What MasterChef Australia winner Brent Draper will do with the $250,000

MasterChef’s new winner is now $250,000 richer – and he’s got big plans for the massive prize money.

MasterChef Australia winner Brent Draper.

Returning MasterChef Australia contestant Brent Draper was crowned winner of season 15 on Sunday night, defeating Rhiannon Anderson after a painstakingly difficult final challenge.

It means the Queensland digital content creator is now $250,000 richer – and he’s got big plans for his prize money.

First on the list: Creating a cookbook that will marry two of Draper’s biggest passions, barbecue food and mental health.

“I’ve been a face for men’s mental health, so I think it’s only right that I keep pushing that message,” Draper told news.com.au today.

“I think it’d be a beautiful present for someone to give their partner who they might think is struggling a little bit, or a conversation starter between mates.”

Brent Draper won MasterChef Australia in Sunday night’s finale. Picture. Channel 10

And Draper is quick to refute and suggestion the two topics might make for an odd pairing.

“For men in particular, something happens when you’ve got a beer in one hand and tongs in the other and you’re flipping some sausages. The walls break down a bit, and you’re able to talk more openly. So I want to do a beautiful recipe book, but with an underlying message and some help in there too. That’s what I’m hungry to do, first up.”

Not all of his plans for the prize money are so altruistic: Draper, who concedes he’s not the financially responsible party in his relationship with wife Shonleigh, also says that he’s been “allowed” to buy a boat.

“I’ve been given a number and I’ve got to stick under it. The rest will go to setting our lives up - we’ve got another baby on the way, so it’s perfect timing, really. Give it to the wife and she can put it away, and keep it away from my prying hands.”

Draper’s triumph this season comes after he was one of the few MasterChef contestants to voluntarily withdraw from the competition, back in 2021. He dropped out midway through season 13, citing mental health issues exacerbated by the stresses of the contest.

A cookbook and a boat are first on his to-do list.

Draper says Jock Zonfrillo was a vocal supporter of his career.

Draper’s family appeared on Sunday’s finale, and his father confessed that he had been nervous about his son returning to the competition. “After last time, I thought, you’ve got to be careful, mate. Think about what it’s going to do to you,” his father said.

Draper said when he left the competition back in 2021, he couldn’t even conceive of returning to the show – “I just had to get out of there and get well” – but as he grew stronger, he knew he could take on the challenge again.

“Everyone had their worries, but I knew myself that I’d done the hard work, and I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t mentally ready for it. I knew the triggers and what to do – I was so much stronger. My wife knew I was ready, because she’s seen everything I’ve done.”

Draper also shared a special bond with late MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo, who supported him back on season 13 when he announced he was leaving the competition.

Zonfrillo’s sudden death in May at the age of 46 shocked fans and colleagues alike, with this season – shot in full before his death – serving as a tribute to him.

“I’ve done a few things for mental health charities, and the first person to donate was always Jock,” Draper revealed.

“He’d always supported anything I was doing. We definitely had a special bond, but he just wanted the best out of everyone – it didn’t matter who you were, he just wanted to see you do well.”

Originally published as What MasterChef Australia winner Brent Draper will do with the $250,000