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The upcoming season of MasterChef Australia: Secrets & Surprises will premiere in May and it looks set to be an exciting series of culinary drama.
Channel Ten’s competitive cooking show has now released a full cast list ahead of its Monday 1 May premiere.
This year the number of participants has been reduced from 24 to 18 and they form a unique group of culinary experts in the making. Let’s meet them.
Adi Nevgi
Nevgi works in healthcare in Melbourne and has traveled to 55 countries throughout her life.
Her worldly experience has given her a taste for creating mouth-watering dishes and her Indian heritage means she is particularly passionate about creating tasty South East Asian dishes.
The upcoming season of MasterChef Australia: Secrets & Surprises will premiere in May and it looks set to be an exciting series of culinary drama. Pictured from left to right: judges Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo
Alice Han (pictured) was born and raised in Sydney and received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University in California
Alice Han
Born and raised in Sydney, Han received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University in California.
Her parents are from China and moved to Australia shortly before she was born, which gave her a passion for making Asian dishes.
She works as a freelance writer and speaks four languages: English, Mandarin, French and German.
Amy Tanner
Tanner is from Victoria and has been a huge fan of MasterChef since it first aired in 2009.
She recently traveled to the Middle East and Southeast Asia where she developed a passion for worldly cuisine.
Amy especially likes seafood and her dream is to one day open a wine bar.
Andrea Puglisi
Puglisi was born and raised in Turin in Italy and after moving to Australia he initially lived in Victoria before moving to WA.
He has a passion for Mediterranean and Pescatarian flavors and traditional Italian dishes.
His long-term goal is to open a wine and cocktail bar in a scenic, tropical location.
Antonio Vaamonde (pictured) was born in Venezuela and moved to Australia in 2015
Antonio Cruz Vaamonde
Vaamonde was born in Venezuela and moved to Australia in 2015.
He has a real sweet tooth when it comes to food and specializes in preparing tasty pastries and desserts.
Brent Draper
Draper returns to MasterChef after first appearing in the 2021 season, where he left midway through to focus on his mental health.
The Queensland native has focused on personal growth for the past two years and promises to bring something special this season.
Catherine Collins
Collins said she was inspired by former MasterChef winner Julie Goodwin to do her best in the kitchen.
She lives in Victoria and is an all-rounder when it comes to cooking, meaning she can cook anything and everything with skill and style.
Declan Cleary
Cleary works as a carpenter by day and cooks up a storm at night.
He has traveled to Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico and Papua New Guinea and has a passion for the artful preparation of fish dishes.
“Declan is my name, and fish is my game,” he says.
Brent Draper (pictured) returns to MasterChef after making his first appearance during the 2021 season, leaving midway through to focus on his mental health
This year’s number of participants has been reduced from 24 to 18. All in the picture
Grace Yup
Jupp owns and operates an olive oil business with her husband, who is a former chef.
She says her husband introduced her to the world of cooking and she hopes she can put her excellent food preparation skills to good use on the show.
Jessica Perry
Perri is an Italian beauty who learned incredible cooking skills from both of her grandmothers from a young age.
She has a knack for creating tasty pasta dishes and says she carries on her family’s great food legacy.
Jessica describes her dishes as “generous, plentiful and flavorful” and says she hopes to open her own cooking school one day.
She has a knack for creating tasty pasta dishes and says she’s continuing her fabulous food legacy.
Fedele is a clinical nutritionist who has loved food for as long as she can remember, as her parents owned a fruit and vegetable store when she was growing up.
Hailing from South Australia, she specializes in making delicious pastas and sauces from scratch.
Phil Conway
Conway moved to Melbourne from Ireland a decade ago, and on a recent trip to Italy, he learned traditional pasta-making recipes from the experts.
The fitness studio manager rediscovered his love of cooking during the Covid lockdown when he prepared delicious meals at home to keep himself entertained.
The public can expect more compelling culinary insight from the jury, consisting of food experts Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo
Ralph Kahango
Kahango grew up in Zimbabwe and South Africa and hopes to impress the judges with his delicious African-inspired dishes.
His ultimate goal is to one day host his own cooking show so he can share the secrets of his delicious dishes with an audience.
Rhiannon Anderson
Anderson learned her culinary secrets from her late mother who worked as a chef, and wants to continue her legacy by appearing on MasterChef.
She loves Asian dishes with a tropical topping and describes her food as bold and spicy.
Robbie Cooper
Cooper is a proud Iwaidja man who hails from the Northern Territory and describes his cuisine as ‘Aboriginal Asian fusion’.
One of his main strengths is the ability to combine traditional and modern recipes and he seems ready to impress the judges with his mouth-watering dishes.
Rue Mupedzi
Mupedzi moved from Zimbabwe to Western Australia when she was 15 and has made a habit of skilfully recreating restaurant meals at home.
The skilled dessert chef started her own company making macaroons in 2021 and will show the other participants what makes a great dessert that little bit extra.
Theo Loizou
Loizou works as an electrician and has a passion for creating mouth-watering bread-based recipes in the kitchen.
The Melbourne native learned his bread-making recipes from some of the world’s top chefs in France and seems poised to wow audiences with his stunning creations.
MasterChef Australia: Secrets & Surprises premieres Monday 1 May at 7:30pm on Channel Ten
MasterChef Australia returns Monday, May 1 at 7:30pm on Channel Ten
Meet the contestants competing on MasterChef Australia: Secrets & Surprises