If you could sum up what success looks like on MasterChef Australia, you only have to look at Emelia Jackson.
The 35-year-old came to national fame in 2014 when she placed third in the reality cooking competition, going on to win the 2020 season and place second in the most recent season of Dessert Masters.
While she missed out on winning the 2024 season of the dessert-based spin-off by a mere two points to John Demetrios, Emelia tells New Idea that she still has plenty to celebrate.
“I’m really proud of the dishes I made,” the mother-of-two shared with New Idea the morning after the Grand Final.
“I wouldn’t change anything, especially the finale where I gave it my all. I don’t think there was anything I could have done differently,” she adds.
When quizzed on how her time on Dessert Masters compared to her previous appearances in the MasterChef kitchen, Emelia said it was a “dramatically different” experience.
“I think I was expecting to go in and for it to be like MasterChef but it was definitely a different beast.”
“It was so, so different. It was chaotic, fun, and exciting and it really, really pushed me, mostly creatively.”
Given Emelia has appeared on the beloved Aussie reality show a record three times, we had to ask her about the pressure she undoubtedly would have experienced based on her previous success on the show.
“I put another level of pressure on myself [this time] after winning Back to Win. I kinda felt like I would embarrass myself if I didn’t do well on Dessert Masters, so I’m really glad I didn’t do that. But it was all just internal pressure. I just wanted to go on and make myself and my family proud which I did!” Emelia tells us.
As for what the future holds, the Dessert Masters runner-up is currently promoting her second cookbook Some of My Best Friends are Cookies, and is looking forward to working on her third in 2025.
“I really love making books, I think I’ve found what makes me happiest in life which is writing and teaching. Some hands-on classes will also be coming next year.”
She also has no plans to return to the MasterChef kitchen ever again – at least as a contestant.
“I don’t want this to sound like a negative thing but absolutely not. I very much feel complete in my experience as a competitor on MasterChef. I really showed everything that I ever wanted to show. I think I really found who I am as a cook, which is all thanks to that kitchen. I am so grateful for all the opportunities [MasterChef] has given me.”
“The one thing that Dessert Masters taught me is that I don’t know if I’m cut out for the pressure anymore. The grand finale pushed me to my absolute limit, I don’t think I could cut it again,” Emelia adds.
“I feel really lucky, I’ve come first, second, and third. I don’t know if there’s much left for me to explore as a competitor. I just feel so grateful for my experience over this past decade with MasterChef.”
