It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week Neylight. Hey guys, welcome back to TV Reload. I want to thank you for clicking and downloading on today's episode with Semat, the fifteenth eliminated contestant on Mastership Australia for twenty twenty four, which, by the way, guys, is still on Network ten from Sunday through to Wednesday nights at seven thirty and boy
is the competition starting to look very tight. Our love of food is in Semite's blood, embedded deep in her Pujabi culture and ingrained in her family upbringing. Growing up in India, Sumit has fond memories of her parents throwing parties when she and her brother would be keenly watching the preparation and the planning process. Her late mother was a warm and welcoming hostess, and Samait would always step
up to help whenever the party needed her. After studying hotel management, Semat forged a career in sales, but had always known deep down that food is where she belongs. The kitchen is a mediative space for Sami. A stressful day is remedied by some time cooking. I think Australian audiences have fallen in love with Semite. I can imagine her brand being on my shopping list for a very
long time to come. Samite will unpack everything from bacon and eggs, the pressure to cook within her cultural heritage, and why she believes Jean Christov is her favorite judge. We will also unpack the Master Chef kitchen in terms of the dynamics between the cast and if there were any jealousy or overly competitive contestants this year. Who will ask Semite about her journey to Master Chef and why she felt confident in any color apron once the cameras
started rolling. We will also discuss why she brought two fish to look after during the filming of this season, and if she does actually love drinking Scotch and whiskey, which I heard as a rumor. There is so much to unpack with Semeat, So sit back and relax, guys, as we unpack her wonderful time in the Master Chef Australian Kitchen. Hi, Semite, how are you high?
Good morning, n How you doing.
I'm doing very well. I have been very disappointed, a lot of tears from the calf last night and I can only look at the silver lining of the fact that I get this joyful experience of being able to talk to you this morning.
Oh you're so beautiful. Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it.
Yeah, I think that, you know, a lot of people thought you were going to take this competition out, you know, with the confidence that you seem to come at with this competition. I think, yeah, it was easy to believe that. But I guess that's the nature of this show, is that if Sashi can go, this is what I say to everybody, Sash can go on this show. Anybody can go.
I know, I know it's pretty incredible, right, and exactly what you said it is, you know, it is the nature of the competition. You're only as good as your last book, essentially.
But there's nothing predictable of bet the show, because then that's why it's on TV sixteen seasons later, is because you won't know, you don't know, you could be the best of the best, and then you have this bad cook and then you're gone.
Absolutely, you know, I think it's we've seen it enough, right, I've watched enough many you know, Master Chef seasons previously to know that that's the case. And yeah, it was just my time to leave. You know, that's the only way you can sorder, you know, I guess come to terms with it.
Did you make bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning? That's what I want to know.
No chance, not at the minute I think it's going to be. It's going to be a little bit before I make bigger at eggs.
No one's getting breakfast at my house for a long time.
Cereal and orange and boring stuff we beneat And you're not going to get bigger and eggs for sure. No, no, no, nothing like that, but definitely not this morning.
My partner can make coach eggs really well, that is to perfection. So when people come over and stay with us, people always say to him, you know you should go master chef. And I was thinking about your credibility with your knowledge on cooking what you already were armed with. Surely you've had people saying that to you over the years. How many times have you heard you should go on mastershif?
Oh my gosh, I could I would be a millionaire find you if I could, you know, get get a dollar for every time I've been told that. So you know, yes, there's been many, many years that people have always said to me, my friends, have my beautiful children, have my you know, my partner has family has everyone who's always said that to me, My work colleagues have you know,
They're like, well, aren't you doing it? You should still be there, And it's like, oh, yeah, you know, maybe maybe I don't know, I don't know, you know, so as you know, one year goes, the other year goes, and you know, it's just just been like that. But yes, absolutely been told that very often before.
Well, how has the experience then stacked up? Because I mean, if that has been a conversation that's been floated around amongst your friends, your work colleagues and in your own mind, I wanted to know about your expectations versus the experience.
Oh my gosh, oh wow. So yes, how vastly different the expectation from what it actually is. But so how you know, so beautifully vastly different. So you know, you go, you watch the show and I've been watching it for so many years, and you sort of see it you think,
oh my god, this is incredible. But when you actually walk through those doors and see that clock, and you know, the just that whole the vibe of that kitchen and charges in front of you, and those workstations, you know, the kitchens that we have, and the whole experience, you know, the whole filming experience. Oh my god, exponentially much much more magical than you can ever imagine it to be.
That's the truth. It's it's actually almost unbelievable how much better it is to actually be in it than watch it.
That makes a lot of sense, right, you know, it makes a lot of sense to be able to want to put yourself into that situation. I mean, I can imagine though this could easily flow, people could easily intimidate people. So it does take a certain type of person to say I'm going to take this on and then be able to be in front of those cameras to be, you know, under that kind of pressure. But now that we're at this point, and I might be the first person to ask you this, but what have you learned
about yourself? Not necessarily from the experience as you were there day to day, but today, like now, looking back, you've watched your season of Master Chef, what have you learned about yourself?
Oh? Yeah, you know, a really good question. Ben, because it's true. I've been you know, sort of mulling over that last night, going, oh, you know, how do I feel, and actually really introspecting into you know, I guess, do my checks and balances within myself to see what I've gained and how I've you know, how I see myself now. You know, I've always been someone that's you know, had to be very I guess centered in a storm, and
that's you know, that's that's just generally me. I tend to be very when there's a storm happening around me. I really go inside and find that piece of cup place of calm and you know, just work from there and really keep it very rock solid. But this was so different to see it in this environment because you sort of removed from your regular life, you know, you don't have your regular distruction that you have at home, and you're really sort of insulated in a space where
you're actually just deeply immersed in your passion. So it really is a very good litmus test to see, you know, how deep that passion truly is. And so it just solidified that for me so much. I was really well aware of whether it was a black apron or white, apron orange, no matter what color I wore, how aligned I felt with my center, like with my calling, I guess, you know, with my passion. Yeah, it was deeply revealing
for me. So it just solidified the fact that, you know, I mean I also do a copper job before, and I could not even I cannot even imagine how I did that. Like even just the thought of it just brings me down. So you know, it's like it just really solidifies that. So definitely that's something that I absolutely learned. But also with the cameras, it was so interesting. You know, I was I was worried about you know, my gosh, I hope I'm not conscious in front of it or you know, I'm not well.
You know, that's other thing they do say. You know, introverted people can become extra verted. Extroverted people can become introverted by being around camera like that. So it absolutely is a different dynamic that not everyone would necessarily understand and what that is going to do to you, you.
Know, that's right, absolutely, But I think I just felt so comfortable. I didn't feel like it was you know, it didn't just there with me. I just I thrived. I just loved it, you know, and it didn't distract me at all. I just because when you go in there and the clock starts, like, oh my god godcause it's just like seventy five minutes, and you forget about the cameras. You just like so focused and so zero in on what you're doing, is that it sort of takes over.
I wanted to mention to you at this early stage about, you know, the thoughts and feelings that other people had about you during this season. I think you must be like miscongeniality or something, because so many people brought up their time with you and how much they appreciated you as well. I think they appreciated your sentedness and your wisdom, and I think people were surprised by you, a little
bit surprised. Is this correct to say that someone told me that you enjoy a good scotch or a whiskey. I can't remember who it was. Someone stopped it.
Oh my god, oh secrets revealed. Yeah. I do. I do enjoy you know, a good whiskey, A good single made, a good scott you know it is it is such an indulgent drink and it is so it's a real experience to have it. I love it. I do enjoy my whiskey nines.
And when I heard about that, I just was like, I didn't expect that and now and I said to the person at the time, I was like, you know, samit to me, he's not the sort of person who's going to be smashing a bottle of this stuff. She'd find a really good one and she would, you know, one glass and tell your really good story. And that has been on my mind ever since I've thought about it. I'm like, hmm, I just want to be a yeah house, having the food and hearing your stories with a scotch always.
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely that. I love doing that. You know, my husband may really enjoy that, so we both have a you know, shared passion for it. And it is really a little you know, and you're right, just savor the whiskey, you know, you know, actually really enjoy it and you know, mull over it and hold it and it's just beautiful. Yes, it's a good it's a good experience to have everyone to do it.
Oh, I'm up for it. I'm up for it. That's my dream. That is my dream. But you know, with reality shows, there's this urban legend that if you win a car, or if you win them any challenge, like having your source put in calls, it means that you don't win the show. It can sometimes mean that that's a sign that you might not come out on top. Did you know about the urban legend? Did you worry once you won the source that Master Chef had given you something and that you may now not win.
I did not know about that urban legend, but I did have someone from the crew say, you know that is basically say that after top ten you sort of see the motivation sort of drop off. And I was very surprised when I heard that, because actually the win of the sauce sort of powered me even more because it sort of made me feel like if I can do this, I can do that, you know. So yes, it actually the opposite for me. But yeah, you know, who knows. Maybe the universe does work it a way
of balance. I don't know.
I don't know whether or not it's something that happens consciously from behind the scenes, like whether it's coordinated by producers. They're like, you know, with your children. I mean, I don't have any children, but I can imagine, you know, you give one thing to one child, then it's by human nature to balance it out and give something to another. I wondered whether or not there's something quiet.
No, I doubt it, Ben, you know, I think in that regard, I have to say it was. It was really I doubt there was any any sort of agenda like that, you know, because I remember, you know, even when I went walked into the show, you know, you had a sort of save in me very similar sort of you know, flavor profiles. But I really found that and I was bored. Sort I hoped it owns, you know,
judge her curry to my curry. And there was a situation where Dash and I meet sort of like a Trifley type of a dessert when he met it with Durian and I meet it with Starr andes. You know, it was they similar, and you obviously get those thoughts like, oh my gosh, I hope they don't, you know, sort
of compare us. But they don't, you know. So I was really impressed with the fact that they actually just see your dish as Yordish and their dish as their dish, Like each individual is judged on their own the dish that they meet on the day as an individual dish, which is a good thing to do, so yeah, yet no agenda there.
I wonder whether or not the ability to do that with the dishes and be very separate and to not pit people against each other is the reason why we don't feel as a viewer any jealousy or segregation or any kind of animosity amongst the cast, because yeah, that kind of ability has been ingrained into the processes to make sure that aren't competing or feeling that competition. I mean, is it as sweet and lovely as we see it to be? I mean, have they edited out the Melrose
Place kitchen where I don't know? Is it a sweet and lovely as we are led to believe.
I think it's sweeter and lovelier than it actually led to believe because at the edge sometimes you don't see the beautiful friendships that are there because it's you know, the time is so short. But yeah, absolutely, the green room was a fun, happy, safe space and you know that was a really and you're right, you know that's
the beauty of the show. And I think, you know, copper culture is so can be so hard, can be toxic, can be they can be jealousy, they can be you know, all of those things, and everybody wants to rise above the other. There's that, you know, the vibe. But I think it's because it is a top down type of a situation in a Master Chef kitchen. Everybody in the crew is incredibly well bonded and so beautiful. They share such a beautiful friendship and energy and that comes across
and flows through to the contestants. And I think because all of us that you know, sort of part of it, have had some sort of a sense of what the show was, give or take a some more, some less. But you walk into an environment that has that sort of a culture and you sort of almost imbbe that you and it sort of flows through. So you know, culture is top to bottom and this is truly the way it is. But yeah, the green room was a
really safe space. You know, people could really I mean, you know, if there was something I didn't know, I could ask someone that knew, Like I say, for example, fish right, So Harry is the fish lord in the group and he really knows everything fish related. And I am gosh, I was so afraid of even chopping the head off of the issue in a few episodes, but he was so generous with his you know, sharing his knowledge with me. And there really is that camarade race.
All of that happens behind the scenes that you don't see on the.
Cameras, which I love because like Master Chef plays during winter and it is the winter warmer of television that Australia needs. You could have easily pigeonholed yourself with curry dishes. And I remember very early on when we got introduced to your profile. Yeah, I could have easily imagined that you wouldn't want to step outside of that box watching you on the show, you could have easily leant into just your skill set, but you really pushed yourself because
that's what the competition needs. But then now for you to succeed in a market, you really need to own a particular space, and you're now kind of having to do the opposite of what you need to do to survive in a show like this.
It's interesting because you know, people sort of do you know pigeonhole you to say, oh, she looks like this,
so she must be that. But it's interesting because I actually, you know before like my my husband now needs to eat his Indian food and I make it often, but before I met him, I would probably cook curry once in six months because it was not something I would make all the time, and I would only do it like if my friends just, oh please, can you make us like you know, and I was like, all right, then I'll make an Indian you know, curry night. But it was not something I do actually generally eat, very
very simple food. You know, it's usually grilled meats and vegetables and bakes. And you know, I do a little lot of baking at home, so there's a lot. I do roast dinners, a lot, we do steaks. I'm the barbecue person at home my husband, so I'm the one that you know, does all the barbecued meats, so I do a lot of that. In fact, just the other day we made a cattleman steak. So it's like we actually do a lot of other foods, but in the
kitchen it was. It did take me a little while to break out of that stereotype because you know, it was almost like we were typecast and I felt like I needed to do it because that was what was expected of me. Almost I struggled that first couple of weeks. And that's why you told me like sort of going you know, black white top dish, bottom dish, you know, ilimination pressure tests because it was just where I couldn't
find my feet. I was like, do I go the Indian route because that's what they're expecting me to do, or do I do my style, which is this But you know, sauce has always been my thing, so and because it's a fusion sort of sauce area that I'm looking at actually gives me a lot of creative license to play with different cuisines and different flavors and match them up. So yeah, no, I think quite the opposite.
Actually, I love the idea of you being not pigeonholed into something like that, and I think that Australians need to step outside of pigeon holing people absolutely.
In fact, my Indian friends tell me that my food is not typical Indians. So they're like, oh, yes, there's a little bit fusion, a little bit modern, it's a little bit different from what we would stop. Yeah, so that's true, but you know that's all of us, right, we're all learning growing Absolutely life.
You had to we should talk about this dish from last night just a little bit. But yeah, because you really kept doing this thing where you were reinvented dishes, and I thought that it was really admirable how you pushed yourself to always reinvent stuff. And then of course you were going to do that because you wanted to have the most original dish and win, you know, and you said that was last night the time to play safe. Should you have done that?
Oh? No, I no, I don't think I should have played it safe at all. I feel like, you know, once you get to this point in the competition, you've got to really push yourself because you need to back yourself better. You know, like you've gotten to a point now where you should be. You know, playing it's safe probably would have taken me through last night possibly, but then I probably would not have been true to myself, and I think that is far more important than anything
else for anybody. I mean, you know, that really should be the thing. But yeah, I know I did not want to play safe, definitely not not at this point in the competition. I really didn't. You know, I could have whipped up something, you know, Curry style or something like that, which it would have been easy for me
to do, but I didn't want to. I wanted to do something different, so I did stay with you know, my heritage being Indian, sort of said, you know, it's my take on your Yeah, you know, baking an en year old type of thing, but using blue cheese, but using banando so and then also, oh my god, it was pretty tasty. But I can understand where they came from about the egg issue, right, because that's the tricky part of it. A nan is a double cooked dough and you rested twice and it's all there's a lot
of things happening with it. So if I just made a blue cheese and bacon nan and probably put an egg on top of it, that is probably the hindsight that I've hadn't said, or maybe I could have unpacked the way I did it probably would have stuck with what I did, but maybe done the egg component a little bit differently. Possibly mean I've just flipped.
An egg on top. Someone else just put their little egg on top, and you know that they're still in the competition. Maybe that's what it can fun as well.
You know, good on them. Actually, that's that's the thing is about having that presence of mind at that moment to say, oh, yeah, you know, what maybe, And good on them for doing that, because that's the whole presence
of mind thing that needs to happen. And you know, that's seventy five minutes, which gets you, you know, one step further and one step further and finally to the trophy, right, because it's not just about making the dishes, but it's also having the presence of mind at the moment to make it happen.
We have been doing this the whole season with asking this annoying question to mat who do you think deserves to win? And who is your favorite judge? And it's very hard to do this, and I completely understand. I think one of these questions can be hard, but I'm not taking business. I want to know who do you think? All right, now that we've got who we've got left, who's going to win?
Oh my gosh. I love them all and you know that, of course, but you know I have a soft spot obviously for my best see my roomy, my darling, Natty goal. So I'm going to see nat for the win. Yeah. I just had an amazing experience bonding with her, So yeah, I just would love to see how big the trophy. I think. She's so beautifully talented.
You're amazing. That's probably the easiest answer that I've got so far out of any of the other people so far. So thank you. I didn't have to harass you. Well, who do you think? Though? We have four new judges, and you know, I wouldn't want to be any of these judges because whilst they're judging you, Australia is judging them, and they are under a lot of pressure being new judges. Like, don't even go on Creddit. Don't even go on Reddit to read the comments about what people have to say
about those judges. But I want to know from you, from your experience, who has been the hard one. This is so hard, it really is.
It's very hard. This is not a fair question. Come on, you know what I mean.
No, I want to know. I'm collecting a Dorsier. I'm trying to write it all down to see who we have as we may have a winner at the end of the season about who gets picked.
Oh my god, this is this is actually tougher because it's like they were also beautiful and different in so many ways, and I got so much from each one of them. You know, Oh god, this is hard. But I'm gonna have to say, beautiful Chef show. Christophe Novelle is so beautiful. He's such a you know, such a humble man. For all the things that he's achieved in his life and you know, his personal life and his professional life, he's just the most humble man, the most
generous person, a thorough gentleman. And yeah, it's just really wants everyone to succeed. He actually couldn't care less about, you know what, the rules of the show, and he's just like, I want everyone to succeed. That's this sort of missions. Yeah, he just is beautiful, generous with his praise, generous with his advice. Yeah, just humble, beautiful man.
He also looks a little frozen in time. And I know people are going to think I'm big, man, but you know, like he's here. It's like you'd have that hair in the eighties, the nineties today, you know what I mean, Like I could imagine that in a Yeah, Jean Christoff is still alive and still critiquing people in the Master Chef kitchen and looks exactly Oh, he looks frozen.
Absolutely. He does not have a wrinkle on his face. That man, he's just got flawless skin and a head full of hair in his age, and he's just, yeah, he looks so dapper. He's really a handsome man, you know, and but also so beautiful. Yeah, absolutely right.
I'm into that. I think that's a good answer. Before you go, everyone who joins the podcast gets asked this question, which is, what is something from behind the scenes, And I'm curious about your behind the scenes Okay, something that we didn't get a chance to see. Now that you've watched it all back, you know, maybe it's something that you've been thinking are they going to show that, or maybe something of a smate secret you know about you.
Yeah, so you know, obviously my first room is Sue and I. We were just so you know, we just bonded so beautifully. We have the most We feel so lucky we have met on the show and just a beautifully talented person and I and we actually became fish moms. So we bought two little you know, goldfish that we used to have in our little you know, you know, apartment, which we loved, and so so yeah, I don't think
you know, we didn't at that point. We just did it out of the pure love of, you know, a commitment to the show, and we were like, yes, you know, we're gonna commit ourselves to you know, making it really far in it, and this is our commitment to it. And it was these two beautiful goldfish that we had and one was called Gil and the other was called Sin And what.
Are those names? Then? What have your named them after?
So Gil as in you know, the gils of a fish and Finn as in thins of a.
F I should have worked that out for everyone listening to the podcast. Yes I am that's duper pripp. Thank you for playing silly.
That be silly. And I think it was Finn came from even I think Dash may have suggested because we told them, you know, we told the group of a game fish and they were like, I think Dash suggested, Oh how about Spin? And then we were I think it was Alex and Dash or you know that happened, and then Gil obviously comes you know g I double well as Juliana's deal as well, and you know selpe
for you. So that was that was fun. So that was really good behind the scenes, which I wish i'd sort of taken more photos off and made it like a storyline, but we didn't think of it like that. We just did it for the love of the fish. But man, they're filthy. The amount of time we clean that there was a clean dust and it was this crazy.
You know, I've got to go because I've got to go to Coals and buy your saws. I'm going to have to bring them in advance to make sure they've got it, because if they don't have it, I'm going to another Coals. So I want to see. I've got to rush, But I just want to say thank you for everything that you put into this season of Mastership. You have really left your mark on the show, your integrity,
your ability to tell story. I could literally listen to you read me bedtime stories to go to sleep at night, but that might be a bit creepy. I have loved it. I've loved you and I've loved watching you on the show. So thank you.
Thank you so much. Ben. I've really enjoyed speaking to you as well. Thank you so much.