MasterChef top two Brent and Rhiannon will go head to head in 2023 finale

Only two contestants remain – so who will emerge victorious in tonight’s MasterChef grand finale?

MasterChef's top two contestants go head to head tonight.

MasterChef’s final two contestants Brent Draper and Rhiannon Anderson are set to compete for the title of the cooking show on Sunday night.

This current season of MasterChef has been challenging for the cast and viewers alike, with the shock death of beloved judge Jock Zonfrillo just one day before it was due to start airing.

Zonfrillo had filmed the season before his death, making this a bittersweet watch for fans of the franchise.

Tonight, whichever cook scores the most points across two rounds will lift the trophy aloft, claiming $250,000 in prize money, and the title of MasterChef Australia winner, 2023. Let’s look at our two contenders:

Brent Draper

Brent is fighting fit during his MasterChef return. Picture: Channel 10

Brent is a familiar face to MasterChef fans, having also competed in season 13 back in 2021. During that season, he became one of the few MasterChef contestants to voluntarily leave the competition. He confessed that he was struggling with the pressures of the contest and being away from his loved ones, and needed to prioritise his mental health.

He was applauded for his bravery for that difficult decision, and two years later, Brent’s back and fighting fit – all the way to the MasterChef finale. This time around, exercise, meditation and mantras have helped him deal with the stress of life in the competition.

Since leaving the show in 2021, Brent purchased and renovated a bus to hit the road with wife and their young son for the adventure of a lifetime travelling around Australia. For the best part of a year, the Drapers led a simple yet rich life, meeting people, cooking and sharing food and stories.

Inspired by his 2022 travels, next on Brent’s agenda is to buy a farm in South Australia, with a small campground where he would welcome and cook for travellers. $250,000 would certainly go a long way to making that dream a reality …

Rhiannon Anderson

Rhiannon wants to open a restaurant in far north Queensland. Picture: Channel 10

A mum of five and now grandmother at only 46, Townsville’s Rhiannon Anderson went on MasterChef because she wanted to start putting herself first.

Having worked in finance for 18 years, Rhiannon now works alongside husband Dean running the family transport business. Outside work, her love of cooking has been a constant.

Without doubt, Rhiannon’s biggest inspiration in life has been her mum, who sadly lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2021. Her mum became a chef when Rhiannon was 11 and taught Rhiannon all she knows in the kitchen. Before she passed, she told Rhiannon that she must apply for MasterChef.

Intent on soaking up all the knowledge she could on the show, post-MasterChef Rhiannon dreams of opening her own restaurant in Townsville, bringing global cuisine to far north Queensland. She would love to write a cookbook with three-course dinner party menus from cuisines around the globe and would dedicate it to her mum, who always dreamed of having a cookbook too.

The MasterChef Australia 2023 finale airs on Sunday, July 16 at 7:30pm, on Channel 10 and 10 Play.

Originally published as MasterChef top two Brent and Rhiannon will go head to head in 2023 finale