Interview by Olivia Williams
Q: MasterChef has been a huge part of your journey. How does it feel to return as a judge again for the 2025 season, and how has the experience evolved for you?
A: I was revving up with new confidence in my second season as judge but when I found out it was a ‘Back To Win’ Iimmediately felt renewed trepidation! To be judging contestants I went through Season 12 with (in the first Back to Win), and whom I have huge respect for as industry colleagues, took a bit of head space re-jigging. But it’s been delightful. They’ve been so generous and received my feedback with such grace that I can feel nothing but humbled.
This whole experience as a new judge is complex for me because I’ve never dared to envision myself on the other side. It’s much easier to be a contestant because the goal is simple – to get through every cook. It’s free range chaos. But as a judge we are mentoring so I feel like I have to reign in the goofball and deliver poise which doesn’t come as easily to me. I enjoy writing because I’m someone who needs time for thoughts to percolate so to deliver critiques off the cuff is unnerving.
However, I do love a challenge because it’s the only way we grow; to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Season 1 was a life affirming exercise…to dive into so much that was unknown and find myself able to thrive and create in such a pressure cooker environment gifted me a confidence I’d always yearned for.
Q: You’ve mentioned that you hope contestants see you as proof that “you don’t have to win to win.” Can you share a moment in your career where that really rang true?
A: At 51, I’m seeing so many patterns that have run through my life and one of them is that the prize is not always clear. Often, time will reveal the jewel and as an artist I’m used to the idea of never becoming attached to outcomes but rather, to find yourself naturally falling in love with the process.
When I spoke about it in Season 16, I was of course referring to the wild full cycle moment of me being a contestant 16 years ago and then returning as a judge. Never in my most outlandish dreams did I imagine that to be a result of coming the runner up. But even back then, as soon as I was in the final I considered it a win. I knew holding the trophy would be so many things that I would have no control over, like nerves, micro decisions, and to a certain extent, luck.
The other really important example is both my long-term relationships. They didn’t work out, but I’ve stayed close friends with both. Matt, my first husband remains my closest confidante and most powerful enabler. We have a creative symbiosis that I doubt I’ll ever find with anyone else. It was worth the tempestuous marriage to come out of it as unbreakable friends.
Q: The MasterChef kitchen has changed so many lives, including your own. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve taken from being both a contestant and a judge?
A: Take risks and always be yourself. As a contestant I’d never felt such freedom to be my most unbridled self. I made a decision to never be swayed by the judges so if I got kicked out, the mistake would entirely belong to me. I knew I could live with that. And because I was so spectacularly rewarded for being authentic it gave me complete belief in always steering with my gut.
As a judge I feel less confident. I’ve never seen myself as an expert, more as someone who always loves what they do and wants to be good at it so I’m still carving out what I can bring to that space.
The thing that comes most naturally for me in the role is relating to the contestants as an ex-competitor, so again it’s about tapping into what feels
most honest.
Q: South Australia has such a rich food culture. Are there any local ingredients or dishes you love to champion?
A: I’m a hardcore homebody so I’m less about restaurants and more about produce because I prefer to cook than eat out. We have amazing South Australian stone fruit and almonds in summer. The laksa from Asian Gourmet, lamb and couscous from La Souk, and honey cake from House of Honey Cake are among some of my favourites.
Q: The FIFTY+SA audience includes many passionate home cooks. What advice do you have for people exploring new cuisines or techniques later in life?
A: Firstly, just go for it because like all of life, mistakes are where all the learning occurs. Secondly, shopping locally to support farmers in your region and buying seasonal produce is an important ethos. Fresh ingredients are at their most flavourful, nutritious and cheapest when flowing with the rhythms of nature. And when you start with great raw ingredients, you don’t really have to do much to make them shine – olive oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon will do the trick!
Q: You move fluidly between food, art, and storytelling— do you see these as separate passions, or are they all part of the same creative expression?
A: Being a creative is the thing I identify with most, more than race, gender or being a migrant. It’s the thing that drives my curiosity and gives me purpose. For me it’s principally about the desire to make something beautiful out of nothing. To be able to create a three-dimensional form on a blank canvas or cook a delicious meal from scratch and have the ability to affect people’s memories and emotions really floats my boat!
Q: Your artwork often explores themes of identity and heritage. How does your Malaysian Chinese background continue to shape your creativity?
A: My migrant story informs both my food and paintings hugely. Growing up with the push pull of two cultures is something I grappled with until quite late in life, so I use both practices to process being raised with strict eastern values at home but desperately wanting to fit in with western sensibilities.
I like playing with the concept of having dual identities for different facets of life because it’s something that most will relate to on some level. For example, the same person will present differently as a parent at home than in their workplace.
Q: What inspires your artwork, and do you find any similarities between painting and cooking?
A: They’re intrinsically linked because they both come from a space of wanting to tell cultural stories. They both use composition, a narrative – where as an artist you would use paint to execute the idea, as a cook you use ingredients and flavour. Both, when consumed, can have great emotional impact. The only difference I think is that painting could be seen as more indulgent, playing more purely to self-expression. With food you are always serving and looking for approval. There are not many industries where the feedback from a customer is so immediate and visceral.
Q: You’ve stayed rooted in Adelaide despite your national and international career. What keeps you here?
A: It’s home and always will be. I’m a small town girl. I love the quiet and lack of distraction. I can afford a house here and I’m close to those I love. There are amazing beaches, the hills, great festivals, markets, food and wine. We get to experience all the seasons. It’s a darn good life in SA!
Q: You wear many creative hats—artist, chef, TV personality. How do you balance them all, and do you ever feel pulled in one direction more than another?
A: I’m still learning to balance the two. They certainly joust for my time. I used to try to do both at the same time but now I have to section off parts of the year dedicated to one or the other. They feed different parts of me. The food is heavily media focused so the extrovert in me gets to ham it up but then I really need half a year of solitude to recover in front of the easel and in the garden.
Q: You’ve had such a fascinating and varied career. Looking ahead, is there anything new or unexpected you’d love to explore?
A: I’m superstitious about revealing new projects unless they’re close to being realised. I feel like it jinxes things….I do plan to have a little boutique exhibition at the end of the year which is very exciting because I haven’t shown my work for a couple of years.
FAST FIVE
What’s your go-to comfort meal when cooking at home?
Leftover rice, 2 fried eggs, my mum’s sambal belachan and a mountain of hack cut cucumber. It’s kind of a hack Nasi Lemak!
Favourite SA food producers or restaurants you always recommend?
I’m a produce gal and rarely eat out so my heart lies at the Adelaide Farmer’s Market where Jamface has a home. All the growers and producers there are legit local and seasonal. Sundays there are my church and community.
Is there a South Australian ingredient you love working with the most?
I love SA almonds. They’re so versatile for everyday meals like adding body and texture to salads. But my favourite use is for baking, whether in meal form for pastries and cakes, or roasted for gorgeous crunch and flavour.
What’s one dish that instantly takes you back to your childhood?
Assam Laksa which is incidentally my death row meal! It’s a sour, hot fish based broth loaded with all my favourite things; springy rice noodles, cucumber cut into matchsticks, fresh pineapple, red onion, mint and torch ginger flower, finished with shrimp molasses. When I was about six years old, my mum used to take me to a local place in a shopping centre every week. At first, I would share just a teacup worth of hers. I think it took me two years to be able to finish a whole bowl by myself because it was SO spicy but I felt so proud.
For someone new to cooking Asian cuisine, what’s a simple dish to start with?
Fried rice because it’s cheap, the condiments are already in most pantries, and you can make your own version with whatever leftovers you have. But most importantly it’s a crowd pleaser!
MasterChef Australia: Back to Win is coming soon to Channel 10 and 10 Play.
