MasterChef Australia’s judges’ auditions are back! In the MasterChef season premiere 40 cooks compete in high-pressure rounds to win one of the 24 aprons. It’s intense.
Before Olaolu Olorunnimbe started his MasterChef journey, he had already faced challenges that would’ve tested anyone.
“I went to boarding school and, as somebody from a different country, there weren’t many people looking like me,” Olaolu tells TV WEEK.
“There was that feeling of not belonging. I would sit there quietly and listen to how people spoke so that I could adopt the accent… so I could be better understood.”
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olaolu missed the bold, vibrant flavours of home during his years of “bland” food at a boarding school in England. But it wasn’t until he moved to Sydney that he truly reconnected with his culture and started cooking and selling the famous West African Jollof rice from his home kitchen.
It was also in Australia that he found his future wife.
“We met on Tinder,” the 34-year-old says with a laugh. “I feel very lucky to have her and her family as a support system in this country so far from home.”
And then along came MasterChef. And, while he was in the thick of the auditioning process and freelancing as a brand consultant, Olaolu decided to propose to his partner.
“I popped the question in Thailand on holiday,” he recalls. “We’ve really bonded over food. For the wedding, we want to have Luke Nguyen’s menu – he’s been on MasterChef as a judge before – at our venue. We want the best food.”
Now part of one of the most diverse seasons yet of MasterChef, Olaolu says his journey has come full circle. Once feeling disconnected from his culture, he is now proudly showcasing it on a national stage.
“To have my perspective on food and my cuisine being welcomed and celebrated on TV is definitely the cherry on top of this experience,” Olaolu says. “I really feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”
MasterChef airs on Sunday at 7pm on 10 and 10Play.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
