MasterChef Lovers Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary Have Very Exciting News

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I couldn't be more excited, like about what are you excited about having a baby, but like the buns in the ovens and it's kind of it's all I've ever wanted in life.

Hello, and welcome to No Filter. I'm Kate lane Brook and today, oh this is so great. We're talking about a love story that no one saw coming. Sarah Todd and Declan Cleary met in one of the most high pressure kitchens in Australia, Master Chief Back to Win, and they were supposed to be competitors, not soul mates. But somewhere between the pressure tests, the plating and the late night cookoffs, something.

Else began to simmer.

Sarah is a chef, a restaurateur and TV personality who's made a global name for herself, and Declan is a tradee who became a fan favorite on the show for his talent and warmth. And together they've gone from competitors to partners, from a shared kitchen to a shared home, and now they have got some very very very big news to share. This is a story of how a reality competition turned into reality a real life love story, and how Sarah and Declan are about to embark on

Thank you.

I've been so looking forward to meeting you too, although you two is not really right, but.

We'll get to that. How delightful to have you two here.

It's special to be here.

It's good to be back in Melbourne because I feel like we've been on the run for months.

You know, we've had a really busy schedule and then you know, we've wanted to enjoy these past few months to ourselves and with our family, and just so happened that we were on the road the whole time.

Just yeah until.

Now, Yes, until yesterday.

And I said to you, you too, love a pressure test. You have really jumped headfirst into really everything good that life can offer, which is food, obviously love unexpected.

Who was it more unexpected for?

I think I can speak for the both of us in saying I think we both went in with no intention and find love.

Master Chef is not a dating show.

Fact.

I don't know if there have been any other Master Chef couples.

I think, yeah, I think that.

We know of you know, because it's one thing. You know, It's kind of like actors as well, that when you in a situation like that, when you you're experiencing something that has an intensity and a club like nature, that you do tend to make connections, quite strong and deep connections, but they don't always last.

We're both very passionate about what we do, and I think we went into Master Chef wanting to win the show, and I think that we both threw everything at it, and in the early days we kind of became each other's sort of little safe place that was ay from all of that intensity.

So how long? How long was the filming?

Six months?

Yeah?

So we started wow December last year, and you know, you know what it's like. It's can be ten to twelve hour days. You're filming for only a few of those hours. The rest of it is just outside of you know, the kitchen and hanging out and finding ways to kind of keep our sanity.

I of yees yes, and find someone because in those situations you need some sort of pressure release, You need to feel that you have an ally of some kind, and so you two struck up a friendship pretty early.

How early on.

I think straight away, I think for Sarah's third time coming back, and then my second I definitely pulled, you know, two friends out of the first series that I was on. I was lucky enough to come out as best friends with Rhianna and Anderson.

Yeah, from my series, and that was which was.

Like too, you were choose yeah seasons.

Yeah, so filming in twenty twenty two into twenty twenty three, right, and then you know, just like love just big long days hanging out with her and the vo having a cup of tea and where do you live?

Like what's the setup for that?

Well, just coincidentally, Rhiannon became a friend of mine before the show, So going into Master Chef, I instant instantly was like, find my person, and it was Rhiannon. And because they had such a strong friendship, it's kind of drew us together. It was kind of like, you know, that taking down that barrier because I'm a pretty inteler person, even though I'm really.

Very contained, very contained, in fact, quite intriguing to watch very beautiful, very graceful declan you are none of those things, because he's completely but you are internal. Declan, you are external, definitely, and it's one of the many differences between you, aside from background. What was your background, Sarah, Like, how did you grow up?

I'm a country girl.

I'm from a small town two thousand people called Scrubby and grew up just outdoors and just like you know, a really beautiful childhood, two brothers and with a really solid family.

I think that I'm really blessed.

I have just not only my immediate family unit, but a very big family which Declan's just had the pleasure of meeting almost all of them. And what's what was the cultural makeup of your family Australian? Yeah, so I think, you know, for me growing up very ausy, very you know, Australian upbringing.

But those whole Indian slash French thing.

So I my son's half Indian, and so I fell in love with the culture. And I think that, you know, we're really blessed in Australia to be very open minded. And as soon as I was, you know, made aware of his culture. And I also felt like, being a mother, it was my responsibility to understand that culture as well, and I just you know, totally immersed myself into Indian culture and you.

Ended up running a restaurant in Goer.

Yes, is that was North Goer Yeah, yeah, maybe I've been to South go oh Okay beautiful quite quite a few times.

Yeah, amazing. Yeah, it's a beautiful place. I'm sure you would have realized. Injury is a place where they just welcome you with open arms. And we just did a trip recently to go over to India and it was Declan's first time, and it's a place for me that you know, I've spending five months minimum a year in India for the last eleven years.

And you take Phoenix back there, you're yeah, he.

Comes back and forth with me, and you know, I think that they have just really welcomed me with open arms.

And I just threw myself into it. And I love it. I love in Dear and I love the culture.

I love the food, the people, and you know, I wanted Phoenix to feel proud too if he has to take a parato and his lunchbox to school, that he's not going to be picked on or embarrassed about it. You know, I think it's my responsibility to do that. So yeah, it was really nice to kind of.

Be opened up to this whole new world and.

Decline your background Australian.

Yeah, growing up in fresh water run on Sydney's northern beaches. So yeah, just full full lossie and traveling lots as a kid through dad's work. So I had the luxury to you know, he was in television.

Yeah he was. Yeah, So.

Yeah, Mum and dad met in television and now.

And then and you're a trade and then so.

I'm a build a carpenter by trade and kind.

Of again very handy. You don't want a soft handed paper push up. What you need is someone who can undo the pressure cooker.

Yeah, exactly when he definitely does that.

So so much like Sarah, like just a really close family, two sisters, so stuck in the middle of sometimes I say the rose between the thorns. I am with an

And you like to tilt and win mills, so you like to go this may seem impossible to some, but this is what I want to do.

Yeah. In regards to work and cooking, yeah, definitely.

I've always like liked pushing the boundaries with myself with things that I'm doing. And you know, I'm not the kind of person that likes to be indoors and not doing anything. I think, you know, as soon as I could get on the job site and be a trade working outside, I thrived on that and I think the creativity kind of came in par with cooking.

It was very similar.

I never thought I'd get Top three on Master Chef Australia and then go on to you know, finding the love of my life on the shows.

And then when you were both invited back, yeah, for the for the back to win the series, what was Can you remember the moment when you first saw Sarah.

I was just like, oh, this bloody bombshells on the show. It's going to be hard to keep my eyes off her, and.

Really like it was like she's gorgeous, She's stunning, and and you know I was there with no intentions of anything other than to win the show.

So and you were both emotionally unencumbered when you came to Yeah, yeah, definitely so, which which was really special.

And I think, you know the foundations of our relationship were built on a friendship and we were spending a lot of time hanging out as friends with with no intention speaking for myself.

But I didn't have.

Well you know, I know, of course I can I ask this, was there no intention because you thought my priorities have to be on the people?

Always was that no intention? Because you were like, I don't have a chance.

No, I just in the scheme of life, and I think I've got a chance.

Remember the first time, you know, really no seeing Declan and he came down and he sat down and was sitting in the green room and he just came down and it just hit me straight with questions and like started trying to you know, get to know me. And I was I really admired that. I think someone who you know, can just he's so himself and it's and I loved seeing that. I think there's you know, there's

Should be or not, you know.

And also, I think increasingly in the world people are scared to show themselves for a myriad of reasons. But you have always been totally yourself and that's a very lovable quality.

It's really beautiful. But I was wondering.

How onto the growing bond between you two the people who were making the show were, because I noticed in the Maggie Beer episode. In fact, I took a screenshot of the moment they did a cutaway to YouTube. Okay, do you see that? No, I just went, I'll show you it's and I'm like, hello, are you showing each other goosebump?

We are?

Yeah?

Maybe is amazing.

Yeah, and that's a very rare honor to cook, you know.

Yeah, really sweet.

But they did a quick cutaway to YouTube. And then increasingly I was sort of noticing that you two were often together.

Yeah, definitely, I think that the friendship that started. We always felt comfortable around each other on set because there's you know, there's one hundred, one hundred and fifty people on set every day, only twenty four contestants, so you do really want to find you know, your group and whether it was us, you know, going out to exercise to kill time, because in television there's.

A lot of hurry up and there's a lot of waiting around.

So it's like, you know, we'd film an episode where you had a seventy five minute cook but it would be a fourteen hour yeah, yes, yes, yes, So just trying to keep saying in that in doing having healthy habits on set, you know, whether it's exercising, whether it's finding a TV show to binge out on, whether it's studying notes together or you know, kind of brainstorming ideas. I think that was important in trying to find the normality of a situation that really isn't normal to anyone.

And it's this may seem, you know, like a sudden thing, but I think when you've been in circumstances like that, Yeah, any reality TV has this. Really it is like the pressure cocker because things happen more quickly.

You know, the meat gets tender, I see very quickly.

You're seeing all sides of a person.

Ultimately, it's a competition exactly you're seeing people at breaking point as a highs and you know you're also surrounded by people who want to win, so you do need to find someone who you feel like is someone you can trust in a way, and someone who's sort of like minded.

And I think we got to the point.

Where we wouldn't have minded if either one of us won, you know, and I think it's nice to actually build a friendship beyond that competitive nature.

So I think we got to that point.

When have you watched the show back together?

We watched glimpses, like we haven't watched every single episode just because we it's pre filmed, and then we were already jumped into.

Work and other comments.

But we see moments.

Yeah, well it was my mum. She's like, sorry, you've gonna go and put this on you and.

Declan, you've had this moment and you've got to see it.

And they really when they because we did our announcement with Stellar Magazine, which which was so nice to say the narrative from us and get those beautiful shots together which will cherish for a lifetime, but it was it wasn't really until then that Master Chef jumped on board and they're like you know, we'll actually work this into the narrative because we were so respectful to each other on the show. It's like, yeah, you saw us standing next to each other, but you know, I'd be standing

But they.

Worked. They would have gone back.

Respectively, because it was also some of them even before.

Before we were we were friends.

Obviously at a little push or something.

If I touched him that would make it into.

Well because I sent a message to Pose, I was speaking to you, and so I sent poem message and I said, did you know about the romance?

And she sent me I'll tell you what you and it was you know post.

So she's such a beautiful She's amazing, non gossipy sort of person, but very astuu and you know, sees.

What goes on.

She said, Yeah, she said, Okay, I'm such a clueless twitt.

I missed it in tirely.

I think everybody did.

Yeah, she said, I only found out the same time as everyone else did. Although I have a friend who's a contestant who told me after. It was all kind of general knowledge amongst the other contestants and they didn't hide it.

Yeah, like you know, we we didn't hide hanging out.

We hung out all the time when I was at the complex, like where we stayed. You'd all get a bus in together and you'd get a bus home where Sarah had you know, some of the Melbourne people stayed at home and made their own way to say, right, so you know, i'd leave set with Sarah or i'd rop up with Sarah, and then I had those core people within the group that you know, we're still staying at the.

Complex, which was still only quite far along.

It was yeah, yeah, we had been spending a lot of time previous to that, so I think, yeah.

It's.

It's funny, but were all, this is a producer's dream.

It was fantastic that would have been wrapped.

So when Declan went out, which I think was week eleventh thirty two series, because it was an enormous scope of a series at that point, how were you, Well.

It was really funny.

It was the first day where we sort of like sat next to next to each other and like had physical contact.

Right, was that that episode.

After the eviction or during it?

It was before eviction and we you know, obviously it already started to develop at that point and we were close, but we're also really mindful that we're in a work situation and respectful.

Of other people.

And that was the first day, and so it was really quite devastating because it was like, oh gosh, like we just felt comfortable to be ourselves.

And and what when you sat was the first moment that you'd had a physical like that free song public So what was it a handhold.

Or maybe just like.

Remember like on the couch and then it's just like laying on it with my arm around.

Because I was like, you know, I.

Food and love.

It, and I think, you know, the whole respect thing, like I didn't want to cross any boundaries and you know, make Sarah feel uncomfortable on set and vice versa. So you know, it was we'd spend a lot of time with each other, but I'm not going to go it's not going to on set or something like that, like because it's it's just not professional. And then I think, you know, we're it was nice to finally feel that comfortable where we can just throw our arm around each other.

That point pretty much.

So it's like we'd still go into the professional situation and you know, and be professional.

And also I think things like Declan leaving, then you have to be much more clear. You can't take for granted the fact that you're going to be seeing each other, you know, maybe for teen more weeks or whatever.

How did you feel them? Like, what was that Apex?

I was with her right?

No longer because you were about to go, Well, you did say I was moved in.

Yeah, he was staying with me at that point.

So basically my family, my family, So my family.

Were taking turns to help with Phoenix.

So right, I was at home, you know, I had to we would film from I'd have to leave home at seven am, and I'd get home at sort of I don't know. Some nights could be ninety eight or seven or whatever, and he had to get dropped to school and picked up.

So my mum would take turns.

Then my dad came down, took turns, and then there was a period where my dad.

Had just left.

And this is when Declan like that transition eliminated, eliminated, so then he.

I don't have to come now because they did like.

Oh, he's a nice boy.

Mum was there for six weeks and then she helped and then and then Sarah's dad, Steve came for six weeks, so it was really nice. I got to have those interactions with them as well, so you know what I'm going, there's banter and you know, like as friends. And then they saw that grow. So then it was time where I got eliminated. And it's like, you know, we've created this bond and this and we were you know, we're

Out of the family by that point.

Yeah, and how was Phoenix because of is he thirteen or fourteen?

Yeah? Look, it was really subtle. I think for us.

What was beautiful was that, you know, we were spending like Declan's dad came down and visited, his mom, came down, his sister, and then my dad, my mom, and so we slowly just started building this friendship or relationship whatever you want to call it.

And it evolved over time. So we were hanging out.

Before anything had happened, you know, before we'd really you know, taken that next step and they're down playing paddle at the beach and we're you know, having dinners and barbecues at home and all these different, you know, regular situations. So it was nice to see even Declan and my son Phoenix's.

Bond grow just naturally. Before it wasn't like here's a boyfriend.

No, And also because particularly when there's a child involved, but also families very protective, yeah, very and so they would have been like, who's this guy. He's considerably younger, he's eleven years younger than you.

Is he a blow in? Is he or whatever?

And then so you Declan had the chance to show your character, which was of service, capable, reliable, honest and committed.

Yeah. I think.

It speaks for the kind of person Sarah is. I don't think Sarah would ever like bring someone into her life, like really like and Phoenix is so mature and such an intelligent boy, and I think he would know that he's like, you know, Mum's not going to bring in some dickhead like and just like so it was like, you know, I on the outskirt, like I've come from a broken home and you know, dealt with you know, step mums and that kind of stuff, So I know how I felt as a fourteen year old boy, so

So yeah, and you know, even though it may look like it's fast, it's been very thought out.

You know, each step that we take and everything that we.

Do and decision we make, we've talked about it endlessly and thought about it.

And even this you know, slow.

Transitions with Phoenix and you know that essence that's all been spoken about before you know, making any decisions.

So everyone's comfortable. And he is a smart boy.

He's really intelligent, both intelligence but also emotionally and he you know, you do have to be delicate with that.

He's fourteen year old boy, and.

I don't want to be bringing people in his lives in his life.

And taking itching them away.

He doesn't deserve that.

Yeah, so, you know, I think there's been a lot of thought that's gone into all of it.

So you've left, but you're immeshed in the family. You're continuing to cook. You're continuing to cook astoundingly by the way, oh thank you, and looking beautiful while you do it, which is not necessarily important, but it is television and very beautiful to watch, Like, I've never seen anyone run to a pantry and look graceful.

Sort of did.

Amazing to make these extraordinary to take these risks with food when you do you think that part of the reason that you were so alive in the show was because you had the extra wind beneath your wings.

Oh absolutely, I think that I am, even though I don't often show it. I'm a highly emotional person and for me, that balance needs to be there in order for me to perform and to do these crazy things. And there was days where it sucks so much creative energy and emotional energy out of me that I did need to refuel and walk back into the kitchen and I'd come home and it was it was like walking even though it is my home. It was walking into a home where it felt like, you know, it was

Yeah.

From I was like, what sort of dog.

Here's a Hungarian vislock.

Really hunting dog, pointing.

Yeah, right, yes, but it was yeah, like I was.

I was there to drop Sarah off on set in the mornings, you know, so she could get all the makeup done in the car on the way and we're up the bay, so it was it's about an hour drive on a good day to get to the studio.

This is interesting because you've had such you know, as Declan said, you had a very established life, but a lot of it you had.

Done on your own.

Was how did it feel and what was the point at which you went? You know that a part of you can relax into the fact that there's someone there that is solid and stable and there for you.

Was there a moment.

Where you where you just felt the ease of that.

I think there's kind of two sides to it.

I feel like that was very hard for me to do because I have always done everything and managed everything and found a way, no matter what it did to me physically emotionally, I'd always get up and you know, put the pieces back together. And there was the other side where it was like, you know, I felt like this was just so real and it was like it was this kind of one side trying to let go

Like like.

That that a relationship takes a kind of surrender.

Yeah, it does.

And if you're someone who's been fiercely independent, that requires a different set of muscles.

Yeah.

Absolutely, And in.

What way were you resisting that, do you think? Oh?

Probably in every way.

Like I think just like letting him just make the dinner, you know who, like even as small things, and then for him to you know, pick Phoenix up from you know, from school. I was like, I've never I've never asked anybody to do that before other than you know, my mom or my dad. That's the only people I've ever asked. I've never had babysitters or anything. You know, it's kind of in Australian blood to just go you have to do it all yourself, you know, it's not only just

And so Declan strikes me as being quite patient. Yeah, or did he move things along in that regard.

Look, he's just I think that everything that Declan does, he does it without expecting anything in return.

He just genuinely and.

It's not just for me. I see it with all of his friends, his family. You know, he'll give his time and he'll do these small things, whether it's you know, a little message in the morning to you know, brighten your day, or something extra for his family, Like, he'll always go out of his way to do that.

A lot more would so.

He gets a special Yeah, because you said something really lovely in the episode where Declan left, and that was interesting as well, that the only person that they asked. I mean, obviously probably it was edited that way, but they left your.

Commenting and I wrote it down. I didn't get a word.

For word, but it was so beautiful what you said when they asked you to discuss what Declan had meant to the show, and you said, he's a light for everyone in the room and he lifts everyone up. Yeah, that's such like I find this quite moving. Your that surrendering thing I think is very hard for women who have been stoic and used to doing things.

On their own. Yeah, definitely and I see.

I'm aware that how hard that is for Sarah because I can see it at times, you know, her wanting to do everything. And I've come from a family with three fiercely and independent women as well, so I think

Like I don't want to be.

Controlling in any way whatsoever, but I feel like, you know, like Sarah said, we're still figuring all this out, yes, and I think it's like we, you know, we really just threw ourself into the thick of it.

Don't go anywhere. Sarah and Declan have plenty more to share right after this. So then the show finished, You're obviously on this path now. I mean, you've gone to Factor, You've gone to Factory and then.

You go overseas together.

Yeah, we move in, we go oversee And what was.

The trip originally? Was it a trip that was that you had planned together? Was a trip you were originally going to have or how did that work?

Well?

How many.

Of Paris? I know?

Paris, Europe, Dubai, India.

We've just spent three weeks on the road driving around Australia.

We've kept the first trip was actually a work trip of mine, and then it was to India. And I was like, you need to come and experience India because it.

So because you're massive, because Master she is a huge India and you're huge in India.

Wells, yeah, I mean I have a big, long career in India. And it was nice to I think that I have such a love of India and I've been seeing it through my eyes for so long. It was really beautiful to show decline and to see it for the first time through his eyes. And just I think that we had the most beautiful trip and the places that have become familiar to me.

And what do they.

Call us again, the jujiuji as husband of a sister.

Yeah, so I'm they calling me a sister of India. And him like, you know my husband, which is I was like, oh my gosh, well that was kind of a moment for me to realize that India is calling

It felt really special.

And because you know, sometimes I think relationships that have started in a covert sort of way because you know, it wasn't for public consumption at that time, sometimes when they step into the open, the nature of the relationship changes because the secrecy has added an extra little fits on to it, and when you are walking in the light, it can change a little bit. Did you have any moments where you were like or you were like, oh, this is an unexpected aspect of this person.

I think that's the special thing is from the moment I met Sarah we were just in sync and that we obviously have differences, but you know, whether it's our values, our morals, like her speaking of what I do in the morning, she does it as well. And she is such a fiercely independent woman. I feel lucky that you and I've swept off her feet and I've.

Ended up with her.

But it's just like it's it's honestly so special to have met someone that is so on the same page with me with morals of life, with values, which I think is really important in the cause of a relationship, Like is you know you want to be best friends?

And I can call herm a best friend. Like it's like, you know, we do.

We're we've thrown ourselves in the deep end where we're working together, we're living together, we did the show together, we're traveling together. Like there's not not and you know, don't get me wrong, I'm sure I drive her up the bloody wall sometimes.

I did see in one of yours you're saying him, don't be lazy.

Yeah, it's just banter.

And it's like we have such a such a good friendship, which I think is something I haven't had in the past, and it's going into Master Chef without those intentions to find someone, and I was kind of on a journey of like not wanting to be in a relationship for a little while.

I was like, all right, and then and then.

Sarah, and just focus on the bistro dream.

Yeah that, but just focus you know.

I absolutely love building, and it's like I just didn't want I went on Master Chef and then I'm like sweet, Like, you know, if I win this, I can really get a quarter of a meal behind myself to capitalize on that. But my goal is to you know, have a portfolio on build my homes and like you know, build a family and stuff like that. And it's you know, I'm I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to be on Master Chef.

This is my first podcast I've ever been on as well. I've never done anything like this before. But I come in here with a couple of butterflies.

Holy shit, much like Sarah, like never never spoken so personally about my life, which I think this is this is a big step for us.

When you were saying before the things that you've shared together, yeah, you left something out. Yeah, When I said, hell, are you too? When you walked in, yeah, that was not strictly true.

No, I couldn't be more excited, like and.

About what.

Are you excited.

About having a baby?

But like the buns in the ovens and it's it's kind of it's all that I've ever wanted in life, and I can just see an endless future with Sarah and us growing together and starting this beautiful family together.

Was this intentional int well, that was the pregnancy, do you know what I mean? Were you like, let's let's make a baby or do happen? And it was it a happy accident.

We've spoken about everything, and I think we spoke about you know, obviously you mentioned age as well, and you know, if we start this journey together in a relationship, and you know we obviously Declan wants to build a family and I, you know, I know how beautiful it is having my son, and I've always wanted more children, and we spoke about all aspects and you know.

I think from an early stage, yeah, and.

You know, it was really beautiful.

Like Declan also said, like, we spoke about the options if I couldn't as well, and you know there was both sides, so we we really did speak about everything, and you know, we knew this is what we wanted.

Well, it's interesting because your age difference is similar to me and my husband, so I do believe.

I don't know.

For me, it's really kind of a non issue. But when we first meet, we were in such different stages of our life. I just started working in television and he was working in a cafe and he was really clucky at this.

He really sounds very simil.

And I was frond him in a vague yeah one day and then now.

We've got four children, amazing.

But it was because there was a driver of us and Peter was very similar to Declan in background as well, really in that he was like, this is what life is about.

Yeah, and that's exactly what Declan says. And I believe it as well. And you know, I think the you know, family is everything.

And who did you tell first?

Oh my gosh, who did me?

I think my mum?

Yeah, yeah, And that was a big moment as well.

I think, you know, I think we have been so overwhelmed with how how many beautiful messages from our family and friends and how happy everyone is for us. But it's like it's such a big thing and it's a lot, you know, again like going back to the fact that, like I'm sure you know, I'm a very close person. I don't share a lot of my personal life and and you know this is all new to us to now be sharing it all, and there's so many people to share, so.

Many people are invested in it, which is beautiful. And also because the story of you two, I mean, you're so Yin and Yang, You're so the the energy is so male and so female.

It's so lady in the tramp, do you know what I mean? Yeah, sharing that.

That beautiful thing that it's a very beautiful story that a lot of people, like I said, are invested in.

I think neither of us expected that we'd come into each other's lives. And it goes back to the part where you know, we've created this friendship before even you know, having a kiss or something. Ca Serah goes into an elimination and then I'm like, ship, this could be the last time I see her.

I just got to bite the bullet and do this.

And I'm walking in, I'm walking in, She's walking in front of me, and I'm like, do this, let's do it, let's.

Do it, And what did you say?

And just tap her on the shoulder and I'm like, like, we're walking in a group of twenty thirty and then I'm like, oh, I'm like Sarah, I'm like I just want to ask you, like, you know, in case you get eliminated today, did you maybe want to go on a date with me?

And then she just looks at me and she's like she's like what. And I'm like, you want to go on a date with me? And she's like you're an idiot? Like you ready to go in for it?

Why was he an idiot?

Well, it was just like it's like thirty seconds before I'm about to get eliminated.

I was like this, yeah, and that.

Was there's like people side by side, and once you get eliminated, you're out the door, you pack your bags and you go yeah.

And Sarah and you're taking Phoenix to school. This was yeah.

Good.

So this was you know, very early, and I'm like, I can't skip on this opportunity. And I'm like I always my whole life have told myself, do you just need twenty seconds of curry with whatever it is you're doing, whether it's applying for that job, quitting that job, you know, asking someone on a day to Kis. So you know, all it is is just shut out everything in your life and just have twenty seconds of courage to do it.

And I had that twenty seconds of courage and she.

Left me, you know, yeah, and then I went back that night because she didn't give me an answer, and I was up all night and I was just laying in bed staring at the roof, like laughing at myself, like, wow, I just asked Sarah Sarah Todd on a date and she laughed at me, got me.

And then it wasn't until.

Like uncomfortable like situation, And then how was that night for you?

What was going for your mind?

Oh?

Like you know, I was still kind of yeah, I was still like is that what he meant?

You know, I was kind of like, is it a date?

Date?

Yes?

He was like really okay, you know, because I feel like, you know, we had become friends, but obviously, you know, we had moments where I like, I was excited for him to be there, you know, doing something, and he walks in the room and you know, I knew that the spark was there, so.

He knew that you had those feelings.

Yeah, definitely, it wasn't just a mate. Yeah, exactly. You know, you don't know where that might go, or you know.

When did you get back to him? When did you get back to the idiot?

I don't know exactly when, but.

Yeah, just two days later, vividly remember two days later.

But it was like, you know, I just I sent her a message and I was like, I apologize, like if it was very forward. She obviously didn't get eliminated, and we had to spend you know, the next indefinitely seeing each other, like I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, and I hope you know, I just want to remain your friend. I'm sorry if I was an idiot. And then she come up to me and she's Sarah's like she's like, oh, no, what you asked me the

And then and then you.

Had to plan a date, yeah, which was so.

I drove my car down from Sydney to be on the show and packed it with all my knickknacks and my books and my posters and made my room feel like a home, not wanting to live out of a suitcase for six months.

And then so I had my car and I was had a.

Weekend booked in at the Grampians, and then so I'm like, oh, I'm actually going to the Grampians this weekend. Do you want to jump in the car and just come for the ride? And then and then we went away for two nights and stayed in the lodge in the middle of the Grampis.

Yeah, and then it was history from there.

Okay, So you you've shared with us that you're expecting a baby.

Yeah, what was the moment when you did? You obviously, first.

You're the one trying to squeeze into it dress and bloody boobs first.

Of all, bos so before you did a teaste, Yeah, my boobs grew. But I had to go over for a trip, a work trip to India, and then we were meeting in cans for like a trip at the end of my India trip, and I'm going through customs in the airport and out of nowhere, I just vomit in a binh.

Like, is this coviding?

And so that was kind of yeah, the moment where I was like, oh gosh, I just vomited in a bin.

So at this point you.

Were coming back to cans I was there waiting up in cans, and I'm like, I'll go to the pharmacy. I'll buy one of those bloody tests and.

Really fancy one with like the weeks on it and everything up the toilet.

And then she comes out of that at the yeah, pregnant, holy ship.

Well would you jump on the water skis because we're meant to go water yeah?

Yeah.

And we're there with friends like Rhianna and everything.

We've just figured out this news and we've gone there to go waterskiing.

Right, and so I go straight on the water.

Ski and then it like I fall back and it just scrapes all the way in between my legs.

And I've got these.

Gigantic like dashes.

On my Maybe we shouldn't do that.

Yeah, just hold off on this now.

Wow? And then when did you share? Did you share it with them on that trip?

I kept it. It was really between family, you know.

A little was one of the first people we told.

How was she so excited?

Everyone, it's so beautiful.

Everyone's been so excited and it's been such a nice response, and I'm so excited for all the little moments, you know, the late night feeds, you know, getting up with sair even now.

The leg eggs and all of that started. I slipped about two hours last night as well. The sleepless I just kicked.

That's so cruel, it's so so weird. And that's nature preparing. Why can't nature prepare?

Yeah, getting good sleep?

Yeah, so no, it's I'm so excited for it all.

Coming up.

Sarah and Declan reveal how they went from Master Chef rivals to building a family together and so like, geographically now you're going to be a family, where are you going to be based to Melbourne?

Right?

Yeah, so we're bayside and yeah we've got a bigger house now and everyone settled in.

But every every day honestly just feels like a dream and a dream come true.

Like it's so it's so special.

We've got you know, we we bit the bullet and got a bigger house together. And you know, I moved from Sydney to Melbourne and is in school in Melbourne. So I'm prepared to stay here for you know, until he finishes his school certificate, but you know, I'd love to love to move eventually. And you know then now I've got another little one on the way, like I think, you know, having them experience the rest of the world or the rest of the country. It's the opportunities are endless.

And people think our lifestyle is crazy, but we're very similar and we love it and I.

Think it's so nice.

We both love the small things in life. Yeah, those little in between moments, and I feel like it's, yeah, we've we're very like minded in that sense. So we can do totally different holidays if it's a campavan or something like that. You know, it's it's been really special and I think, yeah, we've had a really fun jam packed ye.

I mean, obviously you've got a massive project coming up. How far off, by the way, roughly when it wins your baby.

A summer a summer baby.

Yeah, around around the end of the year, right around like early early next year.

Yeah, right, yeah, And so what have you envisaged what you know, what you'll be like when you're hunkered down for that or is are you going to hit the road with with the with the whole circus.

Yeah, I think for us, we we definitely like I'm a person that trusts my intuition and I'm not going to set anything in stone in terms of what we're going to do. Who knows what it might look like at that moment. So I think we're both open to

And how has the pregnancy been, by the way, because the experience, so it's fourteen years ago, Yeah, how is it this time?

Oh?

Definitely different.

I think I was we were driving below the Eiffel Tower and I'm puking in.

The gutter in all sorts of places.

So I've definitely got a lot of mourning sickness this time. And yeah, like just different, Like it's definitely Also I feel like you probably know this after the first baby. You only remember the good stuff. I don't remember any well, otherwise no one would.

Yeah, exactly.

So it's a remarkable thing about the human psyche. It's a really brilliant thing that we only remember the book.

Yeah, so I think back I was like, oh, I had a beautiful pregnancy.

Nothing.

Yeah, yeah, maybe it did, I just can't remember now.

So there's definitely been ups and downs with how I've been feeling. But I, you know, just surrender my body to it and whatever happens and needs to happen. I know my body will kick in and do what it has to. So just letting that happen.

And doing such a good job.

And what are you thinking about being a dad?

I'm so excited, especially, you know, being a parent with Sarah. I think it's I've never envisioned it to be like this, and it is. It's all I've kind of ever wanted. And this baby is already coming into a house that's so full of love.

There's so much love.

Yeah.

Yeah, And I feel like Sarah is already such a great parent, and she's it's only going to become a better parent day by day. But I think, you know, I look at things that I put my parents through and it makes me a little bit nervous of you.

Know what, it's not straight.

No, I'm so.

Excited for you know, just like having a little baby in my arm and you know, being being able. I think Sarah is a bit a bit nervous she's not going to get enough time. Yeah, it's it's so beautiful and I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else other than Sarah.

And I just who was the first person that said I love you? Have you not said it every day?

Yeah? Yeah, I went with that moment that.

Was Sarah went were laying in bed and and she's like, I love you, and I'm like it hit me and it's like I just say you idiot, but I just said, I'm like it's I don't want you to say this, and it's like it's got a lot of power. Mind it, and Cheese like you're an idiot. I love you And

And I think it's you know, for me, obviously the words mean a huge amount, but it's mostly actions for.

Me and feeling it.

And I feel it, and I feel that love in our house and from Declan, and.

It's yeah, it's really beautiful.

How extraordinary that both of you went looking for something and ended up with something completely different and yet exactly what was meant for you.

Yeah.

I think it's just a reminder, you know, to everyone, you can't put yourself on time limits, or you can't tell yourself you have to do this by this age or have.

This accomplished in your life by now.

I think just like everyone needs to chill out a bit and just enjoy the little things, because you know, we've all lost friends, we've all lost family, we've all experienced.

You know, times are tough.

Yeah, and it's like what, you can't wake up every day and be moaning and groaning.

You need to wake up every day and just be.

Grateful that you know, our feed are on the floor, we've got roof over our head hopefully, and food on the table. And I think, you know, we're both very driven with our work ethics, and you know, there'll never be a moment where I wouldn't provide that for my family.

I love it. You just such a delight. I'm very happy for your happiness.

Thank you to you.

So do you disagree on things? Oh, definitely, of course, like micro macro.

Oh, it could be everything. You know, We've got a lot kind of going on. But yeah, Declin is a good communicator, and I think that I'm a very probably I don't know, quite diplomatic. I suppose I like to look at all situations and sides of the story, and I think we just talk.

Yeah, we're just talking.

I think communication is key and and and well that's it.

It's interesting watching you two. Neither of you really seem to have a temper. Yeah, that's interesting because some people are very reactive.

But yeah, both of you seem to be quite sort of considered.

Yeah.

Yeah, I think I've like since becoming a man, like I used to be very angry person and a very rattled young man, and I've put so much effort into becoming the man I am today.

I've certainly had to, you know practice.

Do you think that anger was to do with the family, and that the.

Definitely I think, you know, as a as a young hormonal fourteen year old boy, thirteen year old boy that I was when I went through that, you know, could jumping back and forth from homes and you know, having one parent say one thing about the other and just being a middleman at that age, Like I think, you know, having sisters you wanted to.

Look after, and I think all of it.

But I think, you know, I've really put so much effort into self development and you know, physical emotional empathy, and you know, Mum always just instilled that in me, like you know, look up empathy, look up humility, and that's what I'll be saying to you know, my kids in the future.

And you know what gets thrown around the house is.

Yeah, I think I was probably the opposite.

I was very quiet, bottle it all up and deal with it myself and find a way to kind of figure things out. And I guess I realized that that's not a good way to be. You need to just hit problems head on, sort it out, communicate, you know, if one of us is feeling a little bit you know, maybe hurt or you know, you don't want to say something in frustration and anger that you can't take back.

Mean, yeah, and then talk about it and you know, get to the bottom of it.

And I think, you know, living together, holidaying together, doing business together, and there's certainly big things to come in the future, you know, outside of our personal life, going into work and stuff like that. Like, I think you're always going to come across hurdles and it's just how you deal with it.

And there's there's no point in being.

Speaking from anger or speaking from a place of hurt or anything like that.

And I think life has very high eighths and very low lows, and it's okay to feel really really low. And I think, you know, we don't force each other to instantly just be happy.

Yeah, that's a big thing.

And also I think in relationships, I mean, everyone's good when it's good times. Yeah, it's how you navigate the bag exactly. And when there's a challenge how you rise to meet the other person and you.

Have to deal with it.

You can't just you know, fight it out, or you can't just push it under the rug. You have to feel low, you have to feel frustrated, work on it, see what the problem is, and find a way out of it.

And that makes you take time.

But I think we both also have really spoken about that a lot, that we want to work through the hard times.

We don't want to run away when it's difficult.

We want to make sure that we both understand that relationships take work and that we will hit hurdles and that will be you know, days where things happen that you know, are really hard to cope with, and we're going to try our best to just hit it head on and figure it out.

So many good days.

I think you know why I'm so attracted that to Sarah is her ethos on life and it and it resonates with mine.

And and yes, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life ford.

Back at you.

Yeah, it's probably people saying all there's probably people throwing up, but.

You know, everyone loves love.

Yeah, and you've both been just so exquisite to.

Witness.

Thank you.

We appreciate it, and we appreciate the support from you know, our following.

I think it's so beautiful.

But we've both lived very interesting lives and and and here we are. We've found each other and and we're creating a family together, and it's it's a beautiful period of our life.

Congratulations. I can't wait to see.

We're so excited.

Yeah.

So that was Sarah Todd and Decklan Cleary, two people who thought they were signing up for a cooking competition and ended up finding a whole new life together, from the Master Chef kitchen to a blended family and now with a baby on the way. It's clear that for Sarah and Declan, timing really was everything.

And it's so.

Lovely to feel nothing but happiness for other people whose happiness is infectious. Thank you so much for listening to No Filter. The executive producer of No Filter is Nama Brown. The senior producer is Breed Player. Audio production is by Jacob Brown and video editing is by Josh Green. This episode was recorded at Session in Progress Studios, and I am your host.

Kateline Brook.

Thank you again for sharing this with us.