength I never knew I had,” shares the 46-year-old mother-of-five from Townsville in far north Queensland. “It was also very healing for my grieving process after losing my mum, who was a chef.”
While having to cook a surprise every day was difficult as it made preparing near impossible, Rhiannon – who previously worked in banking and finance – says MasterChef has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience she’s “forever grateful” for.
“I’ll miss everything and every single person involved in the show,” adds the champion water skier.
MasterChef Australia screens 7.30pm Monday to Thursday & 7pm Sunday on TVNZ 2.
