We’re getting down to the pointy end of things in the MasterChef Australia kitchen, the heat has officially been turned up, and we cannot wait to see who takes home the top prize in season 13.
Just like judge Jock Zonfrillo, we’ve been running through our worry beads for weeks now, trying to soothe the stress and anxiety that comes just from watching our fave chefs deal with the pressure of it all.
It’s been an emotional rollercoaster from one day to the next, as we’ve said goodbye to contestants we love and salivated over recipes we can only dream of tasting!
We’ve seen eliminated contestants duke it out for a chance to earn back their aprons and return to the kitchen during second chance week, and we were thrilled when Minoli De Silva and Maja Veit got their aprons back.
Chatting to POPSUGAR Australia, De Silva told us what was going through her mind when she re-entered the comp.
“I was focusing so hard on the apron, and trying to see my name on it, so my eyes were just glued,” she said. “And when the apron dropped, I just let all my feelings out.”
De Silva won back her apron during a pressure test set by Anthony Hart, in which she was competing against Conor Curran, Eric Mao and Katrina Dunnet.
Meanwhile, Maja Veit was one of the first chefs eliminated this season, so we were stoked when she won the second pressure test, and a second chance to showcase her talents in the competition.
Chatting to POPSUGAR Australia, Veit revealed that she took up work experience at the upscale Perth eatery Wildflower after her elimination.
“I wasn’t confident enough when I was in the competition the first time around,” she said, crediting her time at Wildflower for her newfound skills and confidence.
“I think when you believe in yourself you can do incredible things,” she said, “And if you don’t, if you’re not 100%, certain of your own capabilities, I think you might as well forget it — you’re not going to go very far.
“I think this time around, I was just very, very confident.”
Given that it’s a public holiday, and with so much going on in the kitchen, we were absolutely desperate to know: is MasterChef still going to be on tonight?
Thankfully, the answer is yes! MasterChef will air as normal tonight at 7.30pm on 10. As always, if you miss the episode you’ll be able to catch up on 10Play after it airs.