Nick Riewoldt has officially been crowned the winner of Celebrity MasterChef Australia after an intense final cook-off.
“It’s been one of the best things I’ve done, one of the best experiences I’ve had. You know, there’s an emotional element in terms of the charity that I’m playing for.
“And that’ll make a difference, like, a tangible difference, to people’s lives, and I’ve seen that element of it. It really does mean a lot, and it feels incredible,” he gushed after finding out his victory.
Nick hasn’t just walked away with the lucrative title, but he has also raised $100,000 for his chosen charity, Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision.
The former footballer had co-founded the charity after the tragic passing of his sister Maddie in 2015, which made the win even more special for the athlete.
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Over the past few weeks, the show offered a wholesome nugget for Australians to enjoy on television, but things took a turn for the serious when the final three were announced last Monday.
After impressing judges, Melissa Leong, Andy Allen, and Jock Zonfrillo, former footballer Nick Riewoldt, designer Collette Dinnigan, and Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Tilly Ramsay found themselves in the top three.
Even though the arduous task ahead of them was daunting for the amateur cooks, they handled their final hurrah with the same smiles that had adorned their faces from day one.
Their eliminated castmates watched on with pride, anxiety, and a hint of relief they weren’t the ones in the famous kitchen.
Actor Rebecca Gibney, Olympian Ian Thorpe, radio host Chrissie Swan, actor Matt Le Nevez, singer Dami Im, soccer player Archie Thompson, and comedian Dilruk Jayasinha had joined the final three on their unique journey.
Over the weeks, it became apparent to audiences that every celeb felt immense pressure during their time on the show.
Dami exclusively revealed to TV WEEK, “Just being there together under the same kind of stress was really interesting, and I think we bonded a lot because there were such intense moments.”
The final three battled it out in a nail-biting finale.
(Credit: Ten)Chrissie Swan echoed Dami’s sentiments in her Ten Play interview.
“That was the most unexpected part – how much pressure there was,” she said. “Stuff got very real, very quickly… It was incredibly nerve-racking.”
Despite feeling the pressure that comes with MasterChef and likely forging a new appreciation for chefs, it was clear the celebrities had the best time.
After being eliminated, Rebecca penned a sweet note about her experience on Instagram.
“Every time you walked into the kitchen, it was just such a beautiful experience.”
(Credit: Ten)“Honestly I had the most extraordinary time on @masterchefau . From the moment I walked through those iconic doors to the day I skipped out arm and arm with the wonderful @dilrukj,” she wrote.
Former athlete Archie also saw the bright side after leaving by telling Ten, “Every time you walked into the kitchen, it was just such a beautiful experience.”
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