He might be MasterChef Australia’s hot favourite, but Reynold Poernomo is nursing a secret heartache.
“My girlfriend Chelia lives in Bali, so we’re in a long-distance relationship,” Reynold, 27, tells TV WEEK.
“It’s 100 per cent tough anyway, and then COVID-19 happened. I’m not even sure when I can next visit her now.”
Not that a global pandemic is doing anything to dampen the couple’s love.
In fact, Reynold says, the pressure is on to take their relationship to the next level!
“There is a pressure to get engaged,” he says with a laugh.
“I definitely want to get married, but I have a checklist I must meet before I put a ring on her finger.”
Given dessert king Reynold’s meticulousness in the kitchen, it’s hardly surprising he has a plan in place.
“I have standards,” he says. “I want to be financially stable, own multiple businesses and have my own house.”
Reynold and his girlfriend Chelia have been dating for just over three years.
(Image: Instagram)
The couple are in a long distance relationship, with Chelia based in Bali and Reynold in Sydney.
(Image: Instagram)
Sadly due to the current pandemic, the couple don’t know when they will be reunited again.
(Image: Instagram)But despite his practical nature, Reynold admits he’s a real softie when it comes to Chelia.
The pair met in Sydney on Christmas Eve in 2016.
“I was sitting outside KOI Dessert Bar [the Sydney restaurant Reynold runs with his family], and her dad, who my brothers knew, wanted to get an after-dinner coffee,” Reynold recalls.
“I saw a woman in a beautiful red dress with him, so I texted my brothers asking if she was his girlfriend!”
Thankfully, Reynold’s older brothers Ronald and Arnold made it clear that Chelia was his daughter.
“I texted back ‘OMG – intro pls!'” Reynold says.
Reynold and Chelia have been together ever since.
READ NEXT: Dessert king Reynold’s best ever MasterChef creations
The couple pictured during happier times.
(Image: Instagram)
They first met after Reynold spotted her at his popular dessert bar.
(Image: Instagram)
Fans want the couple to get engaged soon – but Reynold says he is taking his time.
(Image: Instagram)So what’s the secret ingredient to making long-distance love work?
“I love making food and she loves eating it,” Reynold says with a laugh, adding that they help one another too.
“If I have olives on my food, I give them to her and if she has beetroot, I eat it for her,” he adds.
“We’re very different people, but despite the distance between us, we’re so compatible. We’re proof that opposites attract.”
WATCH BELOW: Donna Hay makes a baked cheesecake on MasterChef.
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