Andy Allen reveals the secret discussion he had with Jock Zonfrillo’s widow Lauren Fried that helped him make the decision to return to MasterChef

Darrsh Clarke, 31 – Management Consultant, WA

Darrsh’s love for food and his culinary journey are inspired by his late father, who was a chef at an Indian restaurant.

Darrsh has represented Western Australia on the basketball and volleyball courts, which he hopes will give him an edge in the MasterChef kitchen as he plans to pursue his dreams of opening a fusion bar and restaurant.

Gillian Dinh, 31 – Letter Artist, NSW

Gill’s cooking has been influenced by her mother Doreen and her lover Nonna Lina, as well as her late father Tommy, who taught her to trust her palette.

Inspired by great chefs like Luke Nguyen, Josh Niland and Dan Hong, Gill hopes to bring big flavors to MasterChef.

James Holmes, 38 – Primary school teacher, WA

James grew up in England and his love of cooking has long been inspired by his travels around the world.

He is father to children Benji, seven, and Goldie, three, and is determined to show his children how to take on a new challenge.

Josh Clarke, 27 – Coffee Roaster, QLD

Josh, who grew up in New York, credits his Irish mother Caroline and Jamaican father Jason for inspiring his love of cooking.

After traveling the world, Josh has tasted food from all over the world and also met his now wife Laura in Byron Bay during his travels.

Inspired by Roy Choi, Andy Hearnden and Matty Matheson, Josh hopes to impress with his Spanish-influenced dishes.

Juan De La Cruz Torales Villarreal, 39 – Board game designer, NSW

Juan, born in Argentina, hopes to impress the judges with his Latin American flavors.

Juan looks up to Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann and will bring his signature energy to the show.

Lachlan Whittle, 34 – Gardener, VIC

A doting dad, Lachlan hopes to make his mark on the competition for his daughter Lily, two.

Lachlan unfortunately lost his mother Jan to cancer at the end of last year and recently discovered that he has the genetic, degenerative brain disorder Huntington’s disease and is determined to live life to the fullest.

Lourdes Leschen, 22 – Marketing Coordinator, VIC

Because her mother Laly and Yiayia Ana Maria are from Catalonia, Lourdes has heavy Spanish influences in her cooking.

She is always researching new cookbooks and hopes her wide palette will be an asset to the show.

Nat Thaipun, 28 – Barista, Vic

Nat, an Australian-born Thai woman, grew up eating when her mother Nutsiree ran a Thai restaurant in Melbourne.

She has worked as a barista in Switzerland, Japan and New Zealand for the past seven years and is now ready for a new challenge.

Snezana Calic, 40 – Financial Services, VIC

Born in Croatia and moving to Serbia as a child, Snezana is influenced by Mediterranean and Serbian flavors.

Hoping to change her career path with the show, Snezana dreams of running her own rural, homely cafe.

Stephen Dennis, 62 – Guide, Queensland

Stephen has been dreaming of joining MasterChef for 16 years and is the oldest contender of the 2024 series.

A self-taught chef, Stephen’s favorite cuisine is Japanese and French, and he hopes to make an impression in the MasterChef kitchen.

Sumeet Saigal, 46 – NSW

Growing up in Bangalore, India, Sumeet has fond memories of seeing her parents host dinner parties for their friends.

Her biggest influence was her grandfather Darji, and she hopes to show how versatile Indian food can be on MasterChef.