In a history-making finale of MasterChef Australia: Fans and Favourites, Billie McKay was crowned the very first two-time winner of the cooking competition series, after first winning Season 7 back in 2015.
It’s a joyful moment for the esteemed celebrity chef, who won the competition after going head-to-head with Sarah Todd in the finale episode.
However, fans watching at home were somewhat distracted from the momentous occasion, noting that guest judge Heston Blumenthal didn’t seem like himself in the episode.
“Whoa….. Is Heston sick?!?” wrote one viewer on Twitter.
Another echoed: “Has Heston been suffering some Nekind of illness? He doesn’t look 100%. I know he has recently revealed he has ADHD #MasterChefAU”.
In a statement to The Latch, Network 10 wrote that: “Heston was recovering from a foot injury at the time of filming.”
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Indeed, the British celebrity chef — who has received six Michelin stars over the course of his career — was walking with a limp during the finale.
Heeeeere's Heston! 🙌 #MasterChefAU pic.twitter.com/Ut9ngWl1VO
— MasterChef Australia (@masterchefau) July 12, 2022
Blumenthal is one of the most successful names in the industry. Widely considered a pioneer of molecular gastronomy and multi-sensory dining, Blumenthal is a huge proponent of a scientific approach to food and cooking. In fact, the intriguing celebrity chef has received honorary degrees from Reading, London and Bristol universities and is an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
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He has written eight books and is passionate about the relationship between food and the different senses, particularly sound. One of the signature dishes one might enjoy at The Fat Duck is “Sounds Of The Sea” which involves the diner listening to crashing waves through an iPod hidden inside a conch shell as they munch on cured fillets of yellowfin tuna in bergamot zest, on a ‘sand’ bed of tapioca, miso oil, panko breadcrumbs and grape nuts. That dish, just FYI, is served atop a glass box containing actual sand.
After winning MasterChef Australia back in 2015, McKay was offered her a job at Blumenthal’s restaurant The Fat Duck, which she accepted.
With the $250,000 prize money in her pocket after her Season 14 win, McKay now hopes to open up her own café or restaurant.
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