{"id":517146,"date":"2026-07-09T06:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T06:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/517146\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T06:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T06:42:09","slug":"alyona-reveals-what-she-misses-most-about-masterchef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/517146\/","title":{"rendered":"Alyona reveals what she misses most about MasterChef"},"content":{"rendered":"

Determined, enthusiastic and never afraid to back her instincts, Alyona Iljuhhina<\/a> became one of the most creative cooks<\/a> in the MasterChef Australia<\/a> kitchen.<\/p>\n

Now, after finishing the competition in the Top 8, the clinical research manager is adjusting to life back in the real world \u2013 and there\u2019s one surprising thing she misses most.<\/p>\n

\"AlyonaAlyona was sent packing after leaving off an entire element of the mud crab salad dish. (Credit: 10)<\/p>\n

\u201cI really miss being disconnected from phones and social media,\u201d Alyona tells TV WEEK<\/a>. \u201cIn the competition, you are so present with people. Your brain starts working differently \u2013 more creatively, more deeply, more connected. I loved that part and now I deliberately try to have more phone-free time every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alyona\u2019s journey came to an end during Sam Aisbett\u2019s daunting Pressure Test, when she was unable to complete all the elements of his Michelin-starred mud crab salad.<\/p>\n

While making the Top 8 is an incredible achievement, Alyona admits she left the competition feeling she still had more to offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want that to sound overconfident, but I genuinely felt I still had more to give,\u201d she says. \u201cI received beautiful feedback from the judges throughout the season, especially around flavour, cooking from my heritage, creativity and my palate. I felt like I was still growing, learning and had more dishes and ideas I wanted to share.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut MasterChe<\/a>f is brutal in that way. Your past dishes don\u2019t save you. On elimination day, it comes down to the plate in front of the judges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Accepting that reality wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Black Apron day I would say, \u2018Just so you know, I\u2019m not going anywhere,’\u201d she admits. \u201cSo when I actually walked out and the doors closed behind me, part of me still felt like, \u2018No, I\u2019m not going anywhere.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI was heartbroken, but I also felt this strange sense of acceptance and gratitude. I had lived this incredible experience and now I had to take everything I\u2019d learnt and bring it into the next chapter of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

That next chapter will see Alyona continue celebrating the flavours that made her stand out throughout the competition.<\/p>\n

\"AlyonaAlyona\u2019s \u201csuperpower\u201d is blending flavours from her childhood and travels. (Credit: 10)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to share more food inspired by my Eastern European roots, growing up in Estonia, Baltic and Scandinavian flavours, and the places I\u2019ve travelled,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to take those nostalgic ingredients and make them feel modern, vibrant and nourishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my nutrition background, I also want to show that healthy food can feel abundant, joyful and incredibly delicious \u2013 never restrictive.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while her grandmother had been hoping for a Top 5 finish, Alyona has found meaning in her final placing.<\/p>\n

\u201cAaron and Emily kept telling me eight is a lucky number \u2013 it\u2019s also the symbol for infinity \u2013 so I\u2019m taking that as a beautiful sign,\u201d she smiles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came into MasterChef full of self-doubt and left with confidence, lifelong friendships and a very clear sense that this is only the beginning. I feel like I\u2019ve won just by gaining another family through this experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

MasterChef Australia<\/a> airs Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 7pm on Network 10 and 10Play<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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