For its 18th season, MasterChef Australia invited 40 of the country’s best home-cooks to compete for the coveted title of MasterChef Australia 2026, with a $250,000 cash prize up for grabs. Under the watchful eye of judges Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Sofia Levin, the Top 24 earned their aprons and now they prepare to face challenges designed to push them out of their culinary comfort zones.
This season, the MasterChef Australia kitchen will host a dazzling array of guest judges, from homegrown heroes like Maggie Beer, Curtis Stone, Adriano Zumbo and Justine Schofield, to viral VIPs like Andy Cooks, DimSimLim and Catherine Zhang, to globally recognised stars like Robert Irwin, Jimmy and Jane Barnes, and even Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
We’re pleased to introduce the class of 2026.
AARON KHER, 32, VIC
Medical Product Specialist
Instagram: @aaronkher_
Born in Malaysia, Aaron’s family moved to Melbourne when he was five years old. Growing up, his family cherished the ritual of cooking and eating good food. Inspired in his early years by watching his grandmother making Nyonya, Malaysian and Chinese dishes from scratch, and his grandfather teaching him the joy of sharing good food, it was Aaron’s curiosity that drove his desire to learn more about cooking and building technique.
ALITA HARVEY-RODRIGUEZ, 40, VIC
Chief Operating Officer
Instagram: @msalita
A successful tech entrepreneur by day, outside of the boardroom, Alita admits she’s always dreaming of food. Watching her parents in the kitchen from a young age laid the foundation for Alita’s passion for cooking, and she credits her unfortunate luck of being bitten by a tiger snake – four times no less! – with propelling her skill in the kitchen. After the incident on the family’s country Victoria farm aged 12, she was nervous spending time outdoors, turning instead to the kitchen as a safe space, putting into practice what she had grown up learning.
ALYONA ILJUHHINA, 38, NSW
Clinical Research Manager
Instagram: @Alyona.Iljuhhina
Born in the former USSR and raised in post-Soviet Estonia, the food of Alyona’s childhood was simple, but laid strong foundations for a cook with a unique perspective and passion for flavour. Instilled with a no-waste ethos from the word go by her grandmother who taught her how to honour every part of the animal straight from the farm, Alyona is inspired by chefs like Josh Niland who do the same today in a fine-dining setting.
ANNABEL LLOYD, 30, NSW
Registered nurse
Instagram: @annabellloyd_
Having spent most of her adult life working in the ICU, including the COVID pandemic, led Annabel to reevaluate what was important to her. Cooking provided much-needed respite from the confronting intensity and pressure of long days as a frontline worker. Growing up, Annabel’s family home had an incredible vegetable garden that she would forage, loving the farm-to-table approach to cooking. Describing her own style as rustic, Annabel loves to cook food that is generous and produce driven.
BELINDA GOSDEN, 56, WA
Education Administrator
Instagram: @whatsfordinnerbelinda
From the age of 11, Belinda knew she wanted a career in food. It was while living in Papua New Guinea with her family as a young girl that Belinda first learned her way around the kitchen. She has a love of Asian flavours and enjoys creative, off-the-cuff cooking, totally in her element preparing a themed dinner party for friends. Belinda is inspired by the original Australian MasterChef, Julie Goodwin, and hopes to follow in her footsteps, noting her determination, focus and work ethic as inspirational.
BELLA DI CONZA, 20, VIC
Agriculture Student
Instagram: @bella_di_conza
At 20 years of age, Bella is one of the youngest competitors in the MasterChef kitchen for 2026. But youth will not be a hindrance for this ambitious and goal-oriented student with a huge passion for baking. When Bella was just nine, she embarked on a project that she is still working on today, preserving the family’s traditions by documenting her Nonna’s recipes, many of which were taught to her Nonna as a young girl by her own mother and grandmother, solidifying the importance of family and heritage even further.
CASPER KENWORTHY, 28, ACT
Technology Consultant
Instagram: @gucci_schooey
For Casper, moving out of home aged 17 was the catalyst to learn about cooking, largely when his repertoire of sausages, cereal and instant noodles wore thin. Growing up having watched his idols like Josh Niland, Kate Reid and Gordon Ramsay walk through the famous MasterChef Australia doors, this self-confessed food nerd can’t wait to immerse himself in this ultimate microcosm of the food scene.
DOT MCHUGH, 31, NSW
Senior Graphic Designer
Instagram: @dottys.bowl
New Zealand-born Dot has forever been a passionate foodie. Her passion is inherited from her foodie parents, and she credits mum Michelle with teaching her everything she knows in the kitchen. With a cooking style described as freestyle, creative and flavourful, Dot is a savoury gal through and through and loves creating hearty, rustic meals, leaning on her love of textures and flavours, making fresh, seasonal produce sing. Identifying deeply with Nagi Maehashi, Dot loves her job but feels it’s high time to follow her long-held dream of doing something meaningful in the world of food.
EMILY SUE, 37, NSW
Youth Worker
Instagram: @emeatseveryday
Emily was born into a world of food. Her parents owned a small Chinese restaurant in rural NSW, and her grandfather, before that, had opened one of Dubbo’s first Chinese restaurants. When not helping out at the restaurant, Emily and her sister spent a lot of time with their grandma, shadowing her as she cooked them simple but delicious Cantonese food. In the future, Emily would love to combine her loves of cooking and youth work, taking to the road to teach Aussie kids about cooking as a key life skill.
GRACE KING, 23, VIC
Retail Assistant
Instagram: @gracewestking
Food has been a cornerstone of Grace’s life for as long as she can recall. Growing up with parents who co-owned a Melbourne restaurant with chef Karen Martini, Grace was quite simply immersed in food. While Grace has undeniably felt the lure of the food world, she has been too scared to chase her food dream…. until now. Having hosted some side hustle pop-up dinner parties alongside her twin sister and friends, Grace admits she is obsessed by food and realises that spreading joy through a beautiful plate of food is where her passion truly lies.
HANNAH JOHNSON, 37, WA
Homemaker
Instagram: @hannahjohnson.food
For the past 13 years, mum of four Hannah has put her dreams and desires on the back burner to nurture her growing family. While family might have taken priority, Hannah’s passion for food has remained strong, as evidenced by her collection of around 250 cookbooks! With a cooking style that can stretch from homely to more up-market, Hannah loves trying new things and thinks her all-rounder skills will be an asset in the competition. One of her goals in the kitchen is to elicit a “fan-tas-tic" from Jean-Christophe Novelli.
JACK HOSKING, 29, SA
Events Manager
Instagram: @jackhosking__
A massive MasterChef Australia fan, Jack has watched the show for as long as he can remember and even recreated the infamous Snow Egg when he was just 11. He looked up to a young Callum Hann in series two as someone who made cooking cool. Now based in South Australia, Jack has since met his former idol as an adult, and it was with Callum’s encouragement that Jack took the leap to apply for the competition! With a love of seafood and a passion for emulating the fine-dining creations of heroes like Hugh Allen and Peter Gilmore, Jack’s eye is most definitely on the prize as he locks in to making the most of the competition.
JACKIE YU, 31, NSW
Tech Recruiter
Instagram: @jackieyz
Jackie gets her love of food from both her parents, as well as her French stepfather. Growing up eating a blend of Asian and European flavours, Jackie always had a curious palette and a love of trying new flavours. Dubbing herself a sweet tooth from birth, Jackie gravitates toward the sweet side of life and, in 2025, started a side hustle creating custom cakes for friends and events, as well as some food styling.
JEFF LAM, 47, VIC
Print Production Technician
Instagram: @whisked_away_delights
Born in Hong Kong, Jeff’s family migrated to Adelaide in the 80s. Cooking and particularly baking, is not just a hobby for Jeff; it’s a form of creativity and expression that brings him joy. While looking up to luminaries like Nigella Lawson, Maggie Beer and Gordon Ramsay, Jeff considers his mum, Grace, his number one food idol. Having applied for MasterChef Australia several times over the years, in 2026, Jeff finally earned himself a coveted white apron and is casting self-doubt aside to take his place in the Top 24.
KANIKA GADYOK, 35, NSW
IT Analyst
Instagram: @thesydneynest
Born in Delhi, India, where life is noisy, chaotic and absolutely delicious, Kanika’s childhood memories are the sounds of mustard seeds popping in hot oil and the scent of garam masala in the air. Kanika’s Dad, Rakesh, worked as a confectionery chef, and he taught her in the kitchen, as did her beloved Nani and her aunts. Kanika’s knowledge of flavours also evolved by watching Indian street vendors and studying heritage-style recipes. Kanika brings a blend of creativity and structure to all that she does, and the MasterChef Australia kitchen will be no different as she prepares to plate up, with flavour first, always!
LUCY MANSFIELD, 24, QLD
Web Designer
Instagram: @lucemansfield
Lucy’s connection to food was unavoidable from an early age. While dad David co-owned a bakery and managed a cheese shop at Adelaide’s Central Market, her mum Tiyen was a passionate home cook who lived and breathed food, with Lucy and her older sister as chief taste-testers. A lover of sharing recipes, food finds and reviews online, Lucy has amassed ahealthy following across her social media platforms, with one of her favourite meals, her easy but flavourful teriyaki chicken bowl, earning millions of views on TikTok.
LUKE HARRIS, 19, WA
Student
Instagram: @lukkeharris
Growing up, both of Luke’s parents were strong cooking influences, teaching him different tricks in the kitchen. He learnt too from both his grandmas, as well as from YouTube and looked up to food idols Gordan Ramsay, Poh Ling Yeow and Jamie Oliver. Super ambitious and without the weight of experience to cloud his outlook, expect Luke to roll the dice in the kitchen as the competition’s youngest contender.
LYDIA KAMPEROS, 58, NSW
Homemaker
Instagram: @lydiakamperos
Lydia describes her childhood as no different to the My Big Fat Greek Wedding family. The home was always full of extended family visiting and over-the-top feasts, with their Greek culture always prioritised. For Lydia, good food is always linked with a noisy, fun gathering full of family and friends. Lydia learned to cook from her mother, aunties and uncles, alongside Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks and cooking shows like MasterChef Australia. Now stepping onto centre stage herself, it feels surreal, but also the perfect time for this foodie adventure.
MEGS STEEL, 40, QLD
HR Consultant
Instagram: @To.Your.Taste
The youngest child and only girl in her family, Megs recalls a busy home full of laughter growing up, with the kitchen at its heart. At 19, Megs sadly lost her beloved mum to cancer and knows that entering the MasterChef Australia kitchen would bring a huge smile to her mum’s face, proud that she’s putting herself first. The proud owner of 300 cookbooks, friends often ask Megs to cater for their special occasions, and she would love to open a small restaurant called 'Megs Place' with a menu full of seasonal, fresh and delicious food. The journey towards it starts right now.
MIIN WEI LOOI, 52, VIC
Communications Strategist
Instagram: @thehousehusbandofsouthyarra
Growing up in Penang, Malaysia, Miin was raised in a Chinese Malaysian family, with close ties to his godparents who helped raise him from an early age. Watching MasterChef Australia, Miin witnessed Adam Liaw and Alvin Quah showcasing their heritage, and it resonated hugely with him, inspiring him further in the kitchen. Describing his cooking style as traditional Malaysian, incorporating the Malaysian adoption of Chinese, Indian and Malay cuisine, he is also influenced by modern interpretations of Asian dining and modern Australian.
OLAOLU OLORUNNIMBE, 34, NSW
Brand Consultant
Instagram: @olaolus.kitchen
Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Olaolu moved to England to attend boarding school at age 12, where he had to put up with bland and boring mass-catered food for five years. As soon as he hit uni, Olaolu made sure his accommodation had its own kitchen so he could cook for himself and recreate some of the flavours of home. Sharing the food of his culturewith friends drove Olaolu’s desire to further champion Nigerian culture. It’s a spark that continues to grow as Olaolu enters MasterChef Australia, ready to showcase Nigerian flavours.
PAT MCGARRY, 36, NSW
Council Worker
Instagram: @mcgravy_train
Growing up in Bathurst, Pat’s culinary journey started early. He remembers peppering his grandmother with questions in the kitchen and watching Dad Ron cook most afternoons. Describing his cooking style as trial and error, Pat loves nothing more than starting with the inspiration for a dish, building and finessing it in his mind before getting stuck in. With the ability to stay calm under pressure, pragmatic thinker Pat backs himself to hold his nerve in the MasterChef Australia kitchen, ready to chase his dreams with his family right behind him.
PETRO PAPATHOMAS, 30, VIC
Chartered Accountant
Instagram: @petropapa
With his Greek/Cypriot background, good food has always been the fabric of family life for Petro. His love of food was innate from an early age, learning to cook by watching his mum Georgia and yiayiathes (grandmothers) Sophia and Christina. Passionate about Greek and Mediterranean flavours, Petro has spent countless hours perfecting his halloumi recipe over the years. Petro prides himself on giving things a crack and anticipates handling the pressure of the MasterChef Australia kitchen well. Alongside his halloumi, Petro also dreams of opening a modern Cypriot restaurant, passionate about sharing the cuisine with a wider audience.
VINNIE GIBALDI, 25, VIC
Registered Nurse
Instagram: @cookingwithvin
Food has been at the centre of Vinnie’s life for as long as he can remember. Growing up in a big Italian family, food was how they expressed love, celebrated milestones and stayed connected. Vinnie’s father owned a restaurant on Melbourne’s famous Lygon Street, a place that was like Vinnie’s second home. He spent countless hours there learning from his Dad and witnessing firsthand what it takes to run a successful business. Inspired by his father’s journey, Vinnie dreams of opening a small panini shop, “Vinnie’s Panini’s”, where everything would be made from scratch, and everyone is welcome.
