Former MasterChef contestant Ben Ungermann unveiled his dramatic new look on Tuesday, a year after being spared a criminal conviction.
The 38-year-old bodybuilder and chef showed off his insanely jacked physique in a photo taken in a gym locker room after a weightlifting session.
He wore a gray shirt and black shorts as he posed for a mirror selfie while flexing his massive biceps.
Former MasterChef contestant Ben Ungermann revealed his insanely jacked physique on Tuesday, a year after being spared a criminal conviction
“I HAVE 99 PROBLEMS… but I go to the gym and ignore them all. My happy place,” he captioned the post.
Ungermann has been showing off his gym progress over the past few months.
In September, he shared an Instagram post about how he changed his life by improving his physical health.
The 38-year-old bodybuilder and chef has been showing off his gym progress in recent months
“At 38, I hit the gym most days and then step into my role as a chef at my busy restaurant, House of Nasi Goreng,” he wrote.
‘My days are very long and demand a lot from my body. But every day I make a committed effort to take care of my physical health and it’s all about consistency.
“It starts with nourishing the body in the morning and giving it the fuel it needs to perform.”
Ungermann was spared a criminal conviction last year for physically assaulting a 16-year-old girl in a Melbourne hotel room.
The chef was instead placed on a diversion program, which allowed him to avoid a criminal record, for the Docklands attack in February 2020.
Three assault charges against Ungermann over the same incident were dropped in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
They were replaced by one charge of common-law assault, with the consent of the prosecutors and the girl.
Ungermann (pictured on MasterChef: Back to Win in 2020) was spared a criminal conviction last year for physically assaulting a 16-year-old girl in a Melbourne hotel room
Ungermann admitted to physically holding the girl and pulling her towards him in his hotel room for a few seconds.
At the time, he had traveled to Melbourne to film for the Channel 10 cooking show MasterChef: Back to Win.
He and the girl had dinner, drank sake and talked about Ungermann’s broken relationship before the attack.
Ungermann said he would get “s**tfaced” before returning to the hotel room, asking the girl for a hug, and pulling her to his chest.
His attorney, Abbie Roodenburg, said Ungermann took responsibility for what happened.
Ungermann admitted to physically holding the girl and pulling her towards him in his hotel room for a few seconds
“This was a one-time momentary touch,” the lawyer also said, adding that it was “out of character.”
Ungermann agreed to write a letter of apology, make a $1,000 donation to charity, and receive mental health treatment as part of the diversion.
The girl wanted to read a statement about the consequences of the assault for the court.
Magistrate Mia Stylianou did not allow it, saying the wording was inconsistent with the charge Ungermann eventually admitted.
“I read that and I’m sad about it,” the magistrate also said of the statement.
Ungermann agreed to write a letter of apology, make a $1,000 donation to charity, and receive mental health treatment as part of the diversion
Ms Stylianou emphasized the stress the victim had gone through, especially as she had prepared to testify against Ungermann before the case was resolved.
Ms Roodenburg said the ‘public personality’ had lost his reputation and sponsorship after his first appearance on MasterChef in 2017, when he came in second.
“He understands that this process is stressful for everyone,” the lawyer added.
“But certainly for Mr. Ungermann, the way these allegations came about and the media attention led to heavy extracurricular sentences.”
Ms Roodenburg also said a criminal conviction would have made it difficult for Ungermann to move forward and pursue work supervision.
Ungermann’s lawyer said the attack was “a one-time brief contact” and was “out of character” for him.
He was also represented by Western Australia-based lawyer and fellow 2017 MasterChef contestant Benjamin Bullock.
Outside the court, Mr Bullock said they welcome “the withdrawal of the sexual assault allegations that have been denied all along”.
“We also welcome the opportunity for Benny to clear his name. It’s really just about moving on now and moving on with his life,” Mr Bullock added.
The magistrate acknowledged that Ungermann had endured public disgrace through media coverage of his case.