The journey of “MasterChef Australia” 2023 has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and now, Brent Draper has been crowned the winner.
This season has been like no other, with the devastating loss of judge Jock Zonfrillo weighing heavy on the hearts of the “MasterChef” family and fans alike. Jock first joined “MasterChef Australia” in 2019, along with fellow judges Melissa Leong and Andy Allen. His death was confirmed just hours before “MasterChef Australia: Secrets and Surprises” was set to premiere.
Tonight’s episode marks Jock’s final “MasterChef” appearance. It’s a bittersweet moment, but his memory will forever be cherished, and his spirit will continue to inspire “MasterChef” contestants for years to come.
Brent Draper Wins “MasterChef Australia” 2023
In tonight’s episode, finalists Brent and Rhiannon put it all on the line in an epic two-course challenge. In each round, the finalists would accumulate points. With $250,000 and the coveted “MasterChef Australia” trophy up for grabs, the stakes had never been higher.
In round one, the judges presented Brent and Rhiannon with three options. They could do a mystery box challenge, a secret challenge or an ingredient challenge. Each finalist had the power to veto the challenge they definitely didn’t want to do, and the finalists would then go head-to-head with the remaining challenge. Brent chose to ditch Jock’s secret ingredient dish and Rhiannon scrapped the Andy’s mystery box, which left them with Melissa’s secret challenge. As it turned out, Melissa’s challenge for Brent and Rhiannon was for them to create “a dish that tells a story”.
The Final Challenge
Then, round two saw first time “MasterChef Australia” guest Amaury Guichon enter the kitchen. Amaury set the evening’s pressure test, in which Brent and Rhiannon had to recreate his pocket watch, an elaborate, layered dessert with many intricate details, including a sugar dome to mimic the glass of the pocket watch.
Amuary is is a French-Swiss pastry chef best known for his pastry designs and wild chocolate sculptures, which have helped him rack up a whopping 21.7 million followers on TikTok alone. Later this year, Amaury will judge “MasterChef: Dessert Masters” alongside Melissa Leong.
In the end, Brent racked up 63 out of a possible 75 points, and claimed the victory.
“I’m just so, so, so, proud,” he said. In an emotional moment, Brent credited his 2021 experience on “MasterChef Australia” with the journey it took him on, all the way back to the “MasterChef Australia” kitchen, to finally complete his dream of winning.
In 2021, Brent made the decision to step away from the competition to focus on his mental health. When he came back into the competition this year, he was passionate about talking about his mental health struggles, but also wanted to show people the growth he’d made —both personally and as a cook.
Congratulations, Brent!
“MasterChef Australia: Secrets and Surprises” is now streaming on 10 Play.
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