Hannah Johnson’s MasterChef Australia journey has come to an end and, while there were plenty of highs – including seeing her famous cheeseburger pies land on Coles shelves across the country – there were also moments when the competition felt overwhelming.
“One cook, I just missed my family so much,” Hannah, 37, tells TV WEEK. “I stopped mid-cook and had to remind myself to push through. Once it was over, I found a quiet spot and just had a cry. Dot came over and sat with me until I felt better.”
Hannah’s time in the competition came to an end during Knockout Week after she chose Vinnie’s ingredient, mussels, to hero in her dish.
Unfortunately, issues with cleaning and cooking the mussels proved costly.
“I struggled with cleaning them because there was no beard to pull out on half of them,” the mum of four explains. “I knew when serving I needed to check them, but in the rush to get everything on the plate, I completely forgot.”
Despite making it all the way to the Top 10, Hannah leaves the competition with a few unfinished goals.
“I would have loved to do a dessert pressure test or a cook-along with a chef,” she says. “They’re two experiences I never got to have.”
But missing out on those challenges wasn’t as difficult as saying goodbye to the people she’d spent months living and cooking alongside.
“My roommate Emily was one of the hardest people to say goodbye to,” Hannah admits. “By that point we were all doing life so closely together, so it was hard leaving everyone.”
Back home, however, there was a very enthusiastic welcome waiting for her.
“My kids are my biggest supporters,” she says. “They were sad to hear I’d been eliminated, but they were also very happy to have me home. I’d been away for a very long time.”
As for what’s next, Hannah is keen to continue building on everything she learnt in the MasterChef kitchen.
“I’d love to get some experience working in the industry and learn more skills,” she says. “I’d also love to do a supper club or some pop-ups.”
MasterChef Australia airs Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 7pm on Network Ten and 10Play.
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