MasterChef Australia is coming back with a new cast of judges. In 2023, the beloved judge Jock Zonfrillo passed away. Later in the year, Melissa Leong announced that she would be stepping away from MasterChef Australia to focus on the second season of MasterChef: Dessert Masters.
One of the new judges coming to MasterChef Australia is Poh Ling Yeow. She’ll be joined by Andy Allen, Jean-Christophe Novelli, and Sofia Levin.
Poh is best known for being a founding member of the MasterChef Australia family. Back in 2009, she was on the first-ever season of MasterChef Australia, coming the runner-up behind Julie Goodwin.
In a press statement, Poh said that joining MasterChef Australia as a judge was “a thrilling, full circle moment”.
“MasterChef Australia is where my food story began, so this feels like coming home,” she explained. “A big part of me will always be standing on the other side with the contestants and I hope when they look to me, they see proof you don’t have to win to win.”
But beyond MasterChef Australia, who is Poh? What do her other successes consist of? Here’s everything we know about this top-notch chef.
Beyond MasterChef Australia, Who Is Poh Ling Yeow?
Beyond coming second on MasterChef Australia, Poh Ling Yeow has worked on numerous successful cooking shows. In 2010, she hosted Poh’s Kitchen for ABC, a series that propelled her to get nominated for a Most Popular New Female Talent Logie. In 2015, she created Poh & Co for SBS, where she cooked delicious meals across the city of Adelaide.
Last year, Poh collaborated with the celebrity chef Adam Liaw on a new cooking show, Adam & Poh’s Great Australian Bites. In this series, Adam and Poh travelled to different Aussie cities to cook meals with the locals.
Beyond cooking, Poh is a successful visual artist. Last year, her series The Girl was displayed around the city of Adelaide. The Girl depicts portraits of hyper-stylised Malaysian girls on minimalist backgrounds.
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Poh Ling Yeow’s Other Appearances on MasterChef Australia
Since Poh Ling Yeow’s MasterChef Australia debut, she has returned to her roots on numerous occasions. In Season 11, she was a mentor, helping all the contestants grow as cooks. Additionally, Poh jumped back into the competitive fray on Season 12, coming sixth.
MasterChef Australia 2024 will premiere at 7.30pm on Monday, April 22, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand. Miss this episode? Catch up on 10 Play.
Want more MasterChef Australia? Read all our content here and the stories below:
- The Beautiful Story Behind Jock Zonfrillo’s Worry Beads
- A Taste of Hong Kong — MasterChef Australia Is Heading Overseas
- Melissa Leong Reveals How Much Food the MasterChef Judges Actually Eat
- MasterChef Australia Confirms Its New Judging Panel for 2024
- MasterChef Australia Crowns Brent Draper As Its 2023 Winner
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