Anyone watching MasterChef Australia can see the close bonds between this season’s contestants but, according to Annabel Lloyd, what viewers see on screen only scratches the surface.
“This group genuinely love and support one another,” Annabel, 30, tells TV WEEK.
“All that cheering from the gantry and everyone backing each other is completely real. Some of my closest friendships have come from this experience and that’s something I’ll take away with me long after the competition ends.”
Those friendships have come at a time of huge change for the New South Wales nurse, who only seriously began exploring her love of cooking in recent years.
“It’s been exciting and terrifying to start over,” she says. “For most of my adult life, I’ve been a nurse and that’s a huge part of who I am and always will be. MasterChef has opened the door to a completely different world, and I’m still figuring out what that looks like.”
While Annabel is often seen laughing and having fun in the kitchen, she admits there were plenty of emotional moments behind the scenes.
“I definitely had tough days,” she reveals. “You’re away from your family, your friends, your routine and everything familiar, and you’re operating under pressure every single day. But I never got to a point when I wanted to leave. Even on the stressful days, I was having the time of my life.”
One person who has noticed Annabel’s growth in the competition is judge Jean-Christophe Novelli, who recently declared he would hire her.
“I would work with him in a heartbeat,” Annabel says with excitement. “Any opportunity to learn from someone like Jean-Christophe would be pretty hard to turn down. Watching the show back has definitely made me realise how supportive he was throughout the competition, which has been really special.”
This week, the contestants are facing a team service challenge. With her confidence continuing to grow and her skills sharper than ever, can Annabel keep her impressive run in the competition alive?
MasterChef Australia airs Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 7pm on Network Ten and 10Play.
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