MasterChef Australia: Fans and Favourites is in full swing, and things are really heating up in the competition.
This year has marked the return of 12 fan favourites, including three past MasterChef Australia winners: Julie Goodwin, Sashi Cheliah and Billie McKay, as well as other impressive, globally known names like Sarah Todd.
It’s great viewing for us, but for our Fans — the 12 hopeful home cooks who’ve never set foot in a professional kitchen before — it’s sure to be a daunting experience.
Queensland dentist Jenn Lee is ready for the challenge, though, and in a Q&A with The Latch, said that she “[wants] to learn as much as possible” during her MasterChef Australia experience, to “be able to take [her] cooking further, and make even more delicious food”.
“I also want to eat as much incredibly yummy food as possible,” she said.
Lee was born in Taiwan and moved to Brisbane with her family when she was six. Lee says in her 10 Play profile that it was her mum that encouraged her to “explore all aspects of life, including art, music and cooking”.
This early encouragement not only sparked Lee’s passion for cooking but it was also the foundation for her current hobbies, which Lee told us include “reading, gardening, painting, sewing and embroidery”.
Food has always played a special role in Lee’s life, though, and she has fond memories from her childhood of cooking meals with her family. When her family would travel back to Taiwan to visit family and celebrate the holidays, Lee recalls learning new cooking skills from her grandmothers, like how to make amazing ferments, and how to tend to a veggie patch.
Now, she’s taking those skills into the MasterChef kitchen, where she hopes to wow the judges. As for her favourite judge, Lee said it’s Melissa Leong, all the way.
“She is such a role model for me,” Lee explained. “It’s amazing to see all that she has achieved. She is also incredibly funny, empathetic, compassionate and down to earth.”
Will Lee be able to wow the judges all the way to Finals Week? Only time will tell.
MasterChef Australia airs at 7.30pm Sunday-Thursdays, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
Want more MasterChef Australia? Read here.
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.