Sashi Cheliah was crowned the winner of MasterChef Australia four years ago, and last night, he was eliminated from the same kitchen he once conquered. After returning for Fans & Favourites, the chef knew people would have high expectations. After all, he did win the 2018 finale with a record-breaking score of 93/100.
Sadly, after yesterday’s two-part all-in elimination, Sashi’s MasterChef journey came to an end, but despite having to head home, the feeling was bittersweet. “It’s a bit of mixed feelings — exhausted and glad. Exhausted because of everything we went through in the four weeks but glad to be back home with my family,” Cheliah told POPSUGAR Australia.
During his time on the show, Sashi was a force to be reckoned with. In season 10, he went from strength to strength, and no one was surprised when he was crowned the winner. This year, the cook returned with his skills even more refined, but it just takes one bad cook for everything to come crumbling down. However, while he wasn’t so lucky the second time around, he has zero regrets.
“Going back into the show was mainly for myself. The last two years has been a crazy time with COVID and all, so I missed a lot of the creativity when it came to cooking. Putting myself back into the kitchen with the pressure and environment just makes you be creative.”
Returning to MasterChef Australia wasn’t an easy decision for Cheliah, saying he was unsure whether he could commit to the gruelling schedule. His family, on the other hand, told him to take a leap of faith and give it a crack one more time.
“I was having a lot of hesitation, because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep up with the pressure. But the moment I told my family they were like ‘No, you should go! You’ll have a lot of fun’. So my family was very supportive from day one,” he said.
This isn’t the last time you’ll hear from the cooking connoisseur, which comes as no surprise considering the successful empire he’s built since winning the show in 2018.
“I’m a person who likes to do a lot. I’ve been focusing on my current restaurant and making a new menu and all that. We are going overseas and are starting a new outlet in India in June. I’ve also completed my cookbook. Printing is underway, and that will be launching in the first week of August, and will kick off my book tour around Australia.”
MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites airs at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10 Play On Demand.
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