(DYNAMIC STRING MUSIC)
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the MasterChef kitchen!
NARRATOR: This season on MasterChef Australia...
Jamie Oliver! Oh, look at you lovely people!
RUE: Oh, my gosh.
..the country's best home cooks
embarked on a season of secrets and surprises...
(SQUEALS) (CONTESTANT LAUGHS)
(ALL EXCLAIM)
RALPH: Are you kidding me? Ta-da!
GRACE: No way. Yes way.
MAN: Whoa!
GRACE: That's crazy.
(ALL GASP)
MELISSA: Josh Niland!
NARRATOR: ..inspired by culinary superstars...
ANDY: Curtis Stone!
Here's the big dog. (BARKS)
The one, the only Maggie Beer.
MELISSA: It's Rick Stein!
It's just simple perfection. Thank you.
The legendary Clare Smyth.
Let's go!
Come on!
NARRATOR: ..and amazing locations.
CATH: Oh, wow!
JOCK: Get a load of this! (ALL EXCLAIM)
DECLAN: Wow! RHIANNON: Oh, my goodness!
Let's go! Hustle, hustle!
(CREAM SQUIRTS) (CONTESTANTS EXCLAIM)
PHIL: You're on fire. CATH: Theo, gotta put the cream in!
Oh, man. WOMAN 2: Oh, my God.
Get it in the bowl! Service, please.
It was cooked to perfection.
NARRATOR: They created some of the most surprising dishes ever seen.
That is how you flambe with flair.
Yeah!
JOCK: It is bloody delicious.
Friendships were formed.
(MELISSA LAUGHS) You done a good job, my brother.
(LAUGHS)
(SNIFFLES)
Love you heaps. Yeah, forever.
Today, you have cooked with soul.
(CONTESTANTS CHEER)
You will always be a member of this beautiful MasterChef family.
Thank you so much.
NARRATOR: Now only two remain.
Who will be crowned Australia's next MasterChef?
(DYNAMIC STRING MUSIC)
Oh, my God!
RHIANNON: Let's go, Queenslander.
(ALL CHEER AND APPLAUD)
Wow.
You two definitely look the part today, dressed to impress.
And hopefully dressed for success, right?
Yeah, definitely.
Because this is the grand finale of MasterChef 2023.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)
Well done. Thank you.
Oh! It's a bit emotional.
One of you is about to pocket a quarter of a million dollars...
Ooh!
..have your name engraved on that trophy
and earn the title
of Australia's next MasterChef for 2023.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)
I can't breathe.
(LAUGHS) Keep breathing.
Brent, I want to hear it, mate. How are you feeling right now?
What a journey, you know?
Um... A long journey.
And you know it started way before this season.
And to just know all the hard work,
everything I've done for myself has gotten me here,
that's the mission that I sort of set myself when I come back
and to know that I'm so close to just living out the dream...
..and coming back from a lot, a really dark place,
uh, and, you know, getting to lift that above the head,
it'd be just everything.
Rhiannon, what about you?
You have come in here and just been such a fierce competitor.
You haven't let anything faze you.
Oh, my God. My motto, "Fake it till you make it," must be working!
(CONTESTANTS LAUGH) Oh, yeah, you feeling it?
But you know what? It's been so bloody awesome.
Like, I have grown so much
as a person, as a cook.
I just feel so bloody blessed.
Righto, when you pictured yourself here,
you saw your friends on the gantry
and you saw your families by your side.
Yep.
And now...
Oh!
..please welcome to the MasterChef kitchen...
(BRENT CHUCKLES)
..your families.
No! (WEEPS)
Oh, my God!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(BRENT LAUGHS)
Oh! Thank you so much.
Oh, God! Mwah!
(WEEPS)
(EMOTIVE MUSIC)
Brent, who you got with us, mate? Introduce us to the family.
Yeah, so we got little Alfie here.
Hey, you're right.
(LAUGHS)
Um, my mum, Mandy, and my dad, David.
And then Shonleigh. JOCK: Nice to meet you all.
Um, yeah, and you'll see his face soon.
(ALL LAUGH)
Mandy, it must have been tough
to watch Brent leave the competition last season.
Yes.
Was there a part of you that was worried about Brent coming back?
Um... DAVID: There was for me, mate.
Yeah?
Yep.
After last year, I just thought,
"You just gotta be careful, make the right decisions,
"think about what it's gonna do to you," you know,
"with your life too."
So it was hard.
What about now? How do you see Brent right now?
Um, he's done really well, real well.
(TEARFULLY) And now, um, so proud.
(EMOTIVE MUSIC)
(DAVID CHUCKLES)
Alfie, do you miss Dad's cooking?
What do you miss the most? What food?
McDonald's. (ALL LAUGH)
Good answer.
Rhiannon, introduce us to the crew.
Deano. Big Deano! BRENT: It's big Deano!
Big Deano!
This is my daughter, Monique,
and my stepson, Bjorn, and stepdaughter, Leah.
JOCK: Amazing. Nice to meet you all. ANDY: Nice to meet you all.
I'm guessing, Deano, the house has been a little quieter
since Rhiannon's been here.
It is when the neighbours tell you, "Oh, Rhiannon's not home yet
"because we can't hear her laughing."
(ALL LAUGH)
And that's across the street, not next door.
That's what their neighbours have been saying.
(LAUGHS)
Rhiannon, you've devoted so much of your time to your family.
How does it feel to do something for yourself?
Yeah, it feels awesome. It feels like, um...
It actually makes me emotional
every time I think about it 'cause I, um...
..I have always done things for all these guys
and to have something wholly and solely for myself
and achieve something wholly and solely for myself is, like...
Yeah, I'm really proud of myself.
But I just...I wish my mum was hear to see it
because she'd be going frigging nuts.
She's watching for sure, for sure.
Yeah.
(WHISPERS) She's here.
(WHISPERS)
Righto, families, it is so amazing
that everyone is here to cheer on Brent and Rhiannon today,
but you're gonna have to do it from the gantry,
so get on up there and let's do this.
RHIANNON: Ooh! BRENT: See you, buddy. See ya.
You gotta go up.
DEAN: I love you. I love you too. Ohh!
Well...
..today will take place over two rounds
and across both rounds, your dishes will be given a score.
Whoever has the highest score at the end of the second round will win.
Thank you.
This entire competition
has been chock full of secrets and surprises.
In your first round today, it's a choice between three more.
Ooh!
Let's start with Andy's surprise mystery box.
BOTH: Ooh!
(ALL EXCLAIM)
Hello. That's a bit flash.
In this box are 11 ingredients that Andy Allen loves.
Ooh.
Second up...
..an envelope that contains a secret challenge set by me.
Ooh. Hmm.
This is a challenge that I love.
Ahh. OK.
And, lastly, a cloche
that contains Jock's secret ingredient.
If you choose this, you must feature that ingredient in your dish.
(CHUCKLES)
Hmm...
ADI:
To decide which of these you'll both be cooking with today...
..you will each get to remove an option from the table
until we're left with one.
Alright, take a token from the bag
to determine who goes first.
JOCK AND BRENT: Ladies first. Aw, thanks.
Yep.
JOCK: Alright, Brent, you're up.
Which of these do you not want to do?
Uh, Italian.
Oh-ho, come on!
You've seen my pasta work.
(MELISSA LAUGHS)
Australian native ingredients.
Scottish, I wouldn't even know where to start.
RHIANNON: Oh, my God. Can't convince you?
Wow. No, no. look.
I'm...I'm pretty confident with my decision.
So I'm just gonna knock the cloche off.
Alright, do you want to find out
what you won't be cooking with today?
BOTH: Yes.
My secret ingredient was...
..green ants.
Oh! Ohh! Good choice.
Jeez! CATH: Oh, good one!
Oh! (LAUGHS)
Alright, my secret ingredient is off the table.
Alright, Rhiannon.
I'm thinking, you know, I don't mind a mystery box.
But I don't want to risk it on the grand final.
So sorry, Andy. I think I'm getting rid of yours.
Oh, wow!
MELISSA: Ooh!
ANDY: Wowee. CATH: Wow!
Righto.
(ALL EXCLAIM) MAN: That's a good box.
Bitter melon. Bitter melon.
JOCK: Oh, my God. Look at those clams.
ANDY: Wallaby topside. Blue cheese. Seaweed paste.
Chillies. Surprise, huh?
RALPH: Chillies?!
Green mango. Young coconut.
That is a good box.
Alright, Andy's mystery box.
Bye-bye! Off the table.
Alright, Brent, Rhiannon,
you've chosen to leave yourself
with Mel's secret challenge.
MELISSA: A dish that tells a story.
Oh! Ooh-whee.
That's beautiful! ANDY: Tell us a story.
The best food we've ever eaten
comes with a story attached.
A delicious dish is one thing,
but a meaningful dish is even better.
Ohh...
OK, you've got 75 minutes.
The pantry and the garden are loaded.
The three of us, we'll score your dishes out of 10,
so that means for round 1,
there's a total of 30 points up for offer.
Yep.
Good luck.
Your 75 minutes...
..starts now! (WILD CHEERING)
You won. I won!
Do I get to take this home? Not yet, not yet.
(CHEERING CONTINUES)
ADI: Go, Rhiannon! Go, guys!
CATH: Yay! Whoo!
DECLAN: Getting some pork on your fork?
You got it, buddy. Yeah.
Oh, I'm feeling really good.
I mean, like, how bloody awesome? I've got my family in the kitchen.
(CHEERING)
I can't believe they're watching me do this!
It's been, like, so long!
WOMAN: Let's go, Rhi-dog!
(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)
WOMAN 2: Go, Rhiannon! Go, Rhi!
I'm actually feeling really emotional
because this is my final cook, my family's up there watching me.
(MONIQUE LAUGHS)
It's so weird hearing you laugh, Monique.
I know that laugh anywhere.
So, yeah, I'm thinking, "You know what?
"I need to cook something from the heart today,"
and the dishes that come to mind all relate to my mum.
So my dish is crispy pork belly
with beautiful citrus caramel
and a citrus orange salad.
The way I came to the story is whenever I was at home on my own
if Deano was away in the truck,
I'd say to Mum, "What are you gonna cook me?"
and she'd get me over for a beautiful roast pork and crackle.
And for me, it's like bringing Mum in with the pork,
but then it's, like, you know, I also want to show
how much I've grown in this kitchen, so I'm putting my spin.
Like, you know how you have your pork belly
with your fennel and orange salad?
I'm gonna do it with my orange and my Asian salad.
So I'm bringing Mum, but I'm also bringing myself and my growth.
MONIQUE: Whoo-hoo!
MALISSA: Good job, Brent!
Both pork. Wow. MAN: Are they?
Yeah, Brent's got some pork there too.
THEO: It's a pork-off. This is crazy.
WOMAN: Pork-off.
BRENT: The brief is to bring a dish that tells a story.
What better story than my first dish in this season?
The tamarind and the miso, they were just at each other.
You do have two really dominant forces in one dish.
Yeah.
And I'd probably say focusing on one really strong idea
and then letting everything just quietly support it.
Yep.
So I'm gonna take that as my sort of starting point.
So today it's a tamarind-glazed pork chop.
It's got a pork sauce, it's got some cabbage
and then a beautiful salsa
and then, like, some tamarind ketchup on the side.
This dish represents more than just my progression through this season.
This dish is the result of this whole journey.
My first season...
I just... I can't go on.
..I had to leave the competition 'cause of my mental health.
I just can't get it out of my head.
It's just like... I just can't break it.
I...I've just got nothing left.
I went through some of my darkest moments,
my, you know, low points.
Sure this is what you want to do? Yep, yep.
There was a lot of struggle.
Rest your mind, man.
Mate, every single person in this kitchen is so proud of you.
I had to rebuild everything, rebuild myself.
I got help.
And having my family around me
was one of the major things I needed.
And then...
ALFIE: Go, Dad!
..being here in this moment now
is so much sweeter.
Go, Dad!
Seeing my little fella Alfie on that gantry there,
that's why I'm here in the grand finale,
to show Alfie what his dad can do.
So the struggle, the family, the love,
everything is in this dish.
Alright. Go, Daddy!
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CLAP)
I know you can do this, Dad.
You've only got 45 minutes to go. Come on.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)
RUE: Come on, Rhi.
ANDY: Hey, Rhiannon! RHIANNON: Hello!
How are you, guys? How are you, more like.
It's grand finale day, round 1. How you feeling?
I'm stoked! (LAUGHS)
I like it. I love it.
I'm feeling pretty good.
I'm, like, quite literally channelling
my growth in the MasterChef kitchen and my mum today.
Beautiful. I like that.
That's a nice story. Yeah. What have you got going on?
The pork belly's in there. It's got, like, 30 more minutes.
Then it's going in the fridge, then deep-fried, so it's gonna be crispy.
Is that how Mum does it?
She normally roasts it.
And you've done that before? Yeah.
And it's gonna be crispy. Alright.
Righto, you said it, so I'm believing it.
I just... I hope the crispy thing works out for you.
Come on, Rhiannon. Come on!
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)
RHIANNON: If I don't get this right, I'm in trouble.
I'm actually in trouble.
JOCK: She's talking about crispy skin.
Yeah, it's hard because when you go, "It's going to have crispy skin,"
we get a vision.
The judges don't seem convinced by my crispy pork.
But I've done it before,
so I'm like, "You know what? I'm gonna back myself today."
We're in the grand finale.
I wanna give them a dish that I know how to cook.
I'm gonna actually get that out pretty soon.
ALFIE: Come on, Rhi-Rhi!
(CHUCKLES) You're on the wrong team, mate. You're not going for your dad.
You can win it, Rhi-Rhi. (OTHERS LAUGH)
BRENT: So I've just got this sauce on. I'm just reducing that.
It's getting pretty close.
Brent. G'day, Brent.
G'day, guys. How you doing, mate?
Yeah, really good. What's happening?
I am re-creating the dish that I first did in the competition.
Tamarind-glazed pork chop.
Redemption. Redemption.
Nice.
Remind me about where it went wrong.
It was too heavy... So much going on.
Too many competing flavours. Yep.
They were just screaming for it. I see some charred cabbage there.
That wasn't part of the original, was it?
No, there was miso carrot. Yeah.
But, yeah, um, carrot gone.
Carrot's gone? Cabbage in. Yeah, it's just... Cabbage in.
(CHUCKLES) Good luck, buddy.
This grand finale is in full swing.
And you've got 20 minutes to go!
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)
Come on!
CATH: Come on, Rhi!
Smells beautiful, Rhi.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)
Come on, Rhi! Come on, Rhi!
RHIANNON: I've got my pork belly in the blast chiller just cooling down.
Um, I'm gonna coat it in tapioca and deep-fry it.
Um, I've got my sauce on. I'm just working on that.
Hi, Rhiannon. Hey, Mel. How you going?
I am fantastic.
What is the story you're telling?
When, like, ever Deano used to go away,
you know, I'd ring Mum up and say, "What are you cooking me?"
And she's cook a beautiful crispy pork.
So basically I'm doing a pork belly. Yep.
Um, with citrus, um, Asian-style caramel.
Beautiful.
So I've taken Mum... Yeah.
..and I want to bring her in my last cook I get to do today.
Just go like...go like the clappers!
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)
Got the pork belly in the deep-fryer,
and now I'm really working on balancing that sauce.
This is a big part of this dish.
This citrus caramel, I want it to be slightly on the sweeter side.
Right.
So it's got ginger and garlic.
Palm sugar, turmeric and lemongrass and orange juice.
And I want it just to be nice and thick and glazed on the pork.
So I really need to reduce it right down
and make sure that it's well balanced.
Five minutes to go!
JOCK: Come on! Let's go!
WOMAN: Pump it up. Come on.
BRENT: I slice up my pork. It looks beautiful.
Uh, I get my cabbage out of the oven. It's ready to rock'n'roll.
Come on, Brent. Get your plate.
MANDY: Alright, come on, Brent. Let's go!
Thanks, Mum. The salsa goes on.
And then I just paint that tamarind ketchup on that pork chop
just to get it nice and shiny.
Something I would never do back in cook 1.
WOMAN: Beautiful. Love it.
I think it looks great.
It looks exactly how I want it and I'm proud as.
Get it on the plate. You've only got two minutes to go! Come on!
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)
RHIANNON: I get the pork out and it looks nice and crispy.
WOMAN: Oh, how's the sauce?
Saucy. Yummy.
RUE: Oh, good job, Rhiannon!
I've got this beautiful citrus caramel.
It's nice and thick and glossy and beautiful,
but there's not much of it.
CATH: Come on, Rhi!
I'm gonna put that over the pork belly.
I'll pile the beautiful green mango salad next to it
and I'll top it with crispy shallots.
Perfect.
DECLAN: Is that a finger lime?
Yeah! Oh! (CHUCKLES)
Never would have thought, Rhi!
It's a shock, I know.
I feel like I've definitely met the brief, without a doubt.
I brought Mum into the kitchen and I've also shown my growth.
Gantry, it's your time to shine. 10...
JUDGES AND CONTESTANTS: 9, 8, 7,
6, 5, 4, 3,
2, 1.
(RUE ULULATES)
Oh! Well done, Rhi.
Well done. Well done.
Oh, look out!
Oh, mate! (LAUGHS)
Whoo!
CATH: Aww!
The first dish we'd like to taste belongs to Brent.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)
BRENT: Walking up to the judges, I am so nervous.
There's so much on the line.
Brent. What's the dish?
Pork chop, tamarind-ketchup-glazed,
roasted cabbage and a nice little salsa.
Righto.
Shall we?
Have a taste. (MELISSA LAUGHS)
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
JOCK: Brent...
..I'm buying the story.
I'm buying the story for a whole host of reasons.
I was here two years ago when you...when you put your hand up.
And I know exactly where you were.
And I saw you in the road to get here.
And that story, in itself, was a big one.
And that's exactly what this is.
It is a blindingly perfectly cooked piece of pork
that's been lovingly basted with a glaze that is so delicious.
It is just perfect.
The cabbage restraint.
What did it do?
It allowed everything else in the plate to speak.
Really, well done.
(SOFTLY) Thank you.
The pork is sweet, succulent, smoky.
That beautiful bright salsa, knowing the balance in that.
That beautiful sauce that is so full of depth.
It's such a pleasure and a joy to eat.
Perfectly executed.
Thank you. Thank you.
Brent.
(UPLIFTING MUSIC)
(WOMEN SPEAK INDISTINCTLY)
Someone had to bloody do it.
MELISSA: Thank you, Brent.
RHIANNON: Oh!
Next up, Rhiannon.
RHIANNON: I brought Mum into the kitchen.
It's inspired by her crispy pork
and I really hope that I've done it justice.
(APPLAUSE)
RHIANNON: Hey, guys.
MELISSA: Hi.
JOCK: What have you brought us?
I've got crispy pork belly with beautiful citrus caramel,
fennel and orange salad, and crispy shallots.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
Rhiannon...
..first of all, congratulations on bringing us the best-looking plate
that you've cooked in this kitchen, period.
(CHUCKLES)
The pork belly.
I was sceptical of how this was gonna come out.
But you got a nice amount of crispiness on the skin.
It was cooked really nicely.
Where it all came together was that really interesting sauce.
Flavours that I wouldn't normally put together -
like, orange and turmeric and lemongrass -
but it works.
Um, my only negative is that I just wanted more sauce.
OK.
Because it was that thing
that kind of like pulled all those big flavours together.
Yep.
On the plate, the story you told to us today...
..was one of the tropics,
it was one of the zest for life that you have
with the pops of chilli,
the finger lime that's always in the dishes that you love the most,
in that beautiful sauce that sung of sunshine but also of fun.
I loved the richness that you managed to imbue the pork with.
But most importantly, this is a dish of love.
What's your mum's name?
Sue.
She is...very proud.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
Looking at this plate of food today, just as we are.
It has got that rustic troppo charm.
(LAUGHS) That's you.
It's very, very clever, very, very smart.
Thank you so much. Well done, Rhiannon.
Thanks, guys. Thank you. Well done, Rhiannon.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER)
Well done.
Let's start with you, Rhiannon.
From the salad to the sauce, it was the five tastes all over.
I gave you...
..8 out of 10.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER) (MOUTHS WORDS)
I gave you
a 9 out of 10.
MELISSA: I gave you a score...
..of 8 out of 10.
So, Rhiannon, for round 1, that is a total score of 25 out of 30.
Well done. (ALL CHEER AND CLAP)
Pretty much my age.
(LAUGHS)
Brent.
Your pork was cooked, glazed and cut to perfection.
I'm proud of you, mate.
(SOFTLY) Thank you.
10 out of 10.
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)
I gave you
a 9 out of 10.
Brent.
Mate, gave you a big 10 out of 10.
Well done!
Brent, that gives you a score in round 1 of...
..29 out of 30.
Well done, mate.
Well, this is round 2.
This is your last cook in the MasterChef kitchen.
And it's a Pressure Test.
Ooh!
The chef who set this Pressure Test,
it's his first time in the MasterChef kitchen.
WOMAN: Whoo-hoo!
This chef started his culinary training at the tender age of 14.
Oh!
He became the youngest-ever executive chef
at Hugo & Victor patisserie in Paris at 21.
(RUE WHISPERS)
It's him. It's him. Yep.
For almost 20 years,
he has devoted his life to desserts.
Oh!
This chef is the most influential patissier in the world.
RALPH: It's him.
He has over 50 million followers...
(RHIANNON CHORTLES)
..and his creations have been viewed billions of times.
Billions.
(GASPS)
Oh!
(SIGHS)
Please welcome...
..pastry superstar,
Amaury Guichon!
(GANTRY CONTESTANTS CHEER AND CLAP)
Oh, no! (LAUGHS)
MAN: Yeah!
(BARKS)
Whoo!
RHIANNON: Oh, my God, Amaury Guichon.
It's like, "Oh, my God, are you serious?"
Honestly, it is ridiculous what he does.
Amaury makes chocolate cars.
I've seen chocolate telephone booths.
He is a proper superstar.
I'm extremely nervous.
(ALL CLAP)
(LAUGHS) We're screwed.
GRACE: They are in for it!
I don't think we can say how excited we are to have you.
Are you excited to be in here today?
Yeah, I'm very excited. Thank you for having me.
Thanks for being here. (OTHERS LAUGH)
JOCK: We've all seen your stuff on social media, right?
We know how detailed it is.
But you're in the MasterChef kitchen.
Have you gone easy on them a little bit?
Non.
(ALL LAUGH)
Without lying, that might be one of the most difficult ones to achieve.
Alright, mate, should we put them out of their misery?
Let's do it.
Today, you will be making my...
(BOTH GASP) (INCREDULOUS LAUGHTER)
Oh, my God!
What?
..pocket watch.
(SOLEMN CHORAL MUSIC) (CLOCK TICKS OMINOUSLY)
(BRENT CHUCKLES)
WOMAN: Holy... Does it tick?
Is it ticking?
JESSICA: Oh, my God!
(CLOCK TICKS OMINOUSLY) RUE: Oh, my gosh!
LARISSA: What is that? (JESSICA LAUGHS)
..pocket watch.
JESSICA: Oh, my God.
(CLOCK TICKS OMINOUSLY)
RHIANNON: Oh, my goodness. This is like a work of art.
I hope we don't have to make that.
The actual precision and neat and beautiful nature of this watch,
it's just flawless.
What the hell?
(LAUGHS)
Now I want to cry.
JOCK: Amaury, that looks incredible
and very fitting
and slightly sick that you brought these guys an extra clock
for today's challenge.
(ALL LAUGH)
Alright, come on. Come and have a look.
THEO: Get in there, guys.
The pocket watch is all about chocolate and coffee.
I crafted it especially for you
so you have a little bit of chocolate work and sugar work.
This is my sugar dome.
(ONLOOKERS EXCLAIM)
JOCK: Look how thin that dome is.
Wow. Yeah.
So, you don't want the dome to be too thick
because you don't want it to overpower the taste.
Yep.
RHIANNON: I feel like I'm in a dream.
THEO: Look at the top of it as well. What the...
It's coming.
(ONLOOKERS EXCLAIM)
Look at the layers in that.
My God.
(ONLOOKERS EXCLAIM)
Oh, my!
You've got to be kidding me. How many layers are there?
AMAURY: So, at the very base, you have a double chocolate chip cookie.
Then you have a coffee-hazelnut financier.
A coffee-and-chocolate cremeux.
A strong espresso caramel oozing out of the dessert.
Wow.
And a chocolate mousse.
On top, you have a glaze
and everything is dipped into the glaze.
That is beautiful.
Do you wanna taste it? Yeah, definitely.
Yes, please!
Get into it.
I'm gonna try it as well to make sure it's OK.
(ANTONIO LAUGHS)
BRENT: It is blowing my mind.
Texturally, you're on a little journey -
crispy, crunchy, smooth, creamy.
Really, really rich.
Chocolate, coffee, nutty, vanilla,
beautiful golden caramel,
it all works so well together.
That is incredible. It is...
I can't even begin to tell you how tasty this is.
Oh! It's, like, next level.
Like, honestly, you think it looks good, but it actually tastes better.
Wow.
RUE: Jock, just let us taste it.
OK.
AMAURY: Oh, you've finished it, both of you.
Yeah. I'm gonna attack that in a minute.
Um... I wanna taste it so bad.
Talk me through the pressure points in here,
because I can only imagine there's a fair few.
I think the most difficult aspect might be the sugar dome...
..having something with no bubble with the perfect dome
and that fits exactly within the bezel that you see on top.
Alright. Let's get on.
How the... are they going to do that?
You must replicate Amaury's pocket watch as closely as you can
in both look and taste.
The recipe and the equipment and the ingredients,
they're all at your benches.
You'll have 5 hours and 45 minutes to complete the dish.
(ONLOOKERS EXCLAIM)
We'll each score your dish out of 10
for a possible total score of 40 points.
The person with the most points, they win MasterChef for 2023.
Amaury, would you like to send them off, mate?
I would love to.
Your time starts now.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
THEO: Come on, Rhiannon. WOMAN: Let's go, Rhi-Dawg!
This is a bloody big challenge, you know?
His dish is, like, next level.
I've never tasted a dessert that good in my life.
It's so daunting.
(CHANTS) Go, Brenty! Go, Brenty!
(MUTTERS) "Caster sugar, raw sugar." Raw sugar.
First Pressure Test and it's in the grand finale,
so feeling a lot of pressure.
Rhiannon's done two Pressure tests this competition.
Uh, I have done none.
So, definitely, you know, it's one up for Rhi
and also I'm not a sweet person.
It's just not my wheelhouse,
so I'm just gonna push and push and just keep on pushing.
I come back, I faced the demons, I pushed through the whole season,
and now I am so close.
(STAND MIXER REVS) Oh.
So, I just, um... I've started on my, um...
..my double chocolate chip cookie.
The double choc chip cookie was on the base layer of the entremet.
I remember it clearly 'cause it was absolutely delicious,
super thin
and sort of had that nice sort of crunchy, chewy texture.
Mini chocolate chips.
Let's go.
Go, Dad! (DAVID LAUGHS)
They're gonna hate me at the end of this, no?
No, you'll be right. They're not gonna like me so much.
They probably hate you now. When they finish, you'll be right.
THEO: Come on, Rhiannon.
Feeling actually not too bad.
I'm just really hoping I can make up the points.
I'm four points behind Brent.
I've survived two Pressure Tests. I'm still here.
I'm in the grand finale, so obviously I can handle pressure.
And I'm super competitive.
I'm not, like, over-45 national waterski champion for nothing.
I have done my dough for my double choc chip cookie
and now I'm moving onto doing the vanilla bean coffee caramel.
Amaury's vanilla bean coffee caramel was just so silky smooth.
It was such a beautiful blend of flavours.
OK, so...
Done, done.
And then I've got the glucose and the sugar on the stove.
Smells beautiful.
It's gotta be a beautiful amber colour
because this is caramel, right?
You know, caramel has that colour.
(READS) "..sugar. Remove from heat."
The glucose mixture has caramelised,
so now I've just got to get it off the heat
and add in that coffee cream.
DECLAN: Yeah, nice, Rhi-Rhi. CATH: Nice, Rhi.
And I've really got to whisk it until it's beautiful and smooth.
Yeah, done that. Done that. Alright.
Now I'm working on the vanilla bean coffee caramel.
It's so much to do, so I'm trying not to get too worked up about it
but I'm just gonna keep going.
Alright, so that's got to go into there.
So I've got my caramel to the temperature.
(THERMOMETER BEEPS)
Now I'm gonna add in my cream mixture.
Oh, no.
It doesn't look good.
(GASPS) Oh, no.
Is it alright? I don't know.
(TENSE MUSIC) (INSECTS CHIRP)
BRENT: Um, is this supposed to happen?
For some reason, something's happened.
It's, you know, almost like my caramel has fully seized.
MANDY: Uh! What happened?
Uh, I just... I don't understand it.
Is it alright? I don't know.
Keep stirring. Keep stirring.
I decide to keep whisking it
and hoping that, you know, as it comes up in temperature,
it sort of, you know, melts that seized caramel.
This is the grand finale. I wanna make sure I get this perfect.
It's going.
Yes. Come on, Brent!
Whoo!
Go, Brent!
It's starting to melt,
it's starting to sort of come together,
what it's supposed to look like.
Yeah, caramel was a little bit of a scary one.
I didn't know what was going on.
It was, like, sort of seized
but now it's sort of coming back together now.
So good. Well done.
MANDY: Whew!
(EXHALES) (CHUCKLES)
Look, we are into round 2 of two rounds of this competition.
This is a very worthy challenge for that trophy over there.
JOCK: I couldn't agree more.
How is it to be here in the MasterChef kitchen?
More than a pleasure. It's an honour.
Like, and for the finale makes it even more special for me.
I'm very, very happy to be here.
Social media must have had a huge impact in your career
and the acceleration of it.
Social media kind of shaped me.
Every time I was posting something,
when I saw the appreciation of my work,
when I saw how inspiring some people were looking at it,
it pushed me to create more extravagant design,
always trying to bring a new technique,
and six years down the road,
now I can I pretty much take anything
and transform it into a pastry.
ANDY: Well, mate, I think this dish is the definition of perfection
in both looks and taste, and texture.
Well, I'm just gonna try a little bit more 'cause...
Oh. (ALL TALK OVER EACH OTHER)
I haven't quite tasted it yet.
Can I just have some? I can make you another one.
Like, just a little bit?
Where do you put all of this? I've got hollow legs.
A little bit.
(LAUGHS)
(MELISSA GRUNTS)
(SIGHS)
(MELISSA LAUGHS)
(TENSE MUSIC)
Yeah, I feel OK.
Um, I've just got to keep moving.
MALISSA: Come on, Rhi-Rhi.
I've done my vanilla bean coffee caramel.
I've got my coffee-hazelnut financier in the oven
and now I'm moving on to doing the mousse.
Amaury's mousse was really silky, chocolatey.
It's so smooth and so light and airy.
Oh, I stuffed it up.
Oh!
I've poured the cream in.
"Combine dark chocolates, then pour in the hot milk and cream mixture."
I've poured the extra cream in.
I've stuffed it up. I'm gonna have to start again.
It's OK, Rhi.
It's OK. You have time. You have time.
Just breathe, Mum. You got this.
I've got to get this bloody thing started again.
Definitely looking a bit frazzled.
This is a tough cook, hey?
Right now, I'm feeling really overwhelmed.
I've still got so much to do and so I'm gonna start working faster.
Come on, Mum! You got it!
Come on. Come on, come on.
(CLOCK TICKS)
Rhiannon, Brent, if you want to get a finished dish up,
you're gonna have to motor.
You've only got three hours to go. Come on!
(ONLOOKERS CHEER) Let's go!
RHIANNON: Done.
"Half fill a paper cone with tempered chocolate
"from the chocolate tempering machine."
When it comes to chocolate, don't overthink it.
The tempering machine is your best friend.
You can just fill up a piping bag, do all your elements,
and in 30 seconds, it's over.
WOMAN: Nice, Brent.
But, really, it's a quick, quick job.
Ah! Shit.
Come on!
ANTONIO: Let's go, Rhi.
Filling to the top.
DECLAN: Nice, Rhi.
ANTONIO: Beautiful.
MANDY: Good job, darl.
WOMAN: Looks amazing!
Perfect.
THEO: Come on, Rhiannon.
MONIQUE: You've got this, Mum.
Blast chiller. Hour to freeze. Done.
Yes! Awesome, Mum, let's go!
Well done!
BRENT: Smooth. Smooth.
PHIL: Let's go, Brent. Come on, mate.
Ah.
Very nice, Brent.
I've got the entremet layers all done.
Just put it in the blast chiller for it to set.
Now it's time to sort out that glaze and the chocolate dip.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
Alright, here we go.
I'm working on that beautiful glaze.
Amaury's was so good I actually could see my reflection in his.
MALISSA: Oh, wow, Brent! CATH: Look how glossy it is.
Beautiful! It looks so cool, doesn't it?
Now it's time to grab the entremet out of the blast chiller
and take it out of the silicone mould.
PHIL: That's it, mate. Pop her out. Let's go.
Stunning, Brent. Stunning, mate!
Let's go! (ONLOOKERS CHEER)
THEO: Beautiful.
BRENT: So, now it's pouring the glaze over the top
and let it sort of run down.
PHIL: Oh, yeah!
Wow!
ADI: Stunning!
Beautiful.
Now it comes down to a dip, a scary dip.
Aah!
I've got the knife stabbed into the centre of the entremet.
Oh, my God, there you go.
I put it into the dip...
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
..bring it out.
Oh, my God.
Yes. Very good.
Perfect! (ONLOOKERS CHEER)
I did it.
So good.
Come on. You got this, Mum.
RHIANNON: So, I'm actually just working on my shiny chocolate glaze.
I'm not feeling great. Um...
I'm just gonna keep moving, keep focused.
I've got the glaze,
so it's time to assemble this entremet
and I'm like, "OK, I've got to get it out of the mould."
Just relax.
Yes! Let's go!
I've put it upside down, ready to glaze it
and I grab my chocolate dip.
(ONLOOKERS EXCLAIM)
WOMAN: Rhi! Rhi!
(SHRIEKS) Rhiannon! Rhiannon!
CATH: Stop! Stop!
(SHRIEKS) Noooo! No!
Oh.
Rhi! It was the other one first.
Oh, man, that's my dip.
and I'm like, "OK, I've gotta put the glaze on."
And so I'm pouring the chocolate on...
Oh, my God!
(ONLOOKERS SHOUT, SHRIEK AND SCREAM)
(SHRIEKS) Noooo! No!
Rhi! It was the other one first.
So, Rhi. Yes?
OK, that was the dip for after.
Oh, shit! No, no. It's fine. It's fine.
What you're gonna do - set another tray and glaze on top of it.
You'll have an additional layer.
OK. Glaze.
I have to actually get this glaze
and I have to pour it over the chocolate dip
and it's just how it is.
And then I've gotta get it and dip it into the chocolate dip.
And you're gonna dip all the way to the ring.
So it's kinda, like, double-dipped
and it's not meant to be double-dipped.
Oh, I'm feeling so devastated.
"Let excess chocolate drip from base."
It is a very specific recipe and I'm really hoping
it's not gonna put the whole dish out
and throw the textures.
I don't know what it's gonna do to it.
Oh!
Just relax.
Just breathe.
ANDY: Are you moving onto your crown now?
I don't think so. Oh, yeah, I am.
"To assemble the crown..."
Amaury's tempered chocolate crown
was on top of the pocket watch
and it was so delicate and thin.
RALPH: There it is.
(ONLOOKERS APPLAUD) WOMAN: Great job.
WOMAN: That's it. Nice.
CATH: Nice, Rhi.
I get them out of the mould. It's such a fiddly task.
Come on, Mum.
And then I've gotta heat them up and fuse them together.
I'm shaking and it's really tough to get these stuck on.
There we go! Nice.
Yes!
CATH: That's it, Rhi!
Perfect. Nice, nice, nice.
PHIL: Let's go, Brent. Come on, mate.
Come on, Brent! You've got this. Let's go.
BRENT: Now I'm onto the crown.
Um, and then the...the scary, um... sugar dome.
Go, Dad! (TENSE MUSIC)
I'm actually not sure if he's got it the right way round.
One hour to go.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
"..water in a medium saucepan.
"Place over high heat and bring to 165."
Oh, my God - I am already drowning in this cook
and now I've gotta do the hardest element.
Amaury's sugar dome was actually perfect.
It was pure glass.
I've gotta pour two tablespoons of syrup in the ring mould
on the cling film.
(WHISPERS) Come on.
Gotta let that run across.
Definitely been dreading this step the whole cook.
It's the most stressful part. Mm-hm.
I've gotta slowly push the ring mould down on the cling film
and that will create air to come up
and make a sugar syrup bubble.
Pushing it through, I'm extremely nervous.
Come on, Rhiannon.
Now I pull it off.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
Look at that!
(GASPS) Ohh!
No.
Arrgh!
Oh, my God.
THEO: Alright, Brenty. Let's go. Let's do this.
(INTENSE MUSIC)
MAN: Easy, mate. Easy.
Oh, my God. This is a lot.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER) That's it!
Perfect.
Whoo!
MALISSA: Oh, Brent! That's amazing!
Well done! Look at it!
Alright, Mum, let's go. Let's do this.
RHIANNON: Brent's done his dome on the first attempt
and I have to start again.
This is, like, really, really not where I wanna be.
That one looks good.
Ahh!
It's melted through. Oh, my God.
Bloody hell. Shit.
(EXHALES HEAVILY)
(WHISPERS) Oh, my God.
I am feeling so deflated.
DEAN: Come on, Rhiannon.
Um...
I just can't get it. I can't get it together.
MONIQUE: Let's go, Ma.
(JOCK SINGSONGS) Rhiannon.
Talk to me. I've done two.
Hey.
Listen.
I need Rhiannon back, right now. (TIMER BEEPS)
It's the grand finale. Yeah, I know.
This is it. You're only here once. Yeah.
Stoked, chirpy, bubbly, happy, "I'm having a good time" Rhiannon.
Let's go.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
I can hear my family and I'm like, "Don't give up.
"You need to show them why you're here."
So it's like, "OK, change your head space.
"Get over yourself."
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
Yes, Ma! Whoo!
I'm onto my third dome and I'm being so careful.
And I'm pushing and I'm pushing and I'm pushing.
It's so clear.
This needs to be like a little baby that needs to be nurtured.
(WHISPERS) That's it. Come on.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER AND SHOUT)
(CATH SCREAMS) Oh, my God! That's perfect!
That's perfect!
Wow!
Whoo!
Alright, I gotta keep moving. Whoo!
I've gotta get the sugar dome
and I've gotta take it over to the heated cast-iron tray
and rub it on the base
to make sure that I get the exact same measurement as Amaury's.
AMAURY: The sugar dome is so thin, right?
When you start polishing on the very hot tray,
it traps the heat inside
and it starts warming the shell
and it can easily deflate.
That's it.
That bad boy's staying there.
DECLAN: Yeah, Rhi. Nice work, Mum!
(CATH WHISPERS) Look at that!
RALPH: Her dome looks perfect.
BRENT: Alright. MALISSA: Come on, Brent.
I'm really happy, 'cause I have a perfect sugar dome.
OK, so...
I put it onto the hotplate
and I'm turning in a circular motion, like the recipe said.
But if you leave it for too long, it's gonna deflate.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
Ah.
(GROANS)
MAN: Oh, no.
Oh, my God.
Oh!
ANDY: Oh, dude!
What's...what's wrong?
It's actually sort of deformed the dome.
I may have just destroyed my one and only dome.
BRENT: I'm working on my sugar dome...
(GROANS)
..but then as I'm heating it up...
(SIGHS)
..it's actually sort of deformed the dome.
RUE: What happened to Brent's? RALPH: I don't know.
It...it deflated.
MANDY: It looks dented.
BRENT: Oh, my God.
I'm really worried, but I don't have time to make another one.
It's not right. That could be one of the...things.
You've only got 30 minutes to go!
PHIL: Let's go! Last 30, come on!
Let's go, Rhi! Come on! Let's go!
Yeah, that's perfect. Just like that, Brent.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
The numbers look so good.
(SPRAYER HISSES)
MONIQUE: Let's do this, Ma. You got it.
It's time to put gold spray around the outside of the entremet.
Amaury's was beautiful, shimmering gold.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
Ah, nice.
I've sprayed the entremet gold. It looks beautiful.
I move onto the crown.
Oh, that's so cool.
So I'm spraying this gold.
It's quite therapeutic, actually. I'm just having a little spray.
I'm turning it around. But it's, like, no time to waste.
MALISSA: Beautiful!
(SPRAYER HISSES)
WOMAN: Good job, Brent!
BRENT: I spray the sides of my entremet
and it is coming up trumps.
Gorgeous!
Now I need to get back onto that crown.
I'm looking at the crown
and I'm kind of confused on where it goes.
I can't quite remember Amaury's.
So I'm trying to think.
I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be up that way.
But I can't waste too much time.
I have so much to do.
Yeah, I think so too.
I just need to start building this thing.
15 minutes to go! Come on!
(ONLOOKERS CHEER) PHIL: Let's go!
RALPH: Get it done!
RUE: Oh, beautiful, Brent!
MALISSA: Come on, Rhi. You've got this. You can do it.
RHIANNON: OK.
Oh, my God. It's time to assemble the clock face.
And honestly, Amaury's was so beautiful.
It was, like, picture perfect.
Oh, it's got a crack!
Bugger.
I can do this.
It's alright. Steady.
I've remade my chocolate mousse and I felt pretty rushed.
Awesome!
I don't know what Brent's done
on the inside of his or whether his has worked,
so, you know, like, really, it's 50/50 right now for who wins.
Come on, Ma. You got this.
Nice.
Looking good! Whoo!
Five minutes!
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
JOCK: Come on, Brent! Let's go, Rhiannon! Come on!
MAN: Easy.
I'm putting the sugar dome on top of the clock face.
Beautiful. Oh, that looks gorgeous!
I'm really happy with my sugar dome.
It is so smooth.
It looks awesome.
And then I've gotta stick the crown to the top.
CATH: Oh, it's beautiful, Rhi. PHIL: It's amazing.
It's awesome.
It looks amazing, Rhi.
That looks awesome, Ma.
This is an epic, epic cook
and I can't believe I'm actually at assembling stage,
because you know what?
I didn't even think I'd get here.
So I'm feeling bloody proud of myself.
SHONLEIGH: Come on, Brent. Steady hands.
You know, I did have a perfect, beautiful sugar dome.
Now I have a deformed sugar dome,
so I'm really gutted.
And I'm still quite confused with the way I've built the crown.
Something's not right.
I am, like, really worried now, because I think I've stuffed it up.
(TENSE MUSIC)
MAN: Breathe.
I'm just devastated.
My main goal was to just come back
and win.
But now I've got two elements that I'm not happy with.
This could stop me from getting that trophy.
But one of the biggest things that I learned
from this whole journey
was it's not about the stumble.
It's about the comeback.
ALFIE: You can do it, Dad!
So I need to figure out
how I'm gonna fix it.
ANDY: Two minutes to go! JOCK: Come on!
THEO: You got this, Brent. Let's go, mate.
SHONLEIGH: Scary now.
Here we go.
It finally clicks.
I think I've put the bow around the wrong side of the crown.
I need to cut a new one and then put it back on
as quick as I can.
Nice, Brent. Nice.
Well done.
Well done, Brent.
That was amazing. That was tradie work.
Yeah, Brent!
ADI: Brent! Get it on, Brent!
What are you doing? Come on!
Go!
Let's go, gantry!
10, 9, 8,
7, 6, 5,
4, 3, 2, 1.
That's it!
(ONLOOKERS CHEER AND APPLAUD)
Whoo!
That was so tough!
Feel like I'm gonna fall over!
Well done, darling!
Well done. I'm proud of you.
Hi.
Good job. You did so good.
(BRENT SIGHS)
Group hug, group hug, group hug.
Oh, you did awesome. You did bloody good.
Well done!
Oh, good on you! Thank you.
MANDY: I'm so proud! Thank you.
I can't believe my MasterChef journey's finished
right here, right now.
And I'm just glad I actually got it done!
(LAUGHS)
Who would have thunk it? (LAUGHS)
(POIGNANT MUSIC)
Think it's just, um, you know...
It's just that chapter's closed now. So...
I know what I...what I set out to do.
Come back, give it everything,
get all the way, um...
And I'm here, so...
..it all was working towards this point.
(TENSE MUSIC)
RHIANNON: Good luck, buddy. Thanks, Rhi-Rhi.
JOCK: Brent. G'day.
ANDY: Here he is.
(EXHALES) JOCK: Well, well, well.
Let's talk about your time in the MasterChef kitchen.
It started two years ago.
It's fair to say it's probably dominated your mind
in the last couple of years.
Yeah, definitely. Um... (EXHALES SHARPLY)
Brought some tissues. (CHUCKLES)
It's OK.
Um... Oh!
Yeah, look, it was, like, the hardest time in my life,
the first season.
(VOICE BREAKS) Um...
(BREATHES SHAKILY)
But...I always think...I think I had to go through that journey.
And it tastes so much sweeter now that I've done that.
And that was a big...the big kicker, to get back in this year,
and, you know, show that you could be here and it's all good.
But you can be here and it feels really good.
OK. Well, we're going to taste. Yeah.
Thank you so much for all of your heart.
Thanks, guys. Appreciate that, I really do.
(HOPEFUL MUSIC)
ANDY: The thing for me is that sugar dome.
You know, I wonder whether it was the right decision to only make one.
You know, he shaved down for such a long time.
It really started to ripple the outside.
It deflated, yeah. Yeah, it's deflated a bit, so...
And then it was probably too far down the track
to even think about doing another one.
Are we ready?
(CRACK!) JOCK: Ooh.
MELISSA: Ooh!
Oh, that has a good snap, huh? Hey!
Yeah. It's like double-glazing.
Wonderfully brittle. Look at that clock face.
Drum roll.
Whoa. Ooh!
(MELISSA LAUGHS) Oh, yes.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
I think Brent did a very good job.
Overall, I think the flavour is very similar to mine.
The texture are pretty close.
Overall, I'm having a good assemble.
We can always discuss and say, like,
with, like, a little bit of refinement,
it can be a little bit more detailed.
But, I mean, for a first attempt... Yeah.
I like that the caramel is gently oozing out.
I think it's quite sexy.
Um...
(LAUGHS) Why did you look at Jock when you said that?
(LAUGHS) Because he's quite sexy, huh?
(MELISSA LAUGHS)
The flavour is just excellent.
And the textures are very similar to yours -
the cremeux slightly runny.
To...to see him climb this mountain today
and...and come away with a dish that not only looked as good as it did
but ate as well as it did.
I...I honestly couldn't be prouder.
I thought it ate really beautifully.
Let's start with the theatre - the crack of the sugar.
It was thin. It had that satisfying kind of snap to it.
And then when you cut through,
you have that pleasing striation of those layers.
The construction of it is what makes it.
He's done such a good job.
Shall we score? Let's do it.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
BRENT: Go, Rhi-Rhi. Thanks, buddy.
(DRAMATIC CHORAL MUSIC)
Here she is.
(DRAMATIC CHORAL MUSIC CONTINUES)
NARRATOR: Do you have what it takes to compete
Applications for contestants are now open.
Head to the link and apply.
(DRAMATIC CHORAL MUSIC)
BRENT: Go, Rhi-Rhi. Thanks, buddy.
I'm four points behind Brent,
so it's definitely important that my dish is actually...better than his.
My dish certainly doesn't look as good as Amaury's.
But I'm just sort of hoping that
maybe my flavours could still bring me through.
And I'm really proud of my sugar dome.
Here she is. Hey.
MELISSA: Hi. How youse going?
I've worked so hard to get to this spot,
and, you know what, I am, like, that close to lifting that trophy.
You've gotta be proud of yourself.
I am. I can't believe I got it all on the plate.
It makes me feel so bloody proud of myself.
And to show my kids, you know, like, this was my main thing -
was to show them that no matter what age you are,
you can just smash it, you can do whatever you want.
This is 100% my dream, to be on MasterChef.
And to get to the finale is like...
I didn't even ever, ever, ever think it was possible.
I think it's a lot more than just them that will be inspired by that.
Thank you so much. Thanks, guys.
Thanks, Rhi. Enjoy! Thank you!
She's so sweet. Yeah, she's the best.
She's been like that since day one. Yeah?
OK. Let's look at it.
So, it's fair to say that this is not looking like
the brand-new gorgeous golden pocket watch that you brought us,
but maybe a more...
An antique version, yeah. ..vintage, an antique version of it.
The dome is pretty impressive.
Like, that is super thin. It's thin.
Shall we crack in?
(CRACK!) Ah, nice.
Quite thin.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
ANDY: Thank you.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
The textures are so important in this dessert
in order to get a full sense of what it is.
And the textures are all over the place, unfortunately.
ANDY: The biggest mistake that she made was the glazing,
of she put the chocolate dip before she went on with the glaze.
So that affected the texture.
But positive points, the sponge is quite nice.
Overall, I'm getting the flavour of the chocolate and the strong coffee.
It's quite balanced.
She presented something with all the elements in it,
so for me, it's still a win.
Yep. 100%.
I couldn't agree more about it being a win.
The chocolate work,
she got all of the parts of the top of the stopwatch.
Also, the crown of the stopwatch was all there,
and a great sugar dome.
Unbelievable.
And for me, flavour. Yeah.
Every single flavour that is in this was within 10% of you.
Absolutely.
The strength of the flavours are quite true to yours.
It has a beautiful concentration of that dark espresso
and that...that beautiful chocolate.
But then because of those textures,
you kind of lose a little bit of the joy of it all.
I thought the financier was fantastic, however,
and I really admire the fact that she stuck with the sugar work,
and it is as thin as it is.
Yeah.
Shall we score? Absolutely.
(TENSE MUSIC)
The question is has she done enough to claw back
that 4-point disadvantage that she was at coming into round 2?
Absolutely.
(INSECTS CHIRP)
(SOLEMN CHORAL MUSIC)
What an incredible way to round off
the grand finale of MasterChef Australia 2023.
That was one of the most astounding
Pressure Test dishes we've ever seen,
created by one of the most exciting chefs in the world.
To all of our contestants this year,
thank you so much for an absolutely cracking season.
(ALL CHEER)
(MOMENTOUS MUSIC)
I wanted to congratulate you on the amount of work you displayed.
And regardless who will be winning tonight,
you are winners in my book.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
Amaury set you an unbelievably challenging task...
..one that would stagger even the most seasoned professional chefs.
And at the end of the day,
you both delivered a finished version of Amaury's dish.
It has been a huge day, right?
So, for the trophy, the title and the $250,000,
let's do this, shall we?
It has been a huge day, right?
So, for the trophy,
the title and the $250,000,
let's do this, shall we?
In round 2, there was a total of 40 points up for grabs.
10 from each of us. Yeah.
Rhiannon, let's start with you.
Your sugar dome was crystal-clear
and your financier was perfect.
I gave you...
..8 out of 10.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
In trademark Rhiannon style,
the flavours were spot-on,
even if the presentation was a little troppo.
(LAUGHS) So true!
So, I scored you
a 7 out of 10.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
Whoo-hoo!
Rhiannon, although I struggled with the textures,
all of the flavours were there.
I scored you...
..6 out of 10.
(OTHERS CHEER)
Rhiannon, the greatest success in your dish
was also the hardest part of it, the sugar dome.
I scored you
a 6 out of 10.
(OTHERS CHEER)
Rhiannon, it gives you a total score of 27 in round 2.
Which gives you a total score of 52 for the grand finale!
(OTHERS CHEER)
Alright, over to Brent.
Brent, your dish ate very similar
to Amaury's.
I scored you
9 out of 10.
(OTHERS CHEER)
Whoo! Whoo!
Brent, the texture of your dish allowed the flavour to really shine.
And for that,
I scored you
an 8.
(OTHERS CHEER)
Good onya, mate.
Brent, you nailed the balance between chocolate and coffee.
I also scored you an 8 out of 10.
(OTHERS CHEER) You've done it, mate!
9 out of 10!
(OTHERS CHEER) (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)
RHIANNON: Ohhh.
Ohhh!
I'm so proud of you.
Whoo! (ONLOOKER WHISTLES)
Brent, congratulations.
You've just won
$250,000!
(OTHERS CHEER)
Whoo! Whoo-hoo!
How does it feel, mate?
Like...what a...what a journey.
What a... You know, from the first season to now...
..MasterChef is such a big thing in my life now, um, changed my life,
put me on a different, um, pathway,
made me, you know, learn new things about myself
and, oh, man, I'm just so, so, so proud.
Now, Rhiannon, from the moment you came in in day 1,
fresh off the plane from Townsville...
(LAUGHS)
..you blew our minds with your Korean chicken bao.
We knew that we were into something special.
You are everything that we love about this competition.
Nobody does troppo like Rhiannon does troppo.
(OTHERS CHEER)
We know that you're gonna be a success in whatever you do
when you walk out those doors.
How're you feeling about making it this far?
I'm stoked! (OTHERS LAUGH)
Yay! Yay!
I feel like I have just conquered all my dreams.
I didn't win, but you know what,
I've won by standing here next to this great guy.
You know? Like, that's... that's winning for me.
Yeah, I'm stoked. (LAUGHS)
And you know what, for coming in second place,
we're gonna give you $40,000...
(ALL CHEER)
What?!
..to do whatever is next.
Oh, my God!
(OTHERS LAUGH)
Oh, my God! Congratulations.
Thanks.
And we can't forget our third place holder, hiding back there, Declan!
Oh!
You are getting 10,000 bucks!
(ALL CHEER)
(ANDY SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
Thank you. Thank you.
Well, Brent, all that's left to do
is step forward,
put your hands on that trophy
and raise it above your head, mate.
It's all yours! (ALL CHEER)
MELISSA: Go on!
(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC) (ALL CHEER)
Whoo!
Our MasterChef Australia 2023!
(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC) (ALL CHEER)
ANTONIO: Yay!
(ALL CHEER)
ANDY: Go, big Brent!
(ALL CONTINUE CHEERING)
(BIRDSONG)
(GENTLE MUSIC)
GORDON RAMSAY: Please welcome...
..your new phenomenal...
..MasterChef judges.
Jock Zonfrillo.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Good to see you, bud.
What do you look for in a chef?
Honesty.
The best cooks in the world, you can feel them on a plate.
That is one of the most delicious things that I've eaten.
It is, at its very heart, I imagine, a peasant dish.
Yeah.
The food of my people is peasants in Italy or Scotland.
I can relate to that dish.
This is why we audition thousands of people every year.
To find this.
What we're looking for is that spark.
Wow! Wow! Wow! (ANDY LAUGHS)
That's all you need.
Come on, let's go!
Your time starts...
..now! (CONTESTANTS SQUEAL)
Food's been my entire life.
Oh, my God.
It was cooked to perfection.
The most important thing for me
is giving back to people in a kitchen.
Now you're talking. Bring it on.
Yes!
Well done! Amazing!
I know this has not been an easy decision to make.
This competition is gonna be poorer without you, mate,
I can tell you that.
Hey...
What you are is a classic.
And classics never get old.
Time and time again, the classics rise to the top.
(GRUNTS) (CONTESTANTS CHEER)
Solid cook from you there. Yeah!
He's proud. (RHIANNON LAUGHS)
Proud. Proud dad. You can hear it.
I'm getting bloody emotional now.
I'm so proud of you, mate.
Bloody brilliant, mate.
Thank you, bruh.
(CONTESTANTS APPLAUD)
I'm hungry, though. (LAUGHS)
Can I just taste it? I've never had Coco Pops before.
ANTONIO: Yeah? I just thought I'd try them.
He is such a liar.
I'm going to the charcuterie section.
Making myself a balanced sandwich. MELISSA: I love this!
Why don't we eat a chilli together? Nah!
There's flies. I'm just getting rid of them for you.
Look at how stressed you are. Well, there is...
Do you want these? ..hundreds of winning dishes.
Panicking. You're panicking.
(LAUGHS)
For the last time,
go home, make yourselves a cup of tea, put your feet up,
be kind to each other and we'll see you back here tomorrow.
(APPLAUSE)
(EMOTIONAL MUSIC)