MasterChef Australia 2025: Back To Win came to a nail-biting conclusion tonight, with Laura Sharrad being crowned the winner on her third season of the hit reality series.
Laura first appeared on MasterChef in 2014 on Season 6 when she was just 19 years old, becoming the youngest ever contestant to reach the top three. She returned for a Back To Win season in 2020, where she finished runner-up.
Now, Laura’s finally nabbed the winning title after a stellar season of cooking in the 2025 season.
What happened in the finale of MasterChef Australia 2025?
The MasterChef Australia 2025 finale consisted of two rounds. In round one, Callum and Laura were shown five classic flavour pairings, but they’d end up using only one of them.
They were presented with two golden knives, and whoever chose the first golden knife had the first choice to remove one flavour pairing. It was a game of strategy, and both contestants worked to remove items they thought their competitor would succeed with.
The final flavour pairing they were left with was potato and rosemary. Laura cooked a potato risotto with rosemary while Callum cooked a creative take of oyster and potato noodles, and the judges were thoroughly impressed with both dishes.
Callum received a 9 from Andy, 9 from Sofia, 10 from Jean Christophe and 10 from Poh. Laura scored a 9 from Andy, 9 from Sofia, 10 from Jean Christophe and 10 from Poh. Meaning, that the score was dead even at 38 out of 40.
Round two was a pressure test set by Filino pastry chef Miko Aspiras and Laura and Callum were tasked with recreating the most technical and complex dish he’s ever created, a Bontanical Garden cake.
The time limit was a struggle for the grand finalists, and both had issues with their chocolate pebbles; Laura’s were too small, and Callum’s were rushed. Because of the time crunch, Callum went rogue, rather than following the Pressure Test instructions.
While both contestants presented a complete dessert to the judges, Callum was clearly overwhelmed by the end of the Pressure Test and burst into tears when the time ran out.
In the end, Laura received a 8 from Miko, 8 from Poh, 9 from Sofia, 9 from Andy and 8 from Jean Christophe. Callum scored a 7 from Miko, 7 from Poh, 7 from Sofia, 7 from Andy and 7 from Jean Christophe.
That meant that Laura’s final score was 80 out of 90, compared to Callum’s 73, and she was crowned the winner of MasterChef Australia 2025.
“This is the most surreal feeling in the whole entire world, I’m just truly so proud of myself for coming back for a third time and completely setting myself up for heartbreak, and pulling off what I never really thought I could do,” Laura said through tears.
Laura’s time on MasterChef: Back To Win 2025
Laura said winning the title for the 2025 MasterChef season would be the “perfect closing chapter” and she fulfilled her dreams, beating fellow South Aussie chef Callum Hann in an exciting finale.
The third-time lucky contestant dedicated the season to her daughter Florence, who she gave birth to in 2024.
Laura dazzled the judges this season, winning immunity numerous times, and cooking some standout dishes like her Italian pasta dish with native Australian ingredients in episode 46, which saw Poh note in an emotional moment that Laura had channelled her mentor, Jock Zonfrillo.
From Sicilian rabbit ragu, to hand-cut tagliarini with yuzu kosho, Laura consistently blew away the judges week-to-week, scoring immunity three times. She also won the ice cream challenge set by Curtis Stone, which saw her creation of her Sticky Date Pudding & Butterscotch ice cream sold in Coles nationwide.
Laura’s previous MasterChef Australia attempts
MasterChef Season 6, 2014
Laura first appeared on MasterChef just over a decade ago, finishing as runner-up behind Brent Owens, scoring 80 points to his 83. She became the youngest contestant ever to win an immunity pin during this series, after facing off against Michelin-trained chef Donovan Cooke, crafting a Sicilian-inspired crispy-skinned snapper with a caper, anchovy, and tomato vinaigrette.
After the show, she worked with Jock Zonfrillo (prior to his MasterChef judging days) at his critically acclaimed restaurant Orana in Adelaide, before launching her own restaurant Nido.
Masterchef: Back To Win, 2020
Becoming the first person in MasterChef history to finish as runner-up twice, Laura came back for another standout cook, only being pipped at the post in the finale by Emelia Jackson. The final cook-off was one of the most intense seen on Aussie screens, as Emelia and Laura faced off in a high-pressure, four-hour service challenge.
Laura received backlash during this season, due to her close relationship with mentor Jock, and was accused of fans of cooking too many pasta dishes. At the time, she called the commentary “unfair and frustrating”.
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