It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. They might welcome back to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris and on this podcast, I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. Each episode you will get a front row seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors and casting agents,
plus the talent that we see on our screens. TV Reload reloads the shows that you are currently watching and gives you a better insight at our television industry and streaming services today. On the podcast, I have mastership Australia's latest eliminated contestant, Michael Weldon. From the start of this season, Australia has been keenly watching Michael take on the competition
for his second time. Very few contestants are as vocal about their desire to win, and I loved Michael's upfront nature. We will talk about his feelings returning to fans versus favorites over a missed opportunity to be a part of Back to Win a few years back. What he also thinks might have worked better over that dreaded fish cook. He's unlikely friendship with Julie Goodwin and who he thinks is going to be last man standing, Well maybe last
woman standing. However, let's get started with today's guest. I'd like to welcome Michael Weldon to TV Reload.
I try to be very cool about it, so, oh yeah, maybe I'm interested.
Musta Sheriff has produced some of the biggest names in food.
I found this year really tough, A lot tougher than Season three anyway, the.
First time ever it's funds versus fabrites.
I kind of felt like things are going really well, really well, really well until I was eliminated.
There are only two that were stamped with flaws, Michael and Montana.
It was a beautiful season this year because ninety five. So I's got on like a house on fire.
So the dish that is sending its make a home today, he's Michael.
Well, that's the thing about mars Chep. It's not often the best book that wins is the person that lasts the longer.
Hi, Michael, how are you going well?
Well?
Congratulations on an epic contribution to this series of Master Chef Australia. Is this the toughest series that Channel ten has ever done? With so many returning favorites.
For me it once, that's for sure. Thank you so much as well. It was Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I think back to Win was obviously also a pretty tough challenge, but yeah, I found this year really tough, a lot tougher than season three.
Anyway, when you returned to the show, did you set any other benchmarks along the way, like beat Julie or you know, have the best cook in Master Chef history? Was it anything else that was like a benchmark along the way, not just taking the competition out.
Now, To be honest, it was for me it would just come and have a lot of fun and hopefully that would lead to getting the w at the end. I didn't have any sort of pre conceived plans of making the top ten, the top five, the top whatever, just get through one cook at a time. Maybe I should have, maybe she had a better goal set, but I just wanted to be honest and say I did want to win it because you know, honest, went it
last time. But yeah, very few people get to win it, and yeah, unfortunately for me, I think it's this time as well. Who knows if in another eleven years there is another form they want returning contestants, perhaps elutely third un lucky. But as much as I didn't you get to where I wanted to, I had just had so much fun and I got so much out of it that I'm pretty pretty happy with the whole experience.
Well, it's been a decade since you first appeared. What has changed in the Mastership astral Kitchen the most? You know, because you have this experience now of doing two seasons so far apart.
Yeah, I'm very lucky, I guess to have had the experience of both sets of judges, of filming in Sydney versus filming in Melbourne, of different production companies actually doing the production, which is it's a cool insight. And I guess there's only a handful of people who got to do that. So yeah, look, it was. It was interesting
this time. It was The judges are very different. Go one are the days of it being very technically focused and a lot of food history focused in the challenges and what the judges requiring the judging, and now it's all about delicious food. And I think that probably sets up for a great dynamic between the fans and the favorites, because there's no doubt the fans didn't have as much experience, and that maybe that knowledge and that technique based that
some of us favorites had. But in the end, as long as did distaste good, the judges will judge it that way. And maybe I wish it was the old judge with more techniqueased stuff, and it might have lasted it longer, but I think it made it a lot fairer having a new bunch of judges with a new lens on the food. And I just feel lucky to have cooked for all six judges and never had that experience.
Well, I guess that's a good question to ask you. Do you think that things would have been different had you had the old set of judges? Do you think that they were more hard they were harder this time around?
No, I actually think the old judges were a bit harder, to be honest, Yeah, they were. They were. It was very technique based, and they wanted lots of technique and you know, lots of different dishes and to show a broad range of knowledge and technique was this time around. You you can get away with something not being carefully long. It tastes really good. I mean, it worked out really well because if it was just a purer technique, be
hard for the fans. We haven't cooked professional sense or haven't been through much before to match up on just pure technique, but hard work, enthusiastic to get you a lot further I think were these judges. I think that made a really much fairer playing field. Actually felt I felt for the fans a lot along the way because it was a It was probably a bit of a handicap coming up against people like Julie Good Women, Sashi and you know Billy who are just you know, amazing,
amazing cooks. So yeah, I think it made it a lot more balanced.
Do we know if you know the old hosts? Do we know if they are watching the show? And the only reason why I asked this is that I want to know whether or not they're tapping in with you and giving you they're still critiquing your food from behind the.
Sound Well not mine, No, I haven't. I haven't heard from this season. I know I know Sarah and George have done some work together in the past, so maybe maybe they are still in touch, but I should Actually, I think Matt Preston played the same golf come as me these days, so I might have to reach out to him and see what he thinks. Over around the golf.
He walks off to the to the ninth hole, doesn't say hello, just doesn't want.
To ask the question. It may happen.
You know, your resume is one of the best success stories in the history of Master Chef. Did you ever think that you would return to compete in the competition?
I know then I didn't, especially after say no. I said no to Back to Win because I had this a lot of work booked overseas in twenty twenty, which was a you know, I didn't really get my timing right on that one, because after saying no to Back to Win, all that work got canceled due to COVID.
So I sat at home watching Amelia and Callum and Reynold and Poe and all my friends who I've become really close with that sort of that group, and I was definitely closer with the people on Back to Win than I was with people on Fans Versus Favorite or
the returning returning condescens on Vans Versus Favorite. So I sat back watching them and I sort of kicked myself, saying, oh, I could have had this opportunity to cook with all those absolute legend of the kitchen and so when a second chance, at the second chance came up, I sort of I tried to be very cool about it and so, oh yeah, maybe I'm interested, but I sort of inside was jumping up and down with excitement about that at the opportunity.
I love the thought of being able to picture you getting that phone call and being so excited about it, you know, I was.
I remember the moment that the phone call came from Carla, who's in casting? And why is Carla calling? This is really weird? Have they you know? What what have I done wrong? What have I done wrong? With Mastership? I was sad something wrong, But no, it was a really really great, fuzzy phone call and I felt very blessed to get it. And as I said before, hopefully in ten years time, they might be in the third phone call and I can go on, you know, finally get the victory that I so desire.
The Big W.
So you call the Big W exactly right? Yeah, at nine out of.
I came second in season three Master Chef, standing in front of the judges and not winning.
Was it was pretty hard.
You know, you put a lot of time, a lot of f into and to get that close can be picked at the post at the final hurdle. It's a tough feeling and it's it didn't feel nice. I haven't forgotten that feeling. Yeah, but hopefully they will change this time.
You don't like.
I kind of felt for you that the door was opened to return, maybe as a host or a judge, because from the impact that you left on me, and I think the impact that you left on the Mastership Australia competition, I kind of felt like you would return in even bigger capacity.
I like that, and that's really kind of you. I think I'm not as pretty as Andy, and that's important. And he's got such a great regime too that he you know, he's well, he's done in restaurants, I think sort of that's that's another level for even me. So I'd love to one day be more involved in mastershif. But I see I can see why Andy got the hosting year. He's done. He's done a stellar job with it too.
I don't know if he'd look as good though in a watermelon shirt though, well, there we go.
That is one that is That's one thing I've got at my slave I've got that water one shirt with shirt, which was my sort of good luck Charmian eliminations up until Sunday night. But yeah, he might not have to win on that one.
And now you've burnt it great.
Yeah, exactly, I'll never write again.
Did that service challenge, you know, the team challenge prior to your elimination cook put a bump in the road that changed the course of your time on the show.
It may have. Yeah, I didn't think about it so much at the time. I tried to just I was really good at until until Sunday. It was really good at blocking out as soon as the cook was done, good, bad, or otherwise blocking out what happened, just moving on to the next challenge. And I think that was what was working really well for me. But maybe it lingered a bit further than I thought, and maybe stuffing up to fish using the same week wasn't a great idea. I
soon of just cooked a barbecue chicken. I'll do that well, But it did. There was the first team challenge that I didn't have success in. I won every team challenge or my dish won every team challenge the whole way through the season, apart from the Italy versus it only versus Japanese channel. So yeah, maybe that was a turning point for me in the bad way.
When you goggle boxing a show like this at home and you see someone who doesn't do well at a fish challenge and then it comes to the pressure test and they decided to do the fish again, You're like, why are they doing this?
Like?
Did you not work? Do you not think that maybe fish was not the way forward? No?
I didn't. Unfortunately I didn't, otherwise I might still with it, but yeah, I was. I didn't watch the episode on Sunday night just because I just I don't know, I having gone through it, I just didn't need to watch it. I've got the most amazing memories of Marketershift. I didn't want anything to be a negative, and I'm sure it wouldn't be, and I'm sure one day I'll watch it after I've had a couple of beers. But I I've
kind of just yeah, blocked it out. But if I had watched, I would yelling at myself on the TV to what are you doing? You know? But I also cooked that dish lots of times, and I should just be able to do it with my eyes closed. It's just that it's the pressure in that kitchen. And I used a different fish because Rick stein used that fish when he made his carry, and I thought that'd recording. He was the same fish as Rick Steine, And what a silly move.
Well, I guess it's hard for you as well, because I mean, you've been a favorite to win right from the start, even people following the show online. You know, people have been throwing your name around the whole time. Does that kind of pressure affect you each week in the kitchen? I mean, did you let that affect you? I guess the best way to say, the.
People looking at you, yeah, you know what. I hadn't looked at any of that. So I appreciate everyone's support and picking me as as someone they wanted to go far. But I knew I was on a good trajectory and things were going really well. It was sort of I kind of felt like things were going really well, really well, really well until I was eliminated. I didn't really have
too many bad moments. Obviously had to do a pressure test because of a bit of rich a two rich dish a in that comfort food challenge, But yeah, I felt like it was all going really well, and then it just stopped and I didn't have time to even sort of you know, configure and rethink. Oh, you know, I've had one bad day and now I can get
back to it. So it's just a bit it's a bit annoying just that I sort of missed those cues potentially, but I think I was putting the most pressure on myself to win it and take it out, So I mean, yeah, that was probably my own fault that I didn't get and I definitely let it sort of let it affects me a little bit. You know, I wouldn't have made poor decisions like picking the wrong fish for this fish stew, which I'll never cook again if I hadn't. Yeah, just
if I hadn't been putting so much pressure myself. Really, and it was it did suck because Rick Starn's my hero was him and Jamie Oliver are really the reasons why I started cooking, watching them on TV and just loving what they did on TV. So to cook a silly stew for him, a stupid stew, even it was a bit embarrassing, but it was still cool to be a chat to rec and having in the kitchen, And yeah, I think he liked the flavor of it, just not the texture that that fish.
Well, well, that's a good point to make. I mean Rick Stein's food, you know, is defined by where he travels to, and that was the theme of this cook How would you describe the food that you cook? Could you be able to summarize it in a way like I have done with Rix?
I don't know. I don't know that Rick would cook a hamming part of a broth one week and then scullop and apple dis the next. But I think my food it is just fun and young, and maybe that is a bit of what Rick does. He's a lot more travel basederreas I just like to make food interesting and fun and maybe slightly different to what's out there and what you've seen on every cooking show and in
every cookbook. So yeah, I kind of describe it as fun food that's just really delicious and it's sort of inspiration. That great thing about being a cook in Australia is you can take inspiration to so many different cultures and cuisines and parts of the world because we have such an amazing mix of incredible people in this country, and so I feel like I lean on that to cook. You know, whatever I like that will taste delicious. And so I don't know what that genre of food is.
It's just micro food, but I think it's fun and tasty most of the time, except it's a fish stew from San Francisco.
The kitchen is now at its top ten. What advice do you have for those that have been left behind? I mean, I guess what was your biggest learn and did you pass on your biggest lean to the people that are remaining in the competition?
Yeahly the ones I'm close with. You know, I've got a group of us that are really tight. I think I's just don't overthink it. I overthought it. If I didn't ever think that fish cook, I would have cooked it perfectly with my eyes closed, like I would if it was just cooking it home for dinner. And I spent a lot of time with Dan. Actually he's kind of ready close mate, and I just said to him, cook food that you want to eat, because if you want to eat it, you'll cook at the best and
the judges will probably enjoy eating it too. So hopefully he's taking that on board. Actually, I gave him my little green notebook with all my recipes and my notes and just stuff that I'd built up over the last couple of years as a little bit of a help for him. Might be my handwriting so bad, it might be actually a hindrance, but I gave him that as a little bit of an extra, you know, a little bit of ammo for him for him in the kitchen. So hopefully that helps him out of it as well.
Would it be fair to say that he's grown the most out of all the fans? Oh?
Absolutely, I mean just hiss for knowledge. I like, you know, he's much better than I am, but I was. But it reminds me a little bit of what I was doing in season three, how much I want to learn about food, just get fully engrossed in it. And he's just up every night trying different things out and asking and that's the best thing. He just asks for help
and wants to listen. And I guess what he has that we didn't have on season thres He has a bunch of people who've been through Muster before her, some knowledge of food that can help me out when he has questions. And for the most part, if I'm really happy to give him share that knowledge, and I loved when he asked me a questions about food. It was sort of a honor for me to share my limited knowledge of food with him. So, yeah, he's done well.
Hopefully he goes nice and deep into this competition because I love, just love Dan and his attitude. He's just it's just just a happy, happy fellow.
Well, I guess it's a good time to ask the question of who has grown the most out of the favorite. I mean, it's a hard thing.
That's a great question. Yeah, I think Auto has. I think Audo is really surprised me. I remember meeting out of on season ten when I I for a few years off, four or five year years, would come and meet all the contestancy in the house they lived in and do a bit of mentoring through my role at Cold and just talking through some products and how I treat them and how to field official, et cetera. And I remember Auto then and we had a chat then, and he's come on leaps and bounds, and I think
this time around he's showing his passion for food. He's not trying to over master Cheffer. He's just cooking the food he would serve at home. And it's funny it's almost stepping back and pairing back his food, which I think for me shows so much growth and so much confidence in that beautiful the food of Napple and the food of his homeland, which is so passionate about. So
I think he's grown a lot. And it's strange to think Julie Goodwin has grown a lot as well, seeing as she is the og Master Chef winner, the one who paid the way for all of us to do it. But I think she's accepted that her food is worthy and that was really hard for her at the start, because you know, you've got these beautiful dishes that are played it up with flowers and all this elegant little moves, and Julie's just cooking really really hearty, delicious family fair
and the food that she loves. And I think it took her a while to realize that that was food that you can win Master Chef with, even though she should not because she did it twelve years ago, fourteen years ago. But yeah, it's nice to see her just own her food as well, because it's such beautiful food.
I actually think it's fair very hard for someone. I mean, this is the longest point from her being in the competition. I mean, she went so many years ago, and I think that is more of a hindrance. So when I heard that was coming back, I was really really stressed for her, because you know, maybe she'd be out of practice or you know, but totally, there's something very you know when you when you want to eat like a comfort food at nighttime. I mean there's something very comfort
food about her entire demeanor. You know, there's something warm, and I guess that's probably why Australia is still in her audience so intently.
She's the best Julian and I have become. It's crazy. I think you get a certain point in your life, Julian, I had to chat out this just just after my elimination, and you get to a point in life you think, you know, you've probably got your friendship group sort and
you know you're not going to make other friends. And she said she thought it was weird to become friends with this good friends with this thirty six ye old guy from Melbourne, and I thought it was the same for me, you know, to become friends with a mother from the central a grandmother from the Central Coast in
New South Wales. Off the back of a silly show that we have and we would go swimming in the mornings before filming and just sort of that was our way of starting the day off and not thinking about the show too much because we both love just cutting a few laps in the pool and we sort of started a little mass Cheff swim club and it was, Yeah, it was really great. Jey was a suport network and just to see how much she loves food and her food,
it's just inspiring. I think it's I love the Australia getting a second dose to Julie Goodman because it's such a good thing.
We need it.
Yeah, absolutely, you know, like the Julie Goodman passion for food and the lovely food she cooks and the heart she puts into it is exactly what the world needs right now. So I'm glad she's I'm glad she's still there. I'm glad she's cooking her food and the way she likes it.
One of the other eliminated contestants also said that she has a epic playlist and I thought that was funny to picture Julie getting out of the chunes.
While she was a rockstar. J always got a bas guitar in her apartment that she plays after filming. And she used to be in a band and she she played guitar and now she's teaching herself bass guitar and she jams. She jams often with Tommy's son in there, Miles, who's living in the apartments as well. And Miles have danced along to Julie's music because he likes a bit of music. He's only two. And it's just it's wonderful
because that's what you don't see. The stuff that happens in the apartment and off cameras just so beautiful, and yeah, we don't see as much of that, and it's just so much fun.
I'd like to see a season of Master Chif where we get to see some of those other elements brought into it, because I know it's about that.
It's so much fun.
But you know, you just hear all these stories from all of you, and you know, the audience we wanted, we would love to see that. You know, they.
Should have little cameras in the apartments, although they'd see some burient dishes and some smoke out kittens here and there, but no, it's just it was a beautiful season she because really like ninety five on a house on fire. A couple of us always lit the houses on fire. But we got on so well. We'd had these awesome dinners up on the rooftop and Tommy had his his son and his wife there and it was just it
was just a really lovely family experience. And what I remember, just before Christmas and filming on the weekends, Julie, who makes arts and crafts and he makes incredible necklaces and earrings, she had a craft day where people would make gifts for their family for Christmas, and so we all got in there and made different like food related ear rings or bracelets for our family, and it's just a really
fun sharing experience. Like Ali and I would go play golf at the Driver Range across the road and just a really everyone gone on so well. It was lovely. It was much different to last time around there. I think everyone hated me because I was twenty four and just wouldn't stop talking about.
Foot I guess this is really a fun question to ask you who brought the most to the competition from behind the scene.
That's a great question. You know, there's probably a couple. Julie definitely brought a lot, She brought a lot of love at Auto was the best on the gantry, cheering eye on. He was he was the number one to brought her on and it sort of flowed into the into the green room as well. He would just a lot of love and care for everyone came. She had such a she has such a fun vibe. She she brought the dancing and she she loves to dance on the on the break, she go and danced by herself.
It was a quiet day, or she'd have everyone going. And then yeah, Manoli and Dan and a few of us were put in our playlists from time to time, and yeah, there was a lot of people just bringing the fun. But I was sort of the grumpy old man of the group. But I got a little bit better towards the end and had a couple of players that I put on it and got a little bit of appreciation, so they yeah, yeah, I sort of like they ended up calling me Dad of the group, which
is really weird. So I have kids and a few others do. But yeah, it was very fun.
Michael, why spoken to everyone apart from one or two, I think it has been so far and everyone that's been on the podcast has spoken of you so highly, so whether you were the grumpy dad of the group, you definitely left an amazing impression on these people.
You know, I love them. They're so great. That makes me really happy. Yeah, look I did. I mean I was a big grappy at times, but I tried to make sure that, you know, I made everyone feel welcome and comfortable. And it's hard because especially for the fans, like it's such a weird thing to experience, and then you've got twelve people you competing against they've done it before and have that as an advantage rather than being I'm not a very competitive person apart from trying to
win that trophy, I sort of not overly competitive. So I was very happy to try and share all the knives that I had a master share with everyone, and I'm glad that they've enjoyed it because they are a really nice bunch of people. That's the best thing about it is. Yeah, most of us will be catching up for years to come.
I like grumpy people because I prefer people to be themselves. So if you are truly grumpy, I prefer that over people who are pretending to be something that they're not.
Yeah, well, I am slightly grumpy sometimes, but just in the mornings.
I think, until you have your coffee, which is fine, exactly who do you think is going to win the competition? Not what you know now, but like when you've walked out of the kitchen after this elimination, who did you think was going to take the competition out?
I think, if everything goes to plan, the best cook left in the kitchen is Billy. She's just, for one, she's the pressure test queen like nothing, She's got ice in her veins, nothing phases her. I mean, she's a kind of person you'd want kicking a goal from fifty after the siren to win a Grand Final. She just doesn't seem to feel like any pressure. And she just
is just also an incredible cook. Like every time she cooks something, I'm like, wish I cooked that in a challenge because it it's just the kind of food that I love. So I think if all's fair and the best, honestly, the best cook left the kitchens Billy, and I don't think anyone would argue with that. But that's the thing about Master Cheff. It's not often the best cook that wins. It's the person that lasts the longest and survives all the challenges, and it's that sort of test of endurance.
So if it comes down to that, then I'd say, yeah, Billy dan Aldo, they're the ones that I could see going deep and obviously Julie she's done it before, so hard to see her not being at that pointy end as well. But there's always a surprise in there.
Yeah, and that's what makes reality TV good. You know, you're not supposed to know who they is, and that sort of sentiment adds into the way in which these shows come together. Something that I ask everyone who joins the podcast is what is something from behind the scenes that we didn't see that we won't see from your time on Mastership Australia. Maybe like a behind the scenes secret.
Behind the scene secrets. I'm trying to think what I'm trying to think of PG one. First of all, no, there was, I mean Audo revealed it on his social media the other night. We used to have I had swimming races up on the rooftop where we both love swimming to be for rooftop Pauls. That was one of
the fun things. We'd have a lot of swimming races and I think we had a really nice night where production put on some drinks for us when we made the top sixteen, and it was sort of a little party, just the sixteen of us and we let our hair down and it was only a couple of hours and going back to my husbands on the weekend, stayed home and melow. But we had a really nice time just dancing and singing and just enjoying making it to the
top sixteen together. I think that's the best thing. As soon as the clock stopped, the competition did as well, and it was just really really nice just people. We were a bunch of misfit food nurs. They just love food too much.
Who does the best drunken dn M out of all of a great question?
That one I would give two to Mindy Mindy Mindi Woods is she's just the loveliest lady and she's everyone's rock and she's there for everyone, and so you know, after a couple of a couple of cocktails, she's great to have a chat too. I love Mindy's she takes a tile of that one.
Michael, I have loved watching you on the show. I think that you know it's only up and up from here. Don't let the Chippino or anything ever upset you. There's so many people here in Australia that love watching you and we will be in your audience for a very long time to come.
Thank you, Ben, You're the man. I appreciate all that, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the season. I've heard a few little snippets of what's going on, and it's going to be a lot of fun, so I think everyone's going to really enjoy it. And I'll sadly be watching your home, but I'll be yelling at that TV screen like I was in the kitchen.