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From one MasterChef mum to another

From one MasterChef mum to another

After six months of separation from her family, Joanne Zalm is the last mum left in MasterChef – and there’s only one woman who can understand what she’s going through. Now Joanne tells Lucy Chesterton how the bond between her and Julie Goodwin keeps her going.

Joanne Zalm is creaming the competition on MasterChef, but as the show heads for boiling point, her thoughts are turning towards home – and the incredible family she thought she’d never have.

Just like Julie Goodwin, Joanne has left her children at home while she follows her food dream, and the sweetness of her success has come at a personal cost.

But the two have agreed that, despite the heartache of being apart from their children, they refuse to give up their dream.

“My children are always on my mind and being away from them is another challenge on top of all the other obstacles we face,” Joanne, 37, says, and Julie agrees.

“My boys struggled and they had times when they really, really missed me – and gosh, I had those times too – but they never once asked me to come home,” Julie, 40, says. “It’s a tough decision to make but once you do it, you have to give it all you’ve got.”

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