Lovable dentist Matt Hopcraft returned to the MasterChef Australia 2025 kitchen a decade after his first stint to compete against some of the most impressive contestants of all time for Back to Win.
Amongst the cast is two-time runner up Laura Sharrad, MasterChef Asia judge Audra Morrice and food writer Alana Lowes.
Matt was sent home during a challenge involving “tableside theatre”. In a post-elimination interview, he told Chattr that when he first laid eyes on his fellow competitors, he knew the season was going to be challenging.
“I think once you find out that you’re up against some of the big names that have come in that kitchen before and have done really well, who are accomplished chefs, I think that was always going to be really, really tough.
“But, I wanted to push myself to be a little bit more creative, to be a little bit more myself this time around than last time around, and I think I did that. I guess there was a part of me that hoped that I would go further, that hoped that I was in with a chance to win, because that’s why you go on in the first place.”
Of course, fans of MasterChef Australia Back to Win will know that three contestants, Callum Hann, Sarah Todd, and Laura, returned for a third time this season. However, Matt explained that it wasn’t the contestant’s extra time in the MasterChef kitchen that he saw as a threat.
The three MasterChef Australia contestants that Matt thinks have an advantage
Matt explained that he believes contestants with extensive experience working in kitchens and restaurants have a huge advantage in comparison to other contestants. He named Andre Ursini, Laura and Callum as having the kind of professional background that gives them a significant edge
“Callum and Laura, who have restaurants, and Andre, who’s got a restaurant, those sort of people that you just knew are cooking every day, high-quality food, running services all the time. I think they were, they were clearly the people to watch.
“They’ve definitely got a huge advantage because they are so immersed in food.”
Matt referred back to Episode 1, in which Callum headed up their team and they won.
“That for me was [evident] on day one, when we had to do a service challenge for Gordon Ramsay and Callum was our team captain, it was just really obvious. We won because he was able to marshal us into a team, with people that had never met each other and who’d never cooked [together] before. So it’s definitely an advantage.”
Will we see a restaurant owner take out the season? We’ll just have to wait and see!
MasterChef Australia airs on Sunday at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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