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After three attempts, Laura Sharrad has finally won MasterChef Australia. The 29-year-old chef from Adelaide beat Callum Hann in Tuesday night\u2019s intense Back to Win grand final, which pitted former contestants against one another. Sharrad spoke to National TV Editor Louise Rugendyke about her win and if she was, indeed, truly crazy for putting herself through it all again and again – and again.<\/p>\n
Congratulations! How are you feeling? Honestly, amazing. It is the most surreal feeling, waking up a winner. Being able to achieve a goal that I\u2019ve had for so long is a very, very special one.<\/p>\n
How long ago did you film the grand final episode? Production wrapped up a few months ago. So I\u2019ve been keeping my mouth zipped shut. It was so hard. The only person that knew, other than myself, was my husband Max, and we were getting questions coming in from everywhere: our parents, siblings, friends, work colleagues, business partners, everyone wanted to know. We did film two endings, so we just kept saying: \u201cI\u2019m going to find out on the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Laura Sharrad with judges (from left) Poh Ling Yeow, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Sofia Levin and Andy Allen.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s wild that you film two endings \u2013 one where you win and one where you don\u2019t. Did you have to practise your happy and sad face? I\u2019m grateful I don\u2019t need to use that [sad] face ever again! But it is really hard. The winning and losing speech are similar in the weirdest way because you\u2019ve already achieved so much just getting there. It is hard to find the right words as well, when everyone is looking at you and wanting you to say the most incredible things, and you want to make sure you thank everyone.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve been a finalist three times, does that mean you have held the MasterChef Australia trophy three times, but had to fake it twice? That feels quite cruel. The original season I did [in 2014], we had two endings. The first Back to Win [series in 2020], we didn\u2019t. So I\u2019ve experienced it all. I\u2019ve held a trophy twice, technically, but only won once.<\/p>\n
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The MasterChef Australia grand final Pressure Test dessert: Botanical Garden by\u00a0Miko Aspiras.<\/p>\n
How hard was the final Pressure Test, where you had to recreate the floral dessert by Philippine pastry chef Miko Aspiras? I saw you swear when the curtain dropped to reveal it … I\u2019m pretty sure they stopped filming when I was trying to say a word that starts with F and ends with K! Even watching my reaction last night, I was like: \u201cWhat is happening? This is insane.\u201d I was terrified because this [dessert] is going to decide my fate in this kitchen. But it was so delicious.<\/p>\n
Of the three finals you have competed in, which one has been the most difficult? The first one was hard because I was so young [Sharrad was only 18] and I didn\u2019t have the experience. And the second time around was really hard because it was COVID, so our families weren\u2019t there. [Winner] Emelia [Jackson]<\/a> and I weren\u2019t meant to hug, but we did because it was like \u201cI haven\u2019t hugged someone for months\u201d. But I definitely think this was probably the hardest. Going up against Callum, he\u2019s one of the best cooks MasterChef has ever had as a competitor. And the [Pressure Test] dish was truly hard. It was a 4\u00bd-hour cook – an absolute marathon.<\/p>\n Laura Sharrad and Callum Hann cooking during this year\u2019s Back to Win season. <\/p>\n You are mad. Why would you put yourself through this level of stress three times?<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n It\u2019s really not normal. I\u2019m a sucker for pain. I\u2019ve said I\u2019m not going back as a contestant, I\u2019m hanging up my apron, I\u2019m retiring. And then last night, I was like: \u201cOh my god, it looks so fun. I would love to go back just for one cook.\u201d And then I\u2019m like: \u201cNo, you\u2019re going to give yourself a heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n I loved that you said on the final episode that being a mum to 15-month-old Florence had really changed your perspective on cooking. <\/p>\n There are so many things that hold people back from achieving their goals. And sometimes it\u2019s not achievable. For me, I had a five-month-old baby, and I was like: \u201cWhat am I doing?\u201d I breastfed full-time through the whole season, until two weeks before the end. But I wanted to show Floss you can do whatever you want to, if you put your mind to it. She also started her solids journey while I was filming.<\/p>\n Those solids must be pretty good when your mum is on MasterChef Australia. She was eating all the things I was practicing with. One day, she had marron and my husband\u2019s trying to take a photo of her, and I was like: \u201cDon\u2019t, people are going to think that we\u2019re such snobs feeding a nine-month-old baby marron.\u201d But it did get the shellfish allergy test out of the way.<\/p>\n Laura Sharrad with her winner\u2019s trophy. <\/p>\n You have faced all three sets of judges on the show \u2013 Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston in season six; Jock Zonfrillo<\/a>, Andy Allen and Melissa Leong<\/a> in season 12 and now Poh Ling Yeow<\/a>, Sofia Levin<\/a>, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Allen, again, in season 17 \u2013 who is the most intimidating? That is a hard one. I feel like the OG boys, back in the day, were pretty intimidating. I saw a video online the other day of Gary calling a dish disgusting. That\u2019s brutal. But I think that was a very different style of TV back then.<\/p>\n Did any of the judges have a \u201ctell\u201d, like in poker, where you knew you were on a winner? Jean-Christophe always struggled to keep the emotion in. He\u2019d always come over, mid-cook, and he\u2019d be tasting something, and Andy would be there, trying to build the jeopardy \u2013 \u201cAre you going to pull this off?\u201d \u2013 and Jean-Christophe is there smiling and tasting the sauce and saying, \u201cOooh, that\u2019s delicious\u201d. And Andy\u2019s like: \u201cYou\u2019re not meant to say what\u2019s happening!\u201d<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n What was the first thing you cooked once you were out of the MasterChef kitchen? Please tell me it was a cheese toastie? I consumed so many cheese toasties while I was in the green room [while filming]! It was a bowl of pork sausage ragu pasta. It was nice to have my brain switch off completely from like: \u201cOh, do I have to practice this?\u201d You think about food in the weirdest way when you\u2019re on the show, you dissect everything. So to go back to home cooking is so nice.<\/p>\n Now you\u2019ve done three seasons on MasterChef Australia, what reality show is next? I\u2019m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! or Australian Survivor<\/a>, perhaps? I don\u2019t think you could pay me enough or say the right words to get me on I\u2019m a Celebrity. I\u2019m terrified of everything, which would make great television. I\u2019m just going to enjoy some quiet time at home. Maybe stay away from reality TV for a while.<\/p>\n MasterChef Australia is now streaming on 10Play.<\/p>\n![\"Laura](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2ada9f34e774c9f138cc866c59c46f8e4cb025e0.jpeg\")
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