Like all of the MasterChef Australia Back to Win 2025 contestants, Steph de Sousa has competed on the cooking show before. Her first stint was back in 2019 on Season 11, which was the last season featuring original judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston.
From season 12, Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and the late Jock Zonfrillo took over until Season 16, when Andy, Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli fronted the judges panel.
Looking back on her first experience on MasterChef Australia, Steph told Chattr that the change-up in judges has affected the feel of the show.
“It has changed a lot,” she said in an interview after being eliminated during the May 11 episode.
“I was the last season with Gary, George and Matt as the judges. So the kitchen is a very different place now, I think it’s perhaps a bit more playful and not quite as serious as what it was.
“The competition is still serious, but I think the atmosphere is perhaps a bit more relaxed and a bit more jovial than it was. Neither of them are better than each other. It’s just a very different place than what it was.”
Steph added that she found being judged by French chef Jean-Christophe a particularly fun experience, but is a fan of all four judges.
“I hadn’t met Jean Christophe before, so it was interesting meeting him. He’s a very unique character. It was great. It’s just a very different, they have a very different approach. And obviously I know Poh quite well, and I’ve met Andy a few times. So, it was nice.”
Does Steph de Sousa agree with the judge’s critiques at her elimination?
Steph was placed on a team with Jamie, Steph, Andre, Snezana, Tim, and Matt during the episode that aired on May 11. They were asked to nominate one person to go up against two other contestants in a Cube Taste Test, and chose Jamie. Unfortunately for them, Jamie incorrectly identified a strawberry cube, and their entire team was sent through to the elimination round.
In the elimination round, Steph cooked Crispy Pork Belly with Belachan Sauce, and she seemed happy with her dish when she served it up to the judges. However, Andy said there was too much Belachan in her caramel sauce, and Jean-Christophe pointed out that the fat on the pork hadn’t rendered, leading to her elimination.
Looking back at her dish, Steph told Chattr that she’s proud of what she created, and loves the strong taste of Belachan in the sauce.
“I was actually really happy with my dish. So it’s always disappointing when you go out on something that you like,” Steph told Chattr in a post-elimination interview.
“I still stand by it, which is probably stupid,” Steph laughed. “I really liked it. I really honestly felt that the sauce kind of balanced out the fattiness of the pork, but you know, everyone’s got different palettes, and I do like things that are really funky and really strong.”
MasterChef Australia airs on Sunday at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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