MasterChef judge Poh Ling Yeow shares five tips for life to celebrate 50th birthday

No less fresh-faced then when she first graced MasterChef screens, beloved Adelaide chef Poh Ling Yeow has marked a big milestone with some sage advice.

It’s hard to believe it’s been more than a decade since esteemed chef and TV personality Poh Ling Yeow first graced our screens on MasterChef as a fresh-faced 36-year-old.

It’s even harder to believe that — looking absolutely no less fresh-faced — Poh celebrated her 50th birthday on Tuesday.

In a heartwarming social media post, the MasterChef judge shared five things she had learned on her journey through life, with some sage advice for her younger followers.

“Have a red hot go. Feeling intense fear and doubt is when I’ve grown the most,” she said.

“Be friends with uncertainty. It makes you resilient.

“Enjoy the climb – the climb is substance and the summit the most fleeting of moments.

Poh shared a gorgeous selfie to mark her 50th birthday, along with heartwarming family photos. Picture: Instagram

 

Poh shared photos of her younger self alongside family, including her mother Christina who passed away in November last year.

As was common practice at the time, Poh has previously told how she adopted a Western first name, Sharon, until she was about 25 – and grappled with her Chinese-Australian identity growing up after moving to Adelaide from Kuala Lumpur when she was nine.

“Let go – the most beautiful things in life are impermanent,” Poh said in her list of life lessons.

“Let things flow towards you. Anything I’ve wanted too much tends to bite me in the bum.”

The post was flooded by well-wishes from prominent Aussie personalities, including former MasterChef-turned Dessert Masters judge Melissa Leong, comedian Julia Morris and model Megan Gale.

Poh moved to Adelaide from Kuala Lumpur with her family when she was nine. Picture: Instagram

The 50-year-old’s post was met with an outpouring of love. Picture: Instagram

“Ageless and beautiful inside and out. Love you Poh and sending you the biggest birthday hugs,” Gale wrote.

Poh, who had a burgeoning career as a visual artist prior to MasterChef fame, has gone from strength to strength since appearing on the show.

Between making return appearances on MasterChef, presenting her own series — Great Australian Bites with fellow South Australian Adam Liaw — and operating her own Farmer’s Market stall Jamface, Poh has also garnered a dedicated social media following.

In October, Poh was named as a new judge on MasterChef alongside current judge Andy Allen and cooking royalty Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli.