EXCLUSIVE: Why Michael Weldon couldn’t turn down MasterChef a second time: ”I was kicking myself”

When Michael Weldon received the call asking him to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites, he couldn’t believe his luck.

It wasn’t the first time he’d been asked to return to the show since he first appeared in season three. He’d been asked to have another crack in 2020’s season Back To Win, but turned down the opportunity.

“I said no two years ago because it didn’t fit with my work schedule,” Michael admits to TV WEEK.

“I was kicking myself watching how much fun everyone had, especially as my work was torn to pieces when we all went into lockdown. You don’t often get a second chance at a second chance, so I knew I couldn’t say no again.”

Although he desperately wanted an opportunity to put the skills he’d learnt over the past 11 years in the food industry to the test, he knew it was a big decision to make.

With filming taking up to three months, it put a lot of pressure on his partner Georgia.

“She’s very supportive,” Michael says. “She was instantly like, ‘You have to do it.’ But leaving her alone for that about of time is a bit harsh.”

Michael found his fellow contestants all agreed it’s always a lot harder on their partners back home than it is for those participating on the show.

“We’re in this food bubble and loving it,” he says. “But your partner is at home wanting to know what’s going on, keeping everything afloat and waiting for the show to finish up. It’s a weird dynamic.”

Heading back to where his career all began has been a welcome trip down memory lane for the passionate cook.

“It’s crazy that this reality TV show I went on as a dare from a mate at the pub turned into a career and a life,” he says.

“Food is my everything these days and it’s all because of this crazy, wild, ridiculous TV show.

“It’s nice to remember the amazing experience it was, and to get to do it again﷯ i﷯s pretty cool.”

laura-masia