Steph de Sousa didn’t just survive her time in the MasterChef Australia kitchen; she built an empire from it.
The self-titled Frugal Foodie now boasts nearly three million social media followers and a bestselling cookbook series. Now Steph’s back on our screens in Masterchef: Back to Win – and she’s determined to cook with joy, not with stress.
“This time, coming in, my whole philosophy was: I am just going to enjoy this,” Steph, 52, tells TV WEEK. “I put so much pressure on myself last time. I was absolutely gutted and devastated when I left.”
Steph placed twelfth in the competition and, however dark that experience, it sparked a new life path. She left her job in HR, launched a catering company, started hosting her show Frugal Foodie, and became a voice for everyday ordinary home cooks.
But, just weeks before hitting the exciting milestone of one million followers, Steph was hospitalised.
“I had a virus lodged in my middle ear,” reveals Steph, who lives in Lake Macquarie, NSW. “I couldn’t walk.”
That wake-up call reminded her to slow down, especially for her husband, Neville, and their four kids. It’s the family that called her “mad” for going back into the kitchen after her last experience.
“I really did crash and burn,” Steph recalls, sadly.
“I wasn’t myself for three months. But this time, I just want to cook some good food, meet some new friends, and have a bit of fun.”
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