Brutal truth behind MasterChef star’s mysterious exit from show

MasterChef fans were left puzzled last night when a star abruptly exited the season off-camera – here’s the brutal truth about what happened.

Wednesday’s episode of MasterChef Australia started with a mysterious announcement, as judge Andy Allen announced one of this season’s returning contestants had abruptly exited the competition.

“Before we kick things off, I’ve got some news,” Andy told the rest of this season’s all-star contestants. “Due to personal reasons, Pete is unable to continue in the competition, and we wish him nothing but the best.”

“Pete” is 40-year-old NSW chef Pete Campbell, who previously finished second in the show’s 13th season. In an interview with Woman’s Day, Campell revealed the dramatic reason for his sudden exit from the show after only two seasons: He had been diagnosed with cancer.

MasterChef judge Andy Allen briefly addressed Pete’s exit.

Pete lasted just two episodes before life got in the way.

Campbell told the outlet that he had been dealing with swollen lymph nodes for more than a year when filming began on MasterChef, but that they had previously been biopsies and “cleared as not an issue.”

It was when he was filming that the results of another more thorough test came back, revealing that he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a diagnosis he described as “a complete shock.”

Campbell said that he “begged” doctors to allow him to delay treatment until after MasterChef had finished filming, a request he said was flatly denied.

“She told me I’d possibly die and that’s when the severity of the situation really hit me and replaced the disappointment. From there I just wanted to start treatment as soon as possible and get better for my family,” he told Woman’s Day.

Campbell quickly began chemotherapy, supported by wife Alana and daughters Scout and Lux.

The Sydney chef said he pushed to delay treatment until after filming finished – but his doctors strongly advised against it.

Campbell's 'new look' post chemotherapy.

Updating his followers on Instagram overnight, Campbell lamented that he “didn’t even get to cook for the judges! but you know what they say … if you have cancer you should go get chemo,” he wrote. He thanked all those “messaging and checking in”.

He also shared recent photos showing off his “new look for my cancer/chemo era,” with his trademark long locks gone.

Campbell’s sudden off-camera disappearance left some MasterChef fans confused – coming so early in the competition, among a cast of 24, Allen’s brief announcement had some viewers even asking who exactly “Pete” was.

“Which one was Pete?” one viewer tweeted. Another asked if he was “the bloke with the long white hair?” (Yep, that’s him.)

“During production of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, Pete Campbell received a diagnosis that required him to step away from the competition to focus on his health,” a Ten spokesperson said in a statement.

“The MasterChef family supports Pete in his recovery and hopes to see him back doing what he loves in the kitchen very soon.”

Originally published as Brutal truth behind MasterChef star’s mysterious exit from show