Petro Papathomas spent what felt like an eternity waiting to discover whether he’d won MasterChef Australia. But deep down, he already knew the answer.
“I had a gut feeling I’d lost,” former accountant Petro, 30, tells TV WEEK. “It wasn’t close in the end, and I think I felt that on the day. I’d already had a chance to process it, but it definitely made the lead-up to the finale harder.”
Ironically, it was the first time throughout the competition the talented home cook had doubted himself. Before the grand finale, Petro had never landed in the bottom, consistently delivering standout dishes and earning praise for his fearless approach in the kitchen.
“I had a lot of top dishes, so I’m really proud of that,” he says. “I learned to take risks. I always wanted to challenge myself and cook things I wouldn’t make at home. Otherwise, I didn’t really see the point of going on MasterChef. I was there to grow as a cook.”
While the trophy and $250,000 slipped through his fingers, Petro says the competition has completely changed his future.
“I want to go work in London,” Petro says. “If I could get some experience with Jean-Christophe [Novelli] overseas, that would be great. Peter Gilmore has always been on the list to work with too. He’s got an amazing balance between high-end food and really tasty food.
“And I would take up a private chef gig for Meghan Markle in a heartbeat if she’s offering,” he says with a laugh.
And after earning rave reviews for his taramasalata throughout the season, Petro admits his dream business has evolved.
“I need to save up some money along the way from my work in the food industry so I can set up my halloumi and now… taramasalata business, because I didn’t win the $250,000,” he jokes.
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