MasterChef Australia contestant Stephen stuns the judges with his surprise return to the franchise – as Jamie Oliver gives him a very unusual complement
Masterchef Australia participant Stephen Dennis had the judges falling all over himself during Thursday’s episode after impressing them with his kitchen and fitness skills.
The Queensland guide, 62, worked hard during a tough challenge to prepare a macadamia nut cake for the judges.
At one point, judge Poh Ling Yeow, 50, asked Stephen where he got the recipe for his incredible dish, and he replied that he had been cooking for more than 40 years – and then made a surprising admission.
“I was lucky enough to be chosen for the first MasterChef in 2009, but unfortunately there was a cyclone and the road was closed due to a landslide,” he began.
‘Mother Nature can change the direction of your life. I’ve been waiting for 16 years, finally I’m here, it’s great!’
Masterchef Australia contestant Stephen Dennis, 62, (pictured) made the judges trip over himself during Thursday’s episode after impressing them with his kitchen and fitness skills
Stephen then had to run to grab something for his dish, prompting judges Jamie Oliver, 48, and Andy Allen, 35, to marvel at how good shape he was in.
“Stephen has a fit for him. That’s how I want to run at 62. Damn!’ Jamie gushed.
‘I would love to be able to cook like that at the age of 62!’ added an impressed Andy.
Judges Jamie Oliver (left) and Andy Allen (right) both raved about how great Stephen was in the kitchen and how fit he was
Stephen later managed to impress the entire jury with his finished dish, and they told him he was one of the standouts of the evening.
It comes after a female contestant burst into tears during Wednesday night’s shocking episode of MasterChef after Jamie Oliver brutally slammed her dish.
The contestants were tasked with cooking a meal that the judges could eat with their hands, and 27-year-old Alex, from WA, put together a hibachi prawn dish for the panel.
At one point, judge Poh Ling Yeow, 50, asked Stephen where he got the recipe for his incredible dish and he replied that he had been cooking for more than 40 years – and then made a shocking admission.
The sales representative presented her meal to the judges and was delighted when Poh Ling Yeow and Jean-Christophe Novelli told her how delicious it was.
However, Oliver thought differently and made a disgusted face when he tasted the dish, and he didn’t hold back when he told her what he thought.
‘I’m not that positive. I respect that these guys had a great shrimp, but mine is completely raw and my tail is completely cooked,” Oliver told her upset.
A devastated Alex, who had previously admitted she had been a fan of Oliver since childhood, then burst into tears and ran off the set.
Stephen later managed to impress the entire jury with his finished dish, and they told him he was one of the standouts of the evening.