MasterChef Australia has produced a number of successful contestants, but few of them have reached the level of Sarah Todd.
The author, restaurateur, TV host and entrepreneur originally appeared on the reality show in 2014, and last night, she made it to the finale of the same competition that started it all.
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“Last night felt like an incredible moment where I had everyone around me. Everyone is so supportive, and for me, it feels like this is just the beginning,” Todd told POPSUGAR Australia.
The cook, who is best known for her Indian recipes, watched the finale last night surrounded by her fellow MasterChef contestants, and while she didn’t take home the title, she really felt the love.
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However, the decision to take a crack at the show a second time didn’t come easy, with Todd saying she felt indecisive after receiving the call.
The former model had a lot riding on her reputation, and she was hyperaware of that when she said yes.
“There was a lot of hesitation, for sure. I think that as much as you realise and as much as you trust your ability, you always have this fear of, ‘What if I really flop?’” she admitted.
“I was definitely scared, but if someone had told me I would be cooking in the finale, I would have relaxed a little bit more.”
For Todd, it wasn’t just her business on the line but also the fact that she would be apart from her 11-year-old son Phoenix for a long time. Thankfully, he didn’t mind one bit, and even pushed her to try her luck.
“When I was asked to go back on MasterChef, I had to obviously think about how it was going to affect him and everyone around me because you need a lot of support as it is so intense,” she explained.
“So I sat him down and was like, ‘MasterChef has asked me to come back, what do you think I should do?’ and he was like, ‘Look, if I were asked to go onto the show, I would do it, but you do it if it makes you happy.’
“And I was like, oh my gosh, where did this kid come from!?”
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As a single mum, everything Todd does is for her son — similar to her mother, who raised the reality TV star and her siblings all on her own.
Both Phoenix and Todd’s mum made an appearance on the show last night, in what was an emotional reunion.
“The biggest thing we learnt from my mum being such a hard worker is how important it is to be present in every moment and just to really give everything your all,” she said.
“I hope Phoenix can live a happy life, despite the ups and downs. Phoenix does have a comfortable life now, and I would want him to appreciate it.”
As for what’s next, Todd has just announced her new family-run business, Hot Toddys, which is a range of sauces she created with the help of her brother. Alongside that, she’s getting ready to fly to India to film her next TV show.
She may not have won MasterChef Australia, but Sarah Todd is a household name all over the globe.
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