We’re reaching the pointy end of MasterChef Australia, and on Sunday night, viewers said goodbye to frontrunner Tommy Pham in a heartbreaking elimination. The episode was a wild ride from start to finish, but things really took a turn when the last two people left fighting for their spot in the competition were Alvin Quah and Pham. “You could literally cut the tension with a butter knife,” Pham revealed to The Latch, after being asked what the energy was like in the kitchen. “You could feel it from the people upstairs as well. After I finish a cook, I usually look up to the gantry and chat with them. “But I couldn’t even look up. I just looked straight ahead and my mind was like, ‘don’t look up because you’re going to cry’.” Both cooks naturally gravitate towards Asian food, with Pham being an expert in Vietnamese cooking and Quah leaning more towards Malaysian. It didn’t help that the pair are great friends both in and out of the kitchen, so the entire round felt like Sophie’s Choice. “Alvin and I have a special connection. None of us wants to see the other person leave but we know that at the end of the day, someone’s going home,” said Pham. “It makes the cook 10 times harder, just knowing that you’re up against somebody you really like.” Related: Everyone Who’s Said Goodbye on MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites Related: We Must Know: Is MasterChef Australia on Tonight? Pham was first introduced to MasterChef Australia viewers last year, and quickly won the hearts of everyone watching. His departure the second time around was even more devastating than the first and was something he did not expect. “Just before this elimination I had been on an upwards trajectory,” he recalled. “Every single cook I had been doing the right thing and getting so much praise from the judges. “I thought, ‘wow, I could go really far’ because I kept getting Dish of the Day over and over again. “And then, it just happened so quickly, from so high, I went straight down and that’s what made it hurt a little bit more.” Related: MasterChef Australia: Everything to Know About Guest Judge Rick Stein Related: Steph Woon Explains How ‘MasterChef Australia’ Is Similar to ‘Friends’ However, while Pham’s time in the MasterChef kitchen is over, his personal life is really starting to speed up. Last night, he revealed that he and his partner are expecting another child, and will soon become a family of six. Pham and his partner are already parents to their two-year-old son, Miles, and two dogs. “I’m terrified of having a family of six. So I don’t know how we’re going to survive, but I think we’ll get there somehow!” As for what’s up next, Pham is currently focusing on his growing family but has plans on opening pop-up stalls in the near future. “The biggest thing for me right now is figuring out how I’m going to work with this family situation, and making sure I get that all sorted,” he said. “Then, I’d love to do a pop-up — I did one after last season but it was during lockdown and I could only do deliveries. So, doing a pop-up in a market when I can see people enjoying the food would be amazing.” Want more MasterChef Australia? Read all of our MasterChef Australia content here, and check out the stories below. Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter. The thirteenth series of the Australian cooking game show MasterChef Australia premiered on 19 April 2021[1][2] on Network 10.[2] Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, and Jock Zonfrillo returned to the show as judges from the previous season.
13 July 2021 (2021-07-13)Additional informationFilming dates2 December 2020 (2020-12-02)Series chronology ← Previous Next → Applications for contestants for the 13th series of MasterChef Australia were open between April and August 2020.[3][4] Only three Immunity Pins were up for grabs this season, which all 24 contestants competed for during the first Mystery Box challenge. In addition to being exempt from the first Elimination Challenge, the holders of the Immunity Pins were able to use them at any point during future Elimination Challenges, including right up to the end of a challenge. The Second Chance Challenge returned as Second Chance Week, with two eliminated contestants being given the chance to return instead of one. The Top 24 contestants were announced on 19–20 April 2021.[5]
Future Appearances In Series 14 Tommy Pham and Minoli De Silva appeared for another chance to win the title. Minoli was eliminated on 17 May 2022, finishing 18th and Tommy was eliminated on 19 June 2022, finishing 10th.
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