The drama on the hit cooking contest is nothing compared to the contestants’ real-life experiences.
Dominic: My drinking problem
He admits he cracked under the intense, pressure-cooker atmosphere of MasterChef and lapsed into drinking again, but Dominic Corrigan insists he has his demon well under control.
The big-hearted Sydney father of four, who had a two-week stint in rehab18 months ago, was regularly seen drinking wine and beer during his time in the MasterChef house.
And although the culinary evictee concedes he indulged in the odd tipple, he maintains his drinking never got out of hand.
“They [the producers] let us be shot with beers or glasses of wine in our hands on the elimination nights, but we were very tightly controlled in terms of volume,” Dom, 46, tells Woman’s Day.
“It actually suited me well, because we were only allowed to have one or two drinks a night.
“I have been drinking again for six months, but I’m more aware of it and sensible about it,” he adds. “I choose to do it when I want to, rather than just out of habit. The treatment goal for me had never been abstinence.”
While the software company managing director believes his darkest days are now behind him, he is far from complacent about his potential problems.
Matthew: My dad was ashamed of me
When Matthew Caldicott signed up for MasterChef Australia, he knew his biggest obstacle would not be the other contestants. It would be his parents’ disapproval.
The industrious young Sydney accountant still remembers the moment he confronted his family with his decision to trade his career for a crack at the popular television cook-off…and their incredulous reaction to the news.
“I was sitting in a cafe in Byron Bay when I told them,” Matt, 22, says.
I said, ‘I got a call from MasterChef and I have an audition next week.’ And they were like, ‘What!’ They were pretty apprehensive.”
A fourth-generation accountant working for a prestigious financial firm, Matt says his parents were quick to dismiss his “half-baked” plan to one day open a three-hat restaurant. They also warned him not to throw away all he had achieved until that point.
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