Two-time MasterChef Australia contestant Sav Perera has landed the coveted role of a judge on MasterChef Sri Lanka, and she’s shared the invaluable advice the current MasterChef Australia judges shared with her ahead of the new gig.
Sav will be heading up the judges panel alongside by Rohan Fernandopulle, Kapila Jayasinghe and Australian chef Peter Kuruvita for the franchise’s Sri Lankan debut.
While Sav has been passionate about cooking since she was a child, she first appeared on MasterChef Australia in 2024, and placed third. She returned for MasterChef Australia: Back to Win in 2025.
Speaking of her new role, she told Chattr that it took her some time to accept that she was deserving of the influential position, and turned to the MasterChef Australia judges for advice.
“I think the first initial reaction was disbelief, and I think I also had a fair bit of sort of imposter syndrome kick in, which I think is normal. I’ve spoken to Poh [Ling Yeow] about it, and she felt the same way when she was asked. So I think that’s a pretty normal thing to feel,” she explained.
“I felt that it hadn’t been a long time since I’d been out of the [MasterChef Australia] kitchen, so that definitely played into it. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I’m actually positioned quite well to be a judge, because the other three judges are all veteran, trained, professional chefs. I’m the only person who’s gone through the process on that panel, and obviously, I’m from the culture.
“I understand the food really well, the culture really well, and I speak the languages. So I think the more I dwell on it, the more I realise that this is a really unique opportunity for me to showcase Sri Lankan talent to the world.”
What advice did the MasterChef Australia judges give Sav ahead of her judging role?
MasterChef Sri Lanka will be Sav’s first experience as a judge, so naturally, she turned to the MasterChef Australia judges, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Andy Allen, Sofia Levine and Poh for advice.
“All four of them have been incredibly supportive,” Sav told Chattr. “When I broke the news to them, Jean-Christophe actually shed a little tear because he was so proud. He was like, ‘You guys are like my kids,’ especially because we were on his first season.”
Sav said that Poh told her that her experience on MasterChef Australia as a contestant gives her a huge insight into what the MasterChef Sri Lanka contestants will be going through during the competition.
“I do speak to Poh quite often. I keep in touch with her quite a bit, because she’s also here in Adelaide. I think the most helpful thing that she reminded me time and time again is that when you’ve been a contestant, you never forget that you have been on that side of the bench, and that’s the greatest asset that you have as a judge.”
Meanwhile, Sav said that Sofia gave her more practical advice when it comes to judging the contestants’ dishes on MasterChef Sri Lanka.
“Sofia was really handy, because she said, ‘Don’t ever judge on an empty stomach’. And that has been incredible advice for her to share.
“The main thing is not to taste test on an empty stomach, because if you’re hungry, even the most mediocre tasting thing might taste really good.”
Stream MasterChef Australia on 10Play.
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