Already pipped as an early favourite, Dot McHugh is one contestant to watch this season on MasterChef Australia.
This Kiwi-born 31-year-old foodie basically lives and breathes yummy flavours. For Dot, food isn’t just a casual hobby — it’s her whole personality. Whether she’s trekking across the city for a viral sandwich, nursing a sourdough starter while working from home, or throwing a feast for her favourite peeps, Dot always has something cooking.
Dot entered the MasterChef Australia competition with plans to get married just weeks after filming began, but she didn’t let the bride-to-be jitters get to her. Dot prioritised her food dream and successfully secured one of the coveted white aprons during the initial auditions to join the Top 24.
So far this current season in team challenges, Dot has been drawing from her childhood memories of her Poppa’s stone fruit business in New Zealand. She has leaned heavily into using seasonal produce to create Italy-inspired dishes with big, punchy flavours.
On a recent MasterChef episode, Dot disclosed that she was named the champion at New Zealand’s National Cherry Stone Spitting Competition after she managed to spit her cherry pit a massive 8.2 metres. Goals tbh.
Dot’s love for the kitchen is in her DNA. She learned the ropes from her mum, Michelle, and spent her childhood perched on the kitchen counter acting as a mini sous chef. There were no “kid meals” in her house — she ate whatever the adults were having.
Her grandparents, back in New Zealand, played a huge part in her success in the current reality TV season. Her Poppa was in the fruit business and taught her the magic of seasonal veggies and gardening. To this day, nothing beats the memory of eating sun-warmed tomatoes straight off the vine.
This is everything we know about MasterChef Australia’s Dot McHugh.
What did Dot McHugh do as a job before MasterChef Australia?
When she’s not whisking something delicious up in the kitchen, Dot is a talented graphic designer with an impressive career spanning Sydney, NZ and London.
Bu these days, Dot is taking her freestyle cooking vibes to the MasterChef Australia kitchen. She’s a savoury-over-sweet person who loves making rustic, hearty dishes that let fresh ingredients do the talking. On the show, Dot is pumped to soak up every bit of knowledge she can from the reality show judges: Andy Allen, Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli.
Inspired by her food hero Nagi Maehashi’s (aka RecipeTin Eats) famous career pivot from corporate finance to Australia’s most beloved chef, Dot is ready to see if she can turn her creative eye from graphic design to the culinary world. Whether that means opening her own cafe or something even bigger, she’s finally ready to chase her food dreams for real.
How did MasterChef Australia’s Dot McHugh meet her soon-to-be wife, fiancée, and partner?
After seven years together, Dot’s partner Katie remains her #1 fan, and the two of them love doing life together and hosting big, lively dinner parties.
They met when Dot was working in London as a senior graphic designer. “From the moment we met, it felt as if I’d known her forever,” Dot told TV WEEK. “She makes me laugh, supports me in everything and makes it feel like anything is possible when we’re together.”
However, calling cities on the opposite ends of the world home has been difficult for the couple. “Katie’s British and we’ve been together for eight years,” Dot said.
“Being from opposite sides of the world, visas have always been a big part of our story. We’ve been in Sydney for the past couple of years and New Zealand before that, but being far away from Katie’s family can be tough. It’s something we’ve had to navigate together.”
The engaged couple hope to start a family together soon. “We’d love to start a family,” Dot said. “Katie would be the most incredible mum. There are a few things we need to figure out first, so it’ll be a journey for us, but it’s something we’re so excited about for the future.”
MasterChef Australia airs Sunday 7pm and Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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