Alyona Iljuhhina was sadly eliminated from MasterChef Australia 2026, but she’s left the competition armed with some helpful cooking tips and hacks that she’s learnt along the way.
Alyona competed against Casper, Luke and Annabel in a Pressure Test that involved recreating Chef Sam Aisbett’s intricate Crab Salad, and while she was happy with the beautiful dish she presented to the judges, they noted that it was lacking dressing and that the crab was overly seasoned.
In a post-elimination interview with Chattr, Alyona said that while she was “heartbroken” to leave the MasterChef Australia kitchen, the experience had changed her for the better.
“I had lived this incredible experience, and now I had to take everything I learned and bring it into the next part of my life.”
Alyona said her MasterChef Australia journey taught her to prioritise flavour over elaborate techniques, adding that a delicious, flavour-packed dish is something everyone can enjoy.
“Very early in the competition, my roommate Aimee (from Top 40) gave me advice that completely changed my approach. I saw how good everyone was and was trying to learn everything – every technique, every flavour, every skill I thought I was missing. I was constantly looking at what other people could do and thinking I needed to learn that too,” she explained.
“Aimee told me, “You need to stop trying to do everything. Hone in on your flavours, that’s your superpower.”
The MasterChef Australia contestant added that judge Poh Ling Yeow also hammered home how important it was for Alyona to focus on producing delicious flavours, rather than concepts.
“Poh kept encouraging me to lean more deeply into my heritage and where I come from. And throughout the competition, the judges kept giving me another message: you are good with flavour – trust your palette,” she said.
“Sometimes I would come up with these slightly crazy, complex flavour combinations and even the judges would question whether they were all going to work together. But then they would taste the dish and tell me that I did amazing.
“That gave me an enormous sense of trust in myself. I realised I already had a really strong knowledge of ingredients and an intuitive understanding of how flavours work together.”
Alyona recommended that home cooks shift their focus from creating complex meals to going back to basics, making simpler dishes with a strong focus on flavour.
“Techniques can be learned, and I learned so many during the competition. But MasterChef helped me recognise that my palate, my creativity and the way I think about flavour were already strengths I had brought into the kitchen.”
Alyona gushes about the close friendships she made on MasterChef Australia 2026
One glance at the social media accounts of this year’s MasterChef Australia contestants shows that plenty of close friendships were forged behind the scenes.
While close friendships are common on every season of MasterChef, this year’s cast appears to be particularly tight-knit, with many sharing behind-the-scenes photo dumps of lunches out together and nights in spent cooking.
Alyona confirmed to Chattr that the cast grew very close, adding that it was devastating to have to leave the group dynamic when she was eliminated.
“The depth of the friendships and connection we developed. I expected to learn to cook. I expected pressure and challenges. I didn’t expect to meet people who would become like family,” she said.
“There is something incredibly intense but very powerful about living together, cooking together, being vulnerable together, celebrating each other’s wins and supporting each other through the hardest days. I genuinely feel like I have won just by acquiring such amazing friendships that will last a lifetime.”
While Alyona only touched on the friendships she’s built this season in our interview, some fans are convinced that she’s been involved in a budding romance with another contestant.
In an earlier episode, her cast mate Annabel hinted that two contestants had become romantically involved, and Petro’s lingering goodbye hug with Alyona left viewers wondering if they were the mystery pair.
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Wednesday on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Want to CHATTR with us? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more entertainment news.
