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Another contestant has said goodbye to the MasterChef Australia kitchen and tonight it was 34-year-old advertising media buyer Arum Nixon.
TV WEEK caught up with Arum to see how he feels leaving the competition.
Favourite moment from your time on the show?
Getting my apron.
So much happened after, but thinking about that moment still gives me goosebumps.
How did you find the whole MasterChef experience?
It was one of the most intense, fun, interesting, life-changing experiences I’ve ever had.
So many highs and lows I can’t begin to list them all!
Most embarrassing moment?
Where do I start? It’s a competitive category, but saying ‘dipometer’ when talking about my chips and dips is right up there…
What dish are you most proud of?
The dish I cooked that fast-tracked me into finals week. I felt on such a roll that week, and for the first time had a bit of confidence in my cooking – something I struggled with for the whole competition.
I would never have put up a dish like that when I first started in the competition, and to me it showed just how far I’d come to be there.
What is your relationship like with the other contestants? Who were you close to?
It’s not just for the cameras – we genuinely were all really close, particularly those of us still there at the end as we’d been through so much together.
I shared a room with Samuel, Sam, Pete and Callan, and they’re all good friends now.
Who was your biggest competition and why?
Every time I survived in the kitchen I felt a massive sense of achievement – because everyone was a strong cook, who could smash it out of the park on any given day.
Did you have a favourite judge?
You can’t ask me to pick a favourite – that’s not fair!
If I had to pick one, it’d be Gary – he gave me a second chance in the auditions, so without him I wouldn’t have been part of the Top 24. Thanks Gary!
Which judge did you find most intimidating and why?
All three were great guys, who always had our backs. Even when they sounded intimidating, they just were pushing us to do our best.
That said, taking your dish up to such knowledgeable food experts was always intimidating, and never stopped being the most terrifying part of each challenge…
Who do you want to win and why?
All I can say is that whoever wins thoroughly deserves it.
It’s a marathon of a competition, and if you can survive that long, and still keep pushing and coming up with great dishes, then you deserve to lift that trophy.
What did you miss most while in the competition?
Going for long runs outside, and my wife Fiona.
What’s next for you?
In the short term, I’m planning some pop-up events and working in kitchens to gain as much experience as I can.
Longer term, I still hope to open my own place serving pub food with a MasterChef twist – watch this space!
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Cook that bloody duck properly… Seriously though, I feel like I gave the competition my all, and went far further than I could have possibly hoped. So no regrets for me!
