Shock MasterChef win – quiet achiever secures 2020 crown
Emelia Jackson says she had to be a bit deceitful with her family and friends to keep any word of her MasterChef victory leaking out.
Confidential
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Celebrity chef Emelia Jackson was forced to lie to her friends to keep her MasterChef win a secret.
Monday night’s grand finale episode of the all-star MasterChef Back To Win season was shot seven weeks ago, with Jackson and runner-up Laura Sharrad sworn to secrecy on the outcome of the top reality show of the year.
“I have been holding it in and it has been so hard not to tell everyone I know and love,” Jackson told Confidential. “I just told all of my snoopy friends that we filmed two endings and that I had no idea, which was the easiest way to get them to back off a little.”
Outside of production, the only people Jackson shared the news with ahead of the finale were her partner, Craig, and parents.
It was a secret worth keeping with the 30-year-old from Melbourne beating 23 other ‘all-star’ cooks to secure the 2020 MasterChef Back to Win crown and take home the coveted $250,000 and trophy.
Jackson agreed with commentary labelling her the ‘quiet achiever’ of the competition.
“I don’t think I stood out as someone that would really smash it like I did,” she explained. “Something changed in me somewhere along the line and I became really confident in my skillset and it all just went from there.”
MasterChef Back To Win has been one of the top rating shows of the year and marked a renewed resurgence for the format with three new judges joining the format in Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen.
Jackson, who runs her Emelia Jackson Cake Designs catering and cooking class business was a steady performer throughout the season that saw familiar faces from past series return to the MasterChef kitchen.
Poh Ling Yeow and Reynold Poernomo were favourites to win the series from early on but were eliminated before the grand final.
To claim the win, Jackson beat eventual runner-up Laura Sharrad in a final pressure cook challenge preparing a three course meal of entree, main and dessert for the judges and former contestants in just four hours.
Jackson originally took a shot at the MasterChef title in 2014, when she placed third in that sixth season.
Other well known cooks from previous seasons to compete in 2020 include Khanh Ong, Hayden Quinn, Reece Hignell, Sarah Tiong, Brendan Pang and Amina Elshafei.
“It was so intimidating,” she said of facing off against the familiar faces. “A lot of MasterChef is skill and a lot is just a mental game and that is what I was able to do really well, keep my head in the game.”
Adelaide cook Sharrad, who runs Nido Bar Pasta with husband Max, also came to MasterChef Back To Win from the 2014 season. In placing second, she scored a $30,000 cash prize.
“Never in a million years did I think that I’d be standing here again, after thinking six years ago my MasterChef journey was over,” she said.
“I feel like I grew up on this show, in age, maturity and as a cook. MasterChef has continued to change my life; to better it, and it has given me opportunities that I never dreamt of having. I am forever grateful to come back to this kitchen. It brings me so much joy to witness Emelia being crowned the winner. Her determination, grit, strength, power and confidence shone all season. She is such a deserving winner. My future is bright, and I am so excited for what is coming.”