Amy & Alice MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA - Reality TV Contestants

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast last week Their Life. Welcome back, guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite shows

Straight after that.

Congratulations, you know, on your time of MASTERSHEF Australia.

Has this been an emotional ride for you?

It's been crazy. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions, you know, highs, lows everything in between. It's been incredible.

Have you all been there for each other? And do other people, like your friends and family understand what it's like to have been a part of something like this.

Yeah, I guess people don't really understand where you're going through if they haven't been through the whole experience. I'm lucky enough to have a really tight group of friends from the show and we're still catch up regularly and like talk all the time. So I'm really lucky in that sense because we could do it yeah all the time.

Well, it was weird because the other contestants in previous years, well the last few years where we had COVID, they could up physically. But are you able to go and catch up with you know, other Victorian content?

Where are you from? You're in Melbourn?

Yeah?

Melbourne?

Yeah, no, sorry, I had it written down that you're in Melbourne. I'm like hanging a say, is my stalking accurate?

Correct?

Okay?

Great?

Were you able to catch up with other Victorians?

Of course?

Yeah?

And then you get to have like master Chief parties. Is that what you've been doing for every episode?

Nah? A little bit, Like first couple of episodes are really exciting. But you know, it's nice a debrief after every episode because like, yeah again, like you've been through it, but like watching it's kind of a different experience, so it's it's good to get you watch it again, debrief and onto the next one.

It's always so surreal as well, because you know you can live the experience and then to watch it back it can be a different experience all over again. You know, how have you felt watching yourself back on the show. You know what have that part of the experience been, Like.

It's been good because I think when you're so like stressed and anxious, like you kind of forget certain parts. But looking back, you're just like, oh, that happened. That happens. So it's good for my little brain to kind of patck and see and also to watch other people's cooks because you don't experience other people's cooks as well because you're so focused on yourself. So it's good to see, you know, everyone smashing it.

Is there something in particular that you're like, oh my god, that really shocked me watching it back, that you had maybe didn't know about yourself.

No, I think everything's pretty true. I laugh a lot, so that's like probably more than the average person, but not everything was pretty accurate.

Well, how did you come across the series? I'm assuming that you know, I've confirmed that I'm a huge Master Chef fan. I'm assuming you must have been as well. How does something like this come about?

Did you just apply? Did someone see your cooking? Like? What was what was that journey to being on the show?

Like, yeah, that like me and my mom have watched Master Shecheff for as long as I could remember, so it was kind of surreal, like going from like the couch to the actual thing. And I've been a medical administrator for ten years, so food and medical like don't really go that much. But I used to it a bit of a backstory. So I used to bring in like extravagant lunches all the time to work. And one of the nurses was like, Amy, this is so like you take half an hour to play it up your lunch.

So you're telling me so first time applying, because you know, I've interviewed a lot of contestants and they some of them applied, like you know, up to five times.

You know. For you, you've applied once and you got straight in.

Yeah, it's crazy, Like I've heard stories about that too, and I'm like, oh my god, the journey that they would have gone on. I don't know if I could do it five times.

But no, they're just not as good as you read it. It's fine, stop it.

I felt really lucky to have but on the first time.

You know, when the elimination day starts, do you have any idea, you know, as that it might be you going home? I mean, do you read into maybe other favorites in the competition, or if the theme is more suited to you more than maybe some of the others. You know, what was that day like for you? Did you have any idea that it might be you going home?

I didn't, Like, I mean, you definite want to think that you're going to be the one going home, But it was it was very stressful, Like coming up to it, I'm like, oh, like two day cooks daunting in itself and like not being there to supervise your food and all that kind of stuff. So I was definitely stressed going in. It was probably one of my most stressful cooks.

And I feel like, for myself, the only thing I'd be good at doing on Mastership is probably cooking my own goose, because I feel like the pressure for me would really get to me. But I want to ask you about the pressure of the experience. You know, is it as dramatic and as stressful as it looks on television or is it a little bit more calm in real life?

Oh no, it's a hundred times more stressful than what TV, right, so don't worry. Like it's a pressure cooker, like, definitely, but in the best way possible. Like you kind of you're so stressed that like you kind of tweak into like creative like things in your brain. So it's good in that aspect. But no, it's definitely a pressure cooker.

I like to think of myself as like a good cook, and I think I understand flavors and all of that, but I also feel like i'd only cook my Aussie standard meals, like you know, my spaghetti and my chicken palma and all of these things which you know probably wouldn't cut it on a show like this, Are there some ideas that are too basic? And do the producers try and help you to lock in dishes that maybe are a little bit more extraordinary for viewers to watch you cook.

I mean, I'm with you, Like I love eating all that stuff. I love cooking that stuff at home. Like I think you just have to cook from your heart. And I think that's the best advice that anyone can give. Is just like if you try to be extravagant and like try to change an original thing, it kind of gets lost. But simple good things done right, you can't beat it. And it's just like if you want to cook a chicken palmera mass chef, do it.

I feel like that would be me what they would be.

Like, you need to go home now because everyone in Australia made this tonight.

It is not inspirational at all. Please leave me.

No, it's relatable, like my caramel dumplings, like the simplest dish ever. But you know everyone can make it at home.

So well, if we talk about in my house going out for dinner, we start with Japanese Mexican is like our next one down the line. So the idea of this fusion idea of yours to me was really quite epic. Are the other dishes that you could have made with that sort of Japanese Mexican fusion? Or is that your one Japanese Mexican fusion?

Okay?

I wanted only I reckon nah like it was. It's an epic dish and I think that you know, when I cooked it at home, it was it was. It was good to me. But maybe in the future I'll kind of tap into that again.

I'll let you know I'm here for different flavor combinations, and I want to talk to you about this thing that I do at home. So for my spaghetti bolin AI's, I put in veggie mind and I put in a little bit of true with sabi, I know, and I put enough with sabi in so that it is actually palatable, so it's not just about the spice. I actually like a bit of that with sabi flavor with the meat sauce. Now is this disgusting or is this fusion? And should I apply for master chef and try it out?

Yes? Yes, and yes I'm going to try that at home. I've never heard of anyone doing that.

It was more that there was just some stuff in the fridge, and I was like, you know, when you're making the spaghetti and you want to sit the meat sauce there for a while, you kind of like that idea of it, sort of you know, bubbling together and having all those flavors come together. So you're often looking around for spices, and I just randomly thought veggimie and masabi would be good, and it is quite delicious.

I'm so into the I put vegimine in my spaghetti bolonnaise too, so you're not alone on that one. But I'll definitely put in how much would you put it?

I'm going to send this to you on Instagram.

I'll put this on Instagram for everyone that's listening to this so they can see. But you can buy Okay, here we go, So you could buy this green tube from Cole's or Bullies. We'll say Coals though, because they sponsor Master Chef, so you can buy a little green tube.

I put half of that in. Oh half, it's a lot. But I'm also.

People like, stop talking about yourself, stop talking about your weird food, Ben, we don't really care. Right to me on Instagram and let me know how it goes. Just one of those green emoji faces. You are disgusting, Ben Norris.

Ever again if it works into it well.

The living conditions have been under attack last week because some photos came out on Instagram of you know, what it's like to be there behind the scenes and what the accommodation was like. And I looked at those photos and I was like, this looks like adult summer camp. Like to me, it actually looked like how I would imagine. I wouldn't have expected that you'd be in some lavish

I have heard on the grainvine, but haven't read much. That's actually the green room. It's not a living condition.

Candle It wrote that story. I mean, it's so funny. People have a look at one thing and then they run with it. They're like these poor bastards, and it's like, no, you're just the green room.

It's okay, just relax, it's just agreement's fun.

It does bring me though to my favorite question to ask people, and that is any show that any reality TV contestants can be on, there's always things that are written online. What are some of the most outrageous things that you might I've read about yourself or about the show whilst this, whilst being a part of.

It, I did actually read one and I think it was hilarious. Someone said that I used laugh like my laughter's punctuation, and I totally agree with you.

Just did it great.

I just did it full stop. That's funny.

It's so fun I mean, I think it's a way. I mean, it's very infectious for you, so you've obviously worked out that it works well in your repertoire, so.

Keep it, keep it going.

I appreciate it, but yeah, is it a nervous thing though, or do you think it's just a part of your jovial nature.

I'm just happy, Like I just I laugh and I'm nervous, and that was probably mostly on the show, but I just just laugh at everything.

I think it's better to laugh when you get eliminated from something. I feel like if I was eliminated from a show, I'd be really worried that it'd have like a tantrum. Is there any way that the producers try to sort of maintain your emotional response, you know, when you are eliminated. Is there anything that they say to you, like it's you'll be okay, maybe we'll bring you back. What do they do to try and make sure that you walk away smiling and laughing like you did? I mean, I.

Don't like after you get a lot of support after, but during the shows it's like it's just you. You know, it's your emotions as like what it really is. And I guess you just have to in the moment, like what I thought was I was like I was content, like if I go home today, it is what it is. But I wasn't going to cry until I turned around and I saw Grace, my bestie, crying, and then that set me off and I was like, don't make me cry, and then I did. But that's fine.

They say don't cry on reality TV because people don't like it, but I disagree.

I disagree. I think that everyone should just be full emotion, definitely, And.

It's just like if you're in a pressure cooker situation, it's just like you. I think it's better to let it all out as opposed to just like setting that just like bottling it all up. So cry away, I.

Say, well, I was reading this is what made me cry, was reading how previous winners had spent their money, their prize money. Had you even allowed yourself to think that far as to how you might have spent the money, had you.

Want I honestly didn't think about the money at all, Like I wasn't there for the money, Like I wasn't there to win it. If I was to win it, I would be like love that. I would be so proud. But to even get on the show was a huge accomplishment for me, and I guess I just took it every week by week, another week, the other week, another week, so I think that, yeah, money's not an issue for me, So I didn't really think about it, just the experience.

Just there for the experience, which is just ad point. There are also reports at the moment that the creators of Master Chef, who created it, you know, all those years ago, on the hunt to make another cooking series, you know, after being a part of Master Chef, which is just such a fun show. Have you walked away with any ideas on what audiences might want from a cooking show if it was to try and change in a way and they were trying to look at something different.

Good question. Actually, I think solely just to cook from the hut, and I think that like when people cook from their backgrounds and what they love, it like it shines on TV.

Is there any dishes that you were saving? Is there anything we've missed out on? I feel like there might have been a dish that you'd been reserving for a slam dunk. Is there anything that you feel like you would love to have cooked for the show.

I would have loved to I had a bit of a because I loved tinfish. So I wanted to present my own tinfish to the judges and you know diy ken and have that kind of all sealed. So I was saving that one for a special special cook. But you know that's fine. I can just cook it outside of the Mass Chef kitchen.

Just create your own YouTube channel. Definitely, there we go.

We can cook along. We can cook along there. So do you not what you know now? Because you may know more. But like when you left the competition, did you have a feeling about who could probably win this? Like it was there a strong feeling as to who you thought might take it out.

I mean, it's anyone's competition. Everyone is such an amazing cook. But I'd love Grace to win because she's my bestie. She was my roommate, like we had such a great bond. So I'd love for her to take it out.

Well, Well, maybe she will, maybe she won't. We'll have to keep watching.

Everyone who joins the podcast asked this question, what is something from behind the scenes, something that we wouldn't have seen or we won't see, maybe kind of like a Master Chef secret from behind the scenes, probably.

Like my microwave dish, my caramel dumplings was iconic. Like, I was at the microwave for a very long time on that challenge, so probably like would have loved to see a bit more microwave action, But that's fine.

Do they do they not want you to use microwaves on the show?

No, microwaves are great, you wouldn't be there for good use it.

I remember there was a fast food place though, and I was always like, bacon, bacon will always tasted weird. I don't want to say the name of this fast food place because then I'll get sued. But then it turned out they were cooking their bacon in the microwave, and I was like, I don't think bacon belongs in the microwave. That needs to be literally on a sizzle pan or on the barbecue. And has this changed your life in some way? Like do you think that you'll

So I'm actually a chef now. I work at Biromantica. I'm a pizza chef there. I've got a couple of pop ups on the horizon, So yeah, that'll be awesome. Like to be creative, because like you can be creative in a restaurant, but like you can't be your fullest creative self, so it would be good to get a couple of dishes that I did get on the Master Chef Kitchen, and I'm designing an apron.

I want an apron. Thank you so much for the chat. It was so fun.

Thank you you too. Thank you.

A big thanks to Amy for popping in. She certainly has an infectious way of talking and I'm really glad that I got some advice from her. However, not sure if my spaghetti would get me fired in the competition, but who knows. Now we've got Alice ready to pop in. This is a very different pace to the interview, but I'm sure you'll get something completely different out of this as Alice has a fantastic way of talking about food. Hi, Alice, how are you.

I'm doing pretty well. I am in London.

I've just been traveling around for work and so this whole I have not seen anything any episode. I've been sort of catch up on the Socialism with other contestants. So it's been very surreal to be outside of Australia while the show's airing.

That seems like torture A little bit.

Or maybe good.

I mean I'm a little bit embarrassed to see myself on TV, so that it's the sort of shy side of me, in covert side of me.

What did you learn about yourself taking on Mastership Australia.

I learnt that I love being a child and finding an excuse to be a child. I guess it's because I was always serious as a child, is very studious. Getting to be a child as an adult is such a blessing to me personally, and I think, moving forward, I want to chase those opportunities to tap the inner child.

Well, I thought you were super organized, and I was actually a little bit intimidated by your studious nature and how smart you are and talking about food like science. I think that's an interesting way to be looking at food. How long had you been considering food to be a science?

Well?

Oh gosh, I said horribly obnoxious saying this, so forgive me. When I was in college, when I was at home, there was a course called the Science of Cooking, I believe, and they brought in Adrian Fera. They brought in these astronomers and cooks to teach with chemistry professors and the whole idea was to look at how food, you know, whether it's my own reaction or how molecular look astronomy works,

In the space.

And then I got more intellectually interested in food. A lot of these cooks and writers about food come from, you know, whether it's Nagel Lasson, Anthony Bulldain. They come from an approach of journalism or history or culture and anthropology. And I just thought, wow, this is a space in which, you know, even people that look like me, will sound like me, will come from my background, can really thrive.

Was that kind of the selling point when you were going through the casting process? Did you send in an audition video and talk about the science of cooking? And is that the reason why they were particularly interested in your style?

Maybe my selling point was that I'd watched some series of Mastership as well. I don't think there has really been somebody like news come from an academic background, you know, I studied history and economics. I was very much in a different miliare. And then to sort of want to dip my toes into an even dive headfirst into this world, I think was probably something that they hadn't seen before.

Me No, I love it.

I just wanted to know, like, and even talking to you now, you're so calm and so collected and very well spoken. And I wondered whether or not the pressure of these pressure tests and these challenges, do you think that they are tough enough? I mean, how did you approach them? As the show went on?

Well, they definitely are tough.

And you know, I watched a couple of pressure tests growing up in previous seasons, and what I realized watching them is that it's actually not necessarily the most experienced or the best or the strongest cook that stays in the competition and is able to survive a pressure test. It's the one that's able to have the stamina on resilience and pivot and fight back when whenever something bad happens.

I just feel like my ADHD would have me missing certain lines, I'd moving on to the next thing and digging myself more and more wholes. So like the idea of Mastership Australia to me, is way too stressful. But I wanted to talk to you about your coping mechanisms and what sort of support do you get through the series? Are there people there to check in on you and make sure you're coping with the pressure coping mechanisms.

I mean, I've struggled with this because I am perfectionist by Nietzsure, I'm Type A, and so, you know, in a way, Masterschef has been an amazing experience because it's taught me that there's nothing embarrassing about failure, and that one should approach life is glass at full rather than glass empty and sort of fixate on the flaws and all the sort of critical elements of an experience or and so I've tried to tell myself to focus on

Are they the ones that check in on your and make sure you're okay or do you have producers or welfare people that can come and check on you and make sure that you're going okay?

Honestly, the whole crew, I would say, you know, whether it's the story producers for the IVS or the Foxies or you know, even people who are helping us, you know, get from A to B, you know, driving us to set. I think everyone is just so human and so willing to sort of check in with you because they know

Coping Are you a good dancer?

Though?

I am a keen dancer.

I am a lot of interpretive dancing, of taking a lot of dancing classes. I don't know the juries out in that. There might maybe some videos in which you can see and you know, past judgment, but I definitely love a good.

Dance, you know, when the judges announced that they were going to have a childhood classic. You know, what was your favorite home cooked meal as a kid? What is your childhood classic?

Yeah, honestly, I had no idea what it was going to be. I was hoping that it would be a dessert.

Alice, nobody likes this question, but could you have done anything different? Do you think looking back, you know with the Messianetta, Now that you've had that experience, are you thinking, oh, gee, I wish I would have just done this part differently.

Yes and no, because I think I still haven't figured out what happened to my ice cream, because if it was the machine that was set too high or I honestly no idea because when I look at Declan's and Graces, there's didn't freeze over in the machine, and for some reason, both of mine did. And so I have no idea if it was the machine or the ratios. But it surprises me that it would be the ratios because I

We'll blame the machine.

Other than having a different machine, A poor tradesman, what is it blame? No, No, But there was no way to walk that back. I couldn't chemically, I mean, and you saw on the show. I mean by a tep. To walk that back was to leave it on the cannon t melt a little bit so I could put it in the molds. But I honestly I don't know that that would have been That was the sticking point for me, and then it was just harder to walk back.

Did you think the Declan was going to use his immunity pin the way in which the episode plays out on television, it really did seem like he was going to maybe call that out even up to the last minute, Not that I think it would have necessarily affected the elimination, but was that in the back of your mind?

Honestly, I didn't think he would use it because I know Declan well enough and I've seen him, you know, in the trenches in the first pressure test to know that. I mean, he's a tradee. He knows how to you know, follow instructions very precisely and methodically, and he's good, good head on his shoulders, he's not phased by things. So I just thought going into the cook, A, he's got the experience of the lamingtons, and B he's got the right mentality and wherewithal to do really well in a

Would you have used an immunity pin if you had one.

If I knew about the gelato for fiasco, probably, but at that point I probably would have been playing.

It in the second half.

Yeah, yeah, I probably would have just to save my bacon.

Donado was what a fantastic chef. I mean, the standard of celebrity chefs on the show are unbelievable. Was there anything in particular that you learned from him?

Honestly, he helped me a couple of times during the cook and he was so kind and patient and thoughtful. I mean you saw that I was struggling with tempering chocolate at one point, and even with the gelato, just making sure that I could get it safely out of the mold. So you know, he was giving me techniques on piping, how to pipe well, how to temper well, what to look out for. Yeah, I just felt like I was getting a mini pastry class from a great pastry chef,

Also, I wanted to ask you about, you know, celebrity chefs here in Australia, and you know, you were talking about your heritage being from Shanghai.

Do you feel like we have.

Enough celebrity chefs representing multicultural Australia on shows like Master Chef.

I think Master Chef when it first started you fifteen years ago, has done a great service to Australia's culinary scene. I mean, as you say, we are a multicultural country, benefit greatly from that in the culinary, in a cultural way, in all those ways. And Master Chef opened our households to the fact that we are multicultural and that there's so many dishes, whether it's from South Asia and at least China Africa that need to be put on a

Would you say that this experience has changed your life? Do you think that being a part of Master chef has taking you down a different path I think.

So, you know, there's a god. I sound like such a nerd. There's a quote by Soren kid Guard, life is best lived forward but understood backwards. And I'm trying to live it forward. And then I guess I'll see as I go along that you know, how it's changed my life. But I have this intuition that it has. You know, I've met amazing people I want to find ways to collaborate with. I've been so inspired by the judges, you know, getting to meet Melissa my idol was just

What advice do you have for people who are wanting to apply. I mean, I feel like this show is going to go on for a very long time and this is a great opportunity for you to explain to people who might want to apply, you know, some advice on how to get onto the show and how to deal with the show once you're there.

So advice on how to get onto the show. Well, firstly, you know, I think anyone with a love of food and who wants to get involved in the food world should apply. You know, in terms of the application. At the end of the day, you just you know, this is the oft quoted. It sounds cliche, but it's so true. Just need to be yourself because everyone else has taken and you know, whatever light you have or statement you have about food is going to be unique and it's

Challenge yourself.

I always say, if you're scared of it, push against the fear exactly.

Yeah, I and yeah always.

I mean I've made it my life motto is, you know, don't run away from things that you're scared of, Actually run towards it and see where it takes you.

You might be surprised when you left the competition. Did you have an idea as to who you think might take it out and who's going to be the winner of Australian MASTERSHIF for twenty twenty three my own.

Sort of view, I have a short list. I probably would say Rhiannon, Kath and Declan, just based on you know, their cooking expertise, their characters and their stamina. I mean Rhiannon just has you know, the greatest stamina I've ever seen, and she's got amazing energy. She's so experienced with different cuisines,

I think he might be right, But Declan, what I want to ask you next is something that I ask everyone who joins the podcast. What is something from behind the scenes, something that we may not see as an audience, kind of your behind the scene secret of Mastership of Australia.

Okay, I'm going to say something very frankly, is that at the end of the day, the day of a long cook, the last thing we want to do is cook, and so we eat out a lot, or we all go to somebody's room. You know, I really remember that Robbie loved to cook for us after a long cook he's you make a curry or a luxA and we'd all just chip in and bring you know, like a pot luck, we'd bring our own a dish and we just sit down and eat and have fun and unwind.

I also love that food brings people together, and I think that's why. You know, if you look at the history of Mastership Australia, the camaraderie between the cast and the crew and everyone.

Is so so warm.

It's so inclusive, and I think that has a lot to do with the food and the way in which food brings people together.

Intellectually known this for a while and been and romantically attracted to this notion of you know, breaking bread. Some of the best interactions you have with people are over food. The best conversations you have with people are over food. You know, even if you are from two different political points of view or cultures that are antagonistic towards each other, you can both feel nourished by a meal or appreciate

As you know, I just want to say thank you so much for your generosity with your time and chatting to me from overseas no less. I think you did a fantastic job on the show, and I'll be interested to see you know where you take this experience from here.

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate your time, and I'm sure you get this a lot, but you've got a very soothing voice, so it's been good to talk to you.

Thank you so much.