MasterChef Australia 2019: meet the Top 24

MasterChef Australia has its Top 24 contestants for 2019, a diverse bunch of aspiring chefs competing for $250,000, a monthly column in Delicious magazine, and a brand-new car.

Favourite challenges the Mystery Box, Invention Test, Immunity Challenge, Team Challenges and Masterclasses all return.

There will also be a Queensland week, Western Australian week, and further weeks showcasing Sweets, Secrets and Legends. Guests include Heston Blumenthal, Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein, Clare Smyth, Yotam Ottolenghi, Curtis Stone, Maggie Beer, Darren Purchese and more.

Here are the Top 24:

Abbey Rose
28, NSW, Kitchen & Homewares Buyer
As a child, Abbey’s mother would make beautiful sauces before adding an ingredient to throw off the balance, challenging her daughter to correct the error and bring it back from the brink. And with that ability to trust her palate, Abbey hopes she can now go all the way to the end of MasterChef.
Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the National Arts School in 2010, Abbey went on to manage a seafood and fine food delicatessen in the Blue Mountains, before working in a jewellery store as a designer and wholesaler co-ordinator.
She’s now a buyer at the Essential Ingredient,
where she is surrounded by speciality ingredients, equipment and tools, which she hopes will give her an advantage in the competition.

Anushka Zargaryan
49, VIC, Optical Dispenser
For Anushka, food has no language, and it’s a joy she embraced moving to Australia nearly 20 years ago. Relying on food channels when she arrived, she realised she could follow the necessary ingredients and steps in a recipe, without understanding the language.
Determined to embrace the lifestyle change, Anushka later went to language school and completed a small business management course to improve her skills.
The work paid off, and Anushka remained busy over the years with both her own optometry practice and a coffee shop near home.
It was a long way from Armenia, where Anushka was born as one of five children. She married husband Arthur before graduating from university in 1991 with a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural and Educational Work. She soon welcomed son David and daughter Lilit, and it was ten years later that Arthur’s work as an airline engineer relocated the young family to Melbourne.

Ben Trobbiani
24, SA, Pharmacist
Born in Adelaide as the youngest of four children, Ben Trobbiani says he owes most of his culinary knowledge to his Dad and brother Stephen. With his Dad’s passion for Italian cooking, Ben started cooking as a teenager for his family, at the time also loving big desserts, which satisfied his sweet tooth.
Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of South Australia in 2015, Ben moved out of home soon after and began expanding his repertoire, now considering himself more adept at savoury dishes.
Hoping he can rely on his vast knowledge across a wide range of cuisines, Ben says he is confident in balancing and pinpointing flavours.
Inspired by Jock Zonfrillo for his way of preserving ancient dishes and bringing them to a modern kitchen, Ben says he also loves Jock’s passion for native ingredients. Also a fan of René Redzepi, Ben is in
awe of the foraging movement and enjoys exploring modernist techniques.

Blake Werner
23, VIC, Bar Manager
Blake Werner is confident in the restaurant game. His parents own a Spanish restaurant in bayside Melbourne, and it’s where Blake now works as he manages the bar and works front of house.
He was raised in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula alongside his three younger sibling Brigette, Angus and Amelia. Blake grew up fishing in the summer and picking wild mushrooms in the winter around Red Hill.
After a stint at Monash University studying a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, with a major in European politics and minor in French language, Blake decided to take time off to work. He made his start in advertising before landing in real estate, but it was the lure of food which brought him back to his parent’s restaurant, with dreams of one day opening his own tapas bar.

Christina Laker
29, QLD, Naturopathy Student
A lover of desserts and sweet cooking, Christina says her cooking inspiration lies with fan favourite Maggie Beer. She describes her own style as beautifully rustic, with dishes akin to stone fruits in tarts with ice cream. Working with seasonal produce and earthy flavours, Christina says she loves to use local ingredients, leaning towards bold, bright and colourful dishes with fresh and zesty herbs.
Born on the Gold Coast, Christina grew up in Brisbane alongside a large combined family of 10 children.
After finishing high school Christina started a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science and Naturopathy, before turning her attention to starting her own family, welcoming daughter Willow in 2011. Two years later she had son Jethro before hitting the road in a caravan, travelling around northern Queensland until 2016 when she briefly moved to the Sunshine Coast before settling in the Gold Coast last year.

Dee Williams
37, VIC, Office Manager
For many MasterChef contestants, cooking begins at home learning the basics. But for Dee Williams, attending boarding school in the Sri Lankan city of Kandy for 12 years meant everything was provided, and she rarely found herself in the kitchen making meals.
But she relished going home on holidays, and it was there her mum encouraged her to read cookbooks, teaching her the basics of classic Sri Lankan and southern Indian dishes.
The oldest of four children, Dee’s family lived on a tea plantation and in 2007 she packed up and moved to Australia to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management at Homesglen, graduating in 2011.
Arriving in Australia, Dee says she was inspired by the variety of cuisines and cooking cultures on offer, and cites her strengths in the kitchen as Asian and Sri Lankan, a confident allrounder in Malaysian, Thai and Singaporean flavours

Derek Lau
26, WA, Financial Analyst
When Derek Lau set about making Katherine Sabbath’s acclaimed birthday cake from season 10, he knew he was in for a challenge. Despite the feat taking two days, he was thrilled with the outcome and admits following instructions in Pressure Tests could be his strength this season.
And while he knows he’ll have a little less time under the MasterChef clock, Derek is confident his sweet skills could take him all the way.
Born and raised in Perth, Derek is the youngest of four. There is a ten-year gap between Derek and his older
siblings, and as the baby, Derek spent time as a child cooking at home with mum, crediting her with his early skills. Able to make simple meat and rice dishes, she also made great cakes, passing on her tips and tricks.

Huda Al Sultan
34, SA, Dietician
Mother of three Huda hopes her rich cultural background will give her an edge against her competitors in the MasterChef kitchen this season.
Passionate about inspiring young women, Huda is involved with local schools, teaching mindful eating to teenage girls. She wants to see people connect with food in a positive manner, creating awareness of the body’s connection with food.
It’s a long way from Saudi Arabia, where Huda was born and raised. Married at 18, she had her first child, Renad, at 19 while completing a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Health Sciences at King Saud University in the nation’s capital, Riyadh.

Jess Hall
28, NSW, Travel Agent
As a child, Jess loved walking in the door from school and kick-starting dinner before her mum would arrive from work. It was time in the kitchen she relished, having learnt the basics watching cooking shows together. The pair would watch Nigella Lawson whip up dishes, and inspired by her culinary idol, Jess would take what she’d seen and in turn cook for her mum.
Born in London, Jess was two when she and her mum moved to Sydney, where she later graduated from high school in 2007. At 19 Jess returned to London where she ultimately stayed for eight years, successfully working in the travel industry.
Living in London gave Jess the freedom to explore and experiment with recipes and cuisines, inspired by the breadth of cultures living together in the vibrant city. She enjoyed hosting dinner parties, and says her skills in the kitchen lie in her intuition. She likes a recipe to start the process, but uses it as a template rather than a guide, using her own palate to alter its direction. She also benefited from her getaways across the continent, enjoying eating at Michelin star restaurants one day, and small hole-in-the-wall restaurants the next.

Joe Ahern
22, WA, Digital Production Assistant
Few MasterChef contestants can boast a credit as a zombie in a John Butler Trio music video, but for Joe, it’s another string to his bow and now he can’t wait
to showcase his skills in the MasterChef kitchen this season.
The youngest of three children, Joe was born and raised in Perth, completing a Bachelor’s degree in Screen Arts from Curtin University in 2017. But while his work making videos took him between companies, including the Fremantle Dockers, it was his love of cooking which drove him towards MasterChef. He was sitting with friends watching Sashi Cheliah take out the grand finale last season when they encouraged him to stop dreaming and start applying.
Joe admits while his mum is a great home cook, he’s mostly self-taught, learning through extensive reading, trial and error, TV programs and YouTube.
A self-described methodical and precise cook, Joe hopes he may thrive in a feared Pressure Test, capable of following intricate recipes. But while he excels at savoury cooking, he says desserts may be his weakness.

Kyle Lyons
29, WA, Brewery Sales Manager
Brewery sales manager Kyle knows nothing goes with a good beer like a good meal, and he’s confident if he plates to his strengths he has what it takes to hold high the coveted trophy at the MasterChef grand finale.
The middle of three boys, Kyle was born and raised in Perth, graduating high school in 2006. He went on to study Environmental Biology and Conservation Wildlife at TAFE before tackling Environmental Science and Psychology at Murdoch University.
In 2015 he moved to Melbourne to work on the ski fields of Mount Buller, working as a venue manager for a small restaurant during winter and running a coffee business with a friend in the city in summer.

Larissa Takchi
22, NSW, Restaurant Manager
Born and raised in Sydney as part of a big Lebanese family, Larissa says weekends with her family have always revolved around food. With her dad one of nine children, Larissa and her three siblings spent their Sundays with all her cousins, enjoying big lunches and dinners. Everyone would bring plates of food, and her fondest memories are of her aunts in the kitchen preparing plates.
Finishing high school in 2014, Larissa went onto Macquarie University where she is now studying a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Her mum owns a restaurant north of the city, and it’s there Larissa works as a Restaurant Manager. With her mum a chef, there’s strong argument Larissa has an ace in her pocket this competition. She admits that while she’s mostly self-taught, mum has always been there along the way to help out.

Leah Milburn-Clark
22, VIC, Theatre Manager
After securing the last apron of the competition following a nail-biting cook during Judge’s Auditions, Leah certainly feels the pressure to prove herself worthy of the Top 24. But it’s a challenge the youngest in this season’s group is excited by, and as a graduate of the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, she hopes to steal every scene on her way to glory at the MasterChef grand finale.
Born in Melbourne, Leah was raised in the city’s east alongside her younger brother, Chris. After starting high school at East Doncaster Secondary College, Leah completed her final years of school at Box Hill Senior after securing a place in their performing arts program, focussing on dance and drama.
Following school, she took a gap year, managing a Northcote dance school before spending 10 weeks travelling to the theatre capitals of the world including London, Las Vegas and New York City, listing Cabaret on Broadway as her favourite of all time. Following her travels, Leah moved to Perth to study at WAAPA, graduating in 2017 before returning home to Melbourne.

Mandy Hall
51, SA, Stay at Home Mum
In April last year, Mandy Hall took herself to Tennessee in the United States to participate in a two-week residency with fermentation expert Sandor Katz. The coveted spots were routinely taken by chefs around the world, but for Mandy the time spent camping off the grid, spending time with his family and learning directly from him was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she relished every moment.
Passionate about meeting market producers and learning where food originates, Mandy hopes this desire to understand the process can take her all the way to the MasterChef grand finale.
Born and raised in the South Australian capital as the baby of five children, Mandy grew up in a home with a mother and grandmother who were great cooks, often hosting large family dinners. When she moved out
she loved dining with friends, admitting if she could spend her money on anything it would be good food and restaurants. This inspired a determination within herself to learn to make the food she enjoyed so much.

Monica Mignone
27, VIC, Primary School Teacher
When Primary School teacher Monica Mignone speaks to her students about the importance of a balanced lunch, it’s a motto she lives by in her own kitchen.
Born in Melbourne as the youngest of three girls, Monica says her tight-knit Italian family was always together, spending weekends alongside her cousins enjoying picnics and riding bikes.
A bubbly and chatty self-described tomboy, Monica played semi-professional competitive basketball throughout high school, at one time touring the United States and Canada with the Blackburn Vikings at just 17. A broken foot at 20 halted her playing career, and a passion for cooking was given room to thrive.
Learning from her Nonna and Mum who are great bakers, Monica hopes sweets will be her strength in the MasterChef kitchen, but admits complex Asian flavours like Korean and Indian might be her downfall.

Nicole Scott
24, QLD, HR Associate
When Nicole wanted to learn the basics of cooking, she turned to the pros for the best advice. Growing up learning from her culinary idols Nigella Lawson and Massimo Butturo, it was the latter who provided his namesake for her Yorkshire Terrier. But while Massimo the dog might get an extra treat from the kitchen every so often, Nicole is hoping it’s just
the start of great chefs tasting her dishes in the MasterChef kitchen.
Born and raised in Brisbane, Nicole completed Year 12 at Brisbane Girls Grammar before graduating from the University of Queensland in 2016 with Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Human Resources. Education was always important in the Scott family – her sister is currently on a scholarship completing her PhD in Neuroscience at Oxford University, and her brother works in mechanical engineering.

Sandeep Pandit
37, VIC, IT Project Manager
As Sandeep explains it, like any ancient culture, food has been central to everything he knows growing up a Kashmiri Pandit. With a large family of close uncles and cousins, mealtimes were big affairs. The family would sit down together on huge carpets, feasting and laughing around dishes, which often included lamb, lentils and vegetables.
Born in Kashmir in the early 1980s, Sandeep spent eight years there with his family before militancy forced them south, leaving all their possessions and migrating to Bangalore in 1990. It was here Sandeep’s passion for cooking grew. The family didn’t have a fridge so his Mum taught him how to cook dahl without having it stick to the hotplate, and how to boil food to prevent it spoiling.
After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration, Sandeep married his wife Prahalika in 2009 and the couple were joined by son Siddhant the following year.

Simon Toohey
32, VIC, Cocktail Barman
While living and working in London as a bar manager several years ago, Simon Toohey reached the pinnacle, taking out the titles of best cocktail menu and best high volume cocktail bar at the Tales of the Cocktail awards in New Orleans. In a city where 10,000 bartenders descended for the annual conference, taking home the coveted prizes in the global competition was recognition worth celebrating.
It’s a long way from Canberra where Simon grew up alongside his older brother. Describing himself as a visual student, he excelled in sports, drawing, photography and woodwork, graduating from Canberra Grammar in 2004.
While working in cocktail bars he completed a TAFE course in Hospitality Management, graduating with an Advanced Diploma in 2006 before completing a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management from the University of Canberra three years later.

Steph De Sousa
45, NSW, HR Specialist
For mother of four Steph De Sousa, there is nothing like cooking beautiful, wholesome and flavoursome food for those she loves. And it’s this passion she hopes to turn into her food dream, creating a place just like “going to Mum’s for dinner” while also hosting cooking classes and demonstrations.
Born in Wynyard in north-west Tasmania as the baby of four girls, it wasn’t long before Steph’s family were on the road to Queensland for her father’s work as a racing horse trainer.
Following high school, a place where Steph admits she went to “eat lunch”, she worked as a hairdresser while pregnant with her children Darby and Tannah, before the young family were on the move to Vanuatu.

Tati Carlin
49, VIC, Receptionist
When she’s not whipping up a beautiful curry in the kitchen, Tati loves to spend her downtime studying history and reading the latest best-selling thriller.
And she’s hoping her own MasterChef journey is just as thrilling, aiming to hold the coveted trophy high at the grand finale.
Born in a small town in Indonesia alongside three younger brothers, Tati graduated high school in 1987 before working in administration. She began working at the InterContinental hotel’s group in Jakarta in 1994, remaining in the industry until moving to Melbourne 14 years later with her husband, Mark.
Settling down in the picturesque village of Sassafras in the bushy and scenic Dandenong Ranges east of the city, Tati says she has spent her life cooking for friends and family.

Tessa Boersma
27, QLD, Criminal Statistician
As a child, Tessa admits her sweet tooth took over her palate. Self-taught from the age of six, she loved fudge, toffee and sweet treats, likening her tastes to carnival fete foods. But the sweet tooth was lost over the years and she now describes her food style as classic, with a twist, enjoying showcasing a variety of savoury foods with bold, bright flavours.
Born in Lower Hutt on the North Island in New Zealand, her family moved to Brisbane in 2000 where Tessa graduated from high school eight years later. She studied Business at TAFE before moving to the Queensland University of Technology, where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Accounting in 2011. After 18 months in Melbourne, she returned to Brisbane to work as an accountant, before moving into her current role working with crime and justice data for the state government.

Tim Bone
33, VIC, Cooking & Garden Educator
For Tim, the key to an epic gourmet toasted sandwich is good quality sourdough bread and melty cheese. Inspired by the grilled cheese sandwiches he enjoyed in New York City where he got engaged to his wife Abbey, it’s this memory inspiring his food dream – to operate a food truck serving gourmet toasties at local farmers markets.
Born in Darwin, Tim moved to Adelaide the following year before relocating to Nhill in western Victoria at the age of 10. It’s where he remained throughout his childhood, graduating from year 12 in 2003.
One of five kids, Tim started working as an integration aide at a Ballarat primary school in 2008, helping children with special needs. It’s a role he loves, and now runs after school programs for under privileged kids several nights a week, alongside a community garden and café at the school.
Nicknamed T-Bone by his fellow contestants, and enjoying a striking resemblance to Prince Harry, Tim admits his passion for food grew when he moved out of home, relishing cooking for friends and family.

Walleed Rasheed
38, VIC, Marketing Analyst
Walleed knows leaving behind twin 5-year-old daughters Evy and Alexandria won’t be easy, but bringing home the title of MasterChef 2019 might soften his absence.
Born and raised in Melbourne to Egyptian parents, Walleed is the middle of three children and studied Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering at Monash University, graduating in 2001.
Alongside his supportive family, Walleed has two great passions – food and basketball. He started playing at the age of six, motivated by the cult classic movie Teen Wolf starring Michael J. Fox. He became serious about the sport as a teenager, playing for a local representative team and at his peak captaining the North Sydney Bears in his 20s.

Yossra Abouelfadl
36, NSW, Pharmacist
In 2003, when Yossra moved from Egypt to Sydney, she was thrilled by the multicultural melting pot of her new home. Inspired by the new cuisine options on offer, she broadened her skills in the kitchen, learning as she wandered the local stalls and markets.
Taking her inspiration from culinary idols Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, Yossra would watch their shows and buy their cookbooks, trying new recipes in the kitchen at the end of her day working as a pharmacist.
It was a long way from home for the mother of two, who was born and raised in Egypt with stints living in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as a child.