Speaker 1: You're listening to a mom and mea podcast. Mama Mea
Speaker 1: acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters that this
Speaker 1: podcast is recorded on.
Speaker 2: I couldn't be more excited, like about what are you
Speaker 2: excited about having a baby, but like the buns in
Speaker 2: the ovens and it's kind of it's all I've ever
Speaker 2: wanted in life.
Speaker 3: Hello, and welcome to No Filter. I'm Kate lane Brook
Speaker 3: and today, oh this is so great. We're talking about
Speaker 3: a love story that no one saw coming. Sarah Todd
Speaker 3: and Declan Cleary met in one of the most high
Speaker 3: pressure kitchens in Australia, Master Chief Back to Win, and
Speaker 3: they were supposed to be competitors, not soul mates. But
Speaker 3: somewhere between the pressure tests, the plating and the late
Speaker 3: night cookoffs, something.
Speaker 1: Else began to simmer.
Speaker 3: Sarah is a chef, a restaurateur and TV personality who's
Speaker 3: made a global name for herself, and Declan is a
Speaker 3: tradee who became a fan favorite on the show for
Speaker 3: his talent and warmth. And together they've gone from competitors
Speaker 3: to partners, from a shared kitchen to a shared home,
Speaker 3: and now they have got some very very very big
Speaker 3: news to share. This is a story of how a
Speaker 3: reality competition turned into reality a real life love story,
Speaker 3: and how Sarah and Declan are about to embark on
Speaker 3: their most exciting chapter yet. Sarah Todd Declan Cleary, Welcome
Speaker 3: to No Filter.
Speaker 4: Thank you.
Speaker 3: I've been so looking forward to meeting you too, although
Speaker 3: you two is not really right, but.
Speaker 1: We'll get to that. How delightful to have you two here.
Speaker 5: It's special to be here.
Speaker 2: It's good to be back in Melbourne because I feel
Speaker 2: like we've been on the run for months.
Speaker 6: You know, we've had a really busy schedule and then
Speaker 6: you know, we've wanted to enjoy these past few months
Speaker 6: to ourselves and with our family, and just so happened
Speaker 6: that we were on the road the whole time.
Speaker 1: Just yeah until.
Speaker 5: Now, Yes, until yesterday.
Speaker 3: And I said to you, you too, love a pressure test.
Speaker 3: You have really jumped headfirst into really everything good that
Speaker 3: life can offer, which is food, obviously love unexpected.
Speaker 1: Who was it more unexpected for?
Speaker 2: I think I can speak for the both of us
Speaker 2: in saying I think we both went in with no
Speaker 2: intention and find love.
Speaker 1: Master Chef is not a dating show.
Speaker 2: Fact.
Speaker 1: I don't know if there have been any other Master
Speaker 1: Chef couples.
Speaker 5: I think, yeah, I think that.
Speaker 3: We know of you know, because it's one thing. You know,
Speaker 3: It's kind of like actors as well, that when you
Speaker 3: in a situation like that, when you you're experiencing something
Speaker 3: that has an intensity and a club like nature, that
Speaker 3: you do tend to make connections, quite strong and deep connections,
Speaker 3: but they don't always last.
Speaker 6: We're both very passionate about what we do, and I
Speaker 6: think we went into Master Chef wanting to win the show,
Speaker 6: and I think that we both threw everything at it,
Speaker 6: and in the early days we kind of became each
Speaker 6: other's sort of little safe place that was ay from
Speaker 6: all of that intensity.
Speaker 1: So how long? How long was the filming?
Speaker 4: Six months?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 6: So we started wow December last year, and you know,
Speaker 6: you know what it's like. It's can be ten to
Speaker 6: twelve hour days. You're filming for only a few of
Speaker 6: those hours. The rest of it is just outside of
Speaker 6: you know, the kitchen and hanging out and finding ways
Speaker 6: to kind of keep our sanity.
Speaker 3: I of yees yes, and find someone because in those
Speaker 3: situations you need some sort of pressure release, You need
Speaker 3: to feel that you have an ally of some kind,
Speaker 3: and so you two struck up a friendship pretty early.
Speaker 1: How early on.
Speaker 2: I think straight away, I think for Sarah's third time
Speaker 2: coming back, and then my second I definitely pulled, you know,
Speaker 2: two friends out of the first series that I was on.
Speaker 2: I was lucky enough to come out as best friends
Speaker 2: with Rhianna and Anderson.
Speaker 5: Yeah, from my series, and that was which was.
Speaker 1: Like too, you were choose yeah seasons.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so filming in twenty twenty two into twenty twenty three, right,
Speaker 2: and then you know, just like love just big long
Speaker 2: days hanging out with her and the vo having a
Speaker 2: cup of tea and where do you live?
Speaker 1: Like what's the setup for that?
Speaker 6: Well, just coincidentally, Rhiannon became a friend of mine before
Speaker 6: the show, So going into Master Chef, I instant instantly
Speaker 6: was like, find my person, and it was Rhiannon. And
Speaker 6: because they had such a strong friendship, it's kind of
Speaker 6: drew us together. It was kind of like, you know,
Speaker 6: that taking down that barrier because I'm a pretty inteler person,
Speaker 6: even though I'm really.
Speaker 3: Very contained, very contained, in fact, quite intriguing to watch
Speaker 3: very beautiful, very graceful declan you are none of those things,
Speaker 3: because he's completely but you are internal. Declan, you are external, definitely,
Speaker 3: and it's one of the many differences between you, aside
Speaker 3: from background. What was your background, Sarah, Like, how did
Speaker 3: you grow up?
Speaker 4: I'm a country girl.
Speaker 6: I'm from a small town two thousand people called Scrubby
Speaker 6: and grew up just outdoors and just like you know,
Speaker 6: a really beautiful childhood, two brothers and with a really
Speaker 6: solid family.
Speaker 4: I think that I'm really blessed.
Speaker 6: I have just not only my immediate family unit, but
Speaker 6: a very big family which Declan's just had the pleasure
Speaker 6: of meeting almost all of them. And what's what was
Speaker 6: the cultural makeup of your family Australian? Yeah, so I think,
Speaker 6: you know, for me growing up very ausy, very you know,
Speaker 6: Australian upbringing.
Speaker 1: But those whole Indian slash French thing.
Speaker 6: So I my son's half Indian, and so I fell
Speaker 6: in love with the culture. And I think that, you know,
Speaker 6: we're really blessed in Australia to be very open minded.
Speaker 6: And as soon as I was, you know, made aware
Speaker 6: of his culture. And I also felt like, being a mother,
Speaker 6: it was my responsibility to understand that culture as well,
Speaker 6: and I just you know, totally immersed myself into Indian
Speaker 6: culture and you.
Speaker 1: Ended up running a restaurant in Goer.
Speaker 3: Yes, is that was North Goer Yeah, yeah, maybe I've
Speaker 3: been to South go oh Okay beautiful quite quite a
Speaker 3: few times.
Speaker 6: Yeah, amazing. Yeah, it's a beautiful place. I'm sure you
Speaker 6: would have realized. Injury is a place where they just
Speaker 6: welcome you with open arms. And we just did a
Speaker 6: trip recently to go over to India and it was
Speaker 6: Declan's first time, and it's a place for me that
Speaker 6: you know, I've spending five months minimum a year in
Speaker 6: India for the last eleven years.
Speaker 1: And you take Phoenix back there, you're yeah, he.
Speaker 6: Comes back and forth with me, and you know, I
Speaker 6: think that they have just really welcomed me with open arms.
Speaker 4: And I just threw myself into it. And I love it.
Speaker 4: I love in Dear and I love the culture.
Speaker 6: I love the food, the people, and you know, I
Speaker 6: wanted Phoenix to feel proud too if he has to
Speaker 6: take a parato and his lunchbox to school, that he's
Speaker 6: not going to be picked on or embarrassed about it.
Speaker 6: You know, I think it's my responsibility to do that.
Speaker 6: So yeah, it was really nice to kind of.
Speaker 4: Be opened up to this whole new world and.
Speaker 1: Decline your background Australian.
Speaker 2: Yeah, growing up in fresh water run on Sydney's northern beaches.
Speaker 2: So yeah, just full full lossie and traveling lots as
Speaker 2: a kid through dad's work. So I had the luxury
Speaker 2: to you know, he was in television.
Speaker 5: Yeah he was. Yeah, So.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Mum and dad met in television and now.
Speaker 1: And then and you're a trade and then so.
Speaker 5: I'm a build a carpenter by trade and kind.
Speaker 3: Of again very handy. You don't want a soft handed
Speaker 3: paper push up. What you need is someone who can
Speaker 3: undo the pressure cooker.
Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly when he definitely does that.
Speaker 2: So so much like Sarah, like just a really close family,
Speaker 2: two sisters, so stuck in the middle of sometimes I
Speaker 2: say the rose between the thorns. I am with an
Speaker 2: older and young I bet the love it. But like
Speaker 2: they're you know, prior to Sarah coming into my life,
Speaker 2: there's still like some of the most prominent women in
Speaker 2: my life, my mum and my two sisters, so very
Speaker 2: very strong relationship with them, and I think, you know
Speaker 2: that that was really important in my upbringing and my
Speaker 2: sort of like my ethos with life, you know, growing
Speaker 2: up in a household with no shortage of women.
Speaker 3: And you like to tilt and win mills, so you
Speaker 3: like to go this may seem impossible to some, but
Speaker 3: this is what I want to do.
Speaker 5: Yeah. In regards to work and cooking, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2: I've always like liked pushing the boundaries with myself with
Speaker 2: things that I'm doing. And you know, I'm not the
Speaker 2: kind of person that likes to be indoors and not
Speaker 2: doing anything. I think, you know, as soon as I
Speaker 2: could get on the job site and be a trade
Speaker 2: working outside, I thrived on that and I think the
Speaker 2: creativity kind of came in par with cooking.
Speaker 5: It was very similar.
Speaker 2: I never thought I'd get Top three on Master Chef
Speaker 2: Australia and then go on to you know, finding the
Speaker 2: love of my life on the shows.
Speaker 3: And then when you were both invited back, yeah, for
Speaker 3: the for the back to win the series, what was
Speaker 3: Can you remember the moment when you first saw Sarah.
Speaker 5: I was just like, oh, this bloody bombshells on the show.
Speaker 5: It's going to be hard to keep my eyes off her, and.
Speaker 7: Really like it was like she's gorgeous, She's stunning, and
Speaker 7: and you know I was there with no intentions of
Speaker 7: anything other than to win the show.
Speaker 3: So and you were both emotionally unencumbered when you came
Speaker 3: to Yeah, yeah, definitely so, which which was really special.
Speaker 2: And I think, you know the foundations of our relationship
Speaker 2: were built on a friendship and we were spending a
Speaker 2: lot of time hanging out as friends with with no
Speaker 2: intention speaking for myself.
Speaker 5: But I didn't have.
Speaker 3: Well you know, I know, of course I can I
Speaker 3: ask this, was there no intention because you thought my
Speaker 3: priorities have to be on the people?
Speaker 1: Always was that no intention? Because you were like, I
Speaker 1: don't have a chance.
Speaker 2: No, I just in the scheme of life, and I
Speaker 2: think I've got a chance.
Speaker 6: Remember the first time, you know, really no seeing Declan
Speaker 6: and he came down and he sat down and was
Speaker 6: sitting in the green room and he just came down
Speaker 6: and it just hit me straight with questions and like
Speaker 6: started trying to you know, get to know me. And
Speaker 6: I was I really admired that. I think someone who
Speaker 6: you know, can just he's so himself and it's and
Speaker 6: I loved seeing that. I think there's you know, there's
Speaker 6: no barriers. He's not hiding who he is. He's really
Speaker 6: proud and he sat down and he just had a
Speaker 6: good old chat with me, and it was really amazing.
Speaker 6: I was like, oh, this is great, Like I really
Speaker 6: appreciated it.
Speaker 5: Should be or not, you know.
Speaker 3: And also, I think increasingly in the world people are
Speaker 3: scared to show themselves for a myriad of reasons. But
Speaker 3: you have always been totally yourself and that's a very
Speaker 3: lovable quality.
Speaker 1: It's really beautiful. But I was wondering.
Speaker 3: How onto the growing bond between you two the people
Speaker 3: who were making the show were, because I noticed in
Speaker 3: the Maggie Beer episode. In fact, I took a screenshot
Speaker 3: of the moment they did a cutaway to YouTube. Okay,
Speaker 3: do you see that? No, I just went, I'll show
Speaker 3: you it's and I'm like, hello, are you showing each
Speaker 3: other goosebump?
Speaker 1: We are?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Maybe is amazing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's a very rare honor to cook, you know.
Speaker 4: Yeah, really sweet.
Speaker 3: But they did a quick cutaway to YouTube. And then
Speaker 3: increasingly I was sort of noticing that you two were
Speaker 3: often together.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, I think that the friendship that started. We
Speaker 2: always felt comfortable around each other on set because there's
Speaker 2: you know, there's one hundred, one hundred and fifty people
Speaker 2: on set every day, only twenty four contestants, so you
Speaker 2: do really want to find you know, your group and
Speaker 2: whether it was us, you know, going out to exercise
Speaker 2: to kill time, because in television there's.
Speaker 5: A lot of hurry up and there's a lot of
Speaker 5: waiting around.
Speaker 2: So it's like, you know, we'd film an episode where
Speaker 2: you had a seventy five minute cook but it would
Speaker 2: be a fourteen hour yeah, yes, yes, yes, So just
Speaker 2: trying to keep saying in that in doing having healthy
Speaker 2: habits on set, you know, whether it's exercising, whether it's
Speaker 2: finding a TV show to binge out on, whether it's
Speaker 2: studying notes together or you know, kind of brainstorming ideas.
Speaker 2: I think that was important in trying to find the
Speaker 2: normality of a situation that really isn't normal to anyone.
Speaker 3: And it's this may seem, you know, like a sudden thing,
Speaker 3: but I think when you've been in circumstances like that, Yeah,
Speaker 3: any reality TV has this. Really it is like the
Speaker 3: pressure cocker because things happen more quickly.
Speaker 1: You know, the meat gets tender, I see very quickly.
Speaker 4: You're seeing all sides of a person.
Speaker 6: Ultimately, it's a competition exactly you're seeing people at breaking
Speaker 6: point as a highs and you know you're also surrounded
Speaker 6: by people who want to win, so you do need
Speaker 6: to find someone who you feel like is someone you
Speaker 6: can trust in a way, and someone who's sort of
Speaker 6: like minded.
Speaker 4: And I think we got to the point.
Speaker 6: Where we wouldn't have minded if either one of us won,
Speaker 6: you know, and I think it's nice to actually build
Speaker 6: a friendship beyond that competitive nature.
Speaker 4: So I think we got to that point.
Speaker 1: When have you watched the show back together?
Speaker 6: We watched glimpses, like we haven't watched every single episode
Speaker 6: just because we it's pre filmed, and then we were
Speaker 6: already jumped into.
Speaker 4: Work and other comments.
Speaker 1: But we see moments.
Speaker 4: Yeah, well it was my mum. She's like, sorry, you've
Speaker 4: gonna go and put this on you and.
Speaker 6: Declan, you've had this moment and you've got to see it.
Speaker 2: And they really when they because we did our announcement
Speaker 2: with Stellar Magazine, which which was so nice to say
Speaker 2: the narrative from us and get those beautiful shots together
Speaker 2: which will cherish for a lifetime, but it was it
Speaker 2: wasn't really until then that Master Chef jumped on board
Speaker 2: and they're like you know, we'll actually work this into
Speaker 2: the narrative because we were so respectful to each other
Speaker 2: on the show. It's like, yeah, you saw us standing
Speaker 2: next to each other, but you know, I'd be standing
Speaker 2: next to Rhiannon and there was no chemistry there. It's
Speaker 2: like we were always respectful to that on the show.
Speaker 1: But they.
Speaker 5: Worked. They would have gone back.
Speaker 6: Respectively, because it was also some of them even before.
Speaker 4: Before we were we were friends.
Speaker 1: Obviously at a little push or something.
Speaker 4: If I touched him that would make it into.
Speaker 3: Well because I sent a message to Pose, I was
Speaker 3: speaking to you, and so I sent poem message and
Speaker 3: I said, did you know about the romance?
Speaker 1: And she sent me I'll tell you what you and
Speaker 1: it was you know post.
Speaker 6: So she's such a beautiful She's amazing, non gossipy sort
Speaker 6: of person, but very astuu and you know, sees.
Speaker 1: What goes on.
Speaker 3: She said, Yeah, she said, Okay, I'm such a clueless twitt.
Speaker 1: I missed it in tirely.
Speaker 4: I think everybody did.
Speaker 3: Yeah, she said, I only found out the same time
Speaker 3: as everyone else did. Although I have a friend who's
Speaker 3: a contestant who told me after. It was all kind
Speaker 3: of general knowledge amongst the other contestants and they didn't
Speaker 3: hide it.
Speaker 6: Yeah, like you know, we we didn't hide hanging out.
Speaker 2: We hung out all the time when I was at
Speaker 2: the complex, like where we stayed. You'd all get a
Speaker 2: bus in together and you'd get a bus home where
Speaker 2: Sarah had you know, some of the Melbourne people stayed
Speaker 2: at home and made their own way to say, right,
Speaker 2: so you know, i'd leave set with Sarah or i'd
Speaker 2: rop up with Sarah, and then I had those core
Speaker 2: people within the group that you know, we're still staying
Speaker 2: at the.
Speaker 4: Complex, which was still only quite far along.
Speaker 6: It was yeah, yeah, we had been spending a lot
Speaker 6: of time previous to that, so I think, yeah.
Speaker 5: It's.
Speaker 3: It's funny, but were all, this is a producer's dream.
Speaker 1: It was fantastic that would have been wrapped.
Speaker 3: So when Declan went out, which I think was week
Speaker 3: eleventh thirty two series, because it was an enormous scope
Speaker 3: of a series at that point, how were you, Well.
Speaker 4: It was really funny.
Speaker 6: It was the first day where we sort of like
Speaker 6: sat next to next to each other and like had
Speaker 6: physical contact.
Speaker 4: Right, was that that episode.
Speaker 1: After the eviction or during it?
Speaker 6: It was before eviction and we you know, obviously it
Speaker 6: already started to develop at that point and we were close,
Speaker 6: but we're also really mindful that we're in a work
Speaker 6: situation and respectful.
Speaker 4: Of other people.
Speaker 6: And that was the first day, and so it was
Speaker 6: really quite devastating because it was like, oh gosh, like
Speaker 6: we just felt comfortable to be ourselves.
Speaker 3: And and what when you sat was the first moment
Speaker 3: that you'd had a physical like that free song public
Speaker 3: So what was it a handhold.
Speaker 5: Or maybe just like.
Speaker 2: Remember like on the couch and then it's just like
Speaker 2: laying on it with my arm around.
Speaker 5: Because I was like, you know, I.
Speaker 1: Food and love.
Speaker 2: It, and I think, you know, the whole respect thing,
Speaker 2: like I didn't want to cross any boundaries and you know,
Speaker 2: make Sarah feel uncomfortable on set and vice versa. So
Speaker 2: you know, it was we'd spend a lot of time
Speaker 2: with each other, but I'm not going to go it's
Speaker 2: not going to on set or something like that, like
Speaker 2: because it's it's just not professional. And then I think,
Speaker 2: you know, we're it was nice to finally feel that
Speaker 2: comfortable where we can just throw our arm around each other.
Speaker 2: You know, we're we're like spending staying living with each
Speaker 2: other at.
Speaker 5: That point pretty much.
Speaker 2: So it's like we'd still go into the professional situation
Speaker 2: and you know, and be professional.
Speaker 3: And also I think things like Declan leaving, then you
Speaker 3: have to be much more clear. You can't take for
Speaker 3: granted the fact that you're going to be seeing each other,
Speaker 3: you know, maybe for teen more weeks or whatever.
Speaker 1: How did you feel them? Like, what was that Apex?
Speaker 5: I was with her right?
Speaker 1: No longer because you were about to go, Well, you
Speaker 1: did say I was moved in.
Speaker 4: Yeah, he was staying with me at that point.
Speaker 6: So basically my family, my family, So my family.
Speaker 4: Were taking turns to help with Phoenix.
Speaker 6: So right, I was at home, you know, I had
Speaker 6: to we would film from I'd have to leave home
Speaker 6: at seven am, and I'd get home at sort of
Speaker 6: I don't know. Some nights could be ninety eight or
Speaker 6: seven or whatever, and he had to get dropped to
Speaker 6: school and picked up.
Speaker 4: So my mum would take turns.
Speaker 6: Then my dad came down, took turns, and then there
Speaker 6: was a period where my dad.
Speaker 4: Had just left.
Speaker 6: And this is when Declan like that transition eliminated, eliminated,
Speaker 6: so then he.
Speaker 5: I don't have to come now because they did like.
Speaker 3: Oh, he's a nice boy.
Speaker 2: Mum was there for six weeks and then she helped
Speaker 2: and then and then Sarah's dad, Steve came for six weeks,
Speaker 2: so it was really nice. I got to have those
Speaker 2: interactions with them as well, so you know what I'm going,
Speaker 2: there's banter and you know, like as friends. And then
Speaker 2: they saw that grow. So then it was time where
Speaker 2: I got eliminated. And it's like, you know, we've created
Speaker 2: this bond and this and we were you know, we're
Speaker 2: already together kind of at that point. And and then
Speaker 2: it's like, oh, well, yeah, like I'll just take Phoenix
Speaker 2: to school.
Speaker 1: Out of the family by that point.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and how was Phoenix because of is he thirteen
Speaker 3: or fourteen?
Speaker 4: Yeah? Look, it was really subtle. I think for us.
Speaker 6: What was beautiful was that, you know, we were spending
Speaker 6: like Declan's dad came down and visited, his mom, came down,
Speaker 6: his sister, and then my dad, my mom, and so
Speaker 6: we slowly just started building this friendship or relationship whatever
Speaker 6: you want to call it.
Speaker 4: And it evolved over time. So we were hanging out.
Speaker 6: Before anything had happened, you know, before we'd really you know,
Speaker 6: taken that next step and they're down playing paddle at
Speaker 6: the beach and we're you know, having dinners and barbecues
Speaker 6: at home and all these different, you know, regular situations.
Speaker 6: So it was nice to see even Declan and my
Speaker 6: son Phoenix's.
Speaker 4: Bond grow just naturally. Before it wasn't like here's a boyfriend.
Speaker 3: No, And also because particularly when there's a child involved,
Speaker 3: but also families very protective, yeah, very and so they
Speaker 3: would have been like, who's this guy. He's considerably younger,
Speaker 3: he's eleven years younger than you.
Speaker 1: Is he a blow in? Is he or whatever?
Speaker 3: And then so you Declan had the chance to show
Speaker 3: your character, which was of service, capable, reliable, honest and committed.
Speaker 5: Yeah. I think.
Speaker 2: It speaks for the kind of person Sarah is. I
Speaker 2: don't think Sarah would ever like bring someone into her life,
Speaker 2: like really like and Phoenix is so mature and such
Speaker 2: an intelligent boy, and I think he would know that
Speaker 2: he's like, you know, Mum's not going to bring in
Speaker 2: some dickhead like and just like so it was like,
Speaker 2: you know, I on the outskirt, like I've come from
Speaker 2: a broken home and you know, dealt with you know,
Speaker 2: step mums and that kind of stuff, So I know
Speaker 2: how I felt as a fourteen year old boy, so
Speaker 2: I was very empathetic as to how he might be feeling.
Speaker 2: And you know, as always, like i'd always just go
Speaker 2: to Sarah and just say, I'm guided by you on
Speaker 2: how you want to do this, Like I love being
Speaker 2: the decision maker and making decisions, but with this kind
Speaker 2: of stuff, you know, it's it's your professional career. I've
Speaker 2: been in this industry for two three years. Sarah has
Speaker 2: been in it for you know, well over a decade.
Speaker 2: It's your professional career, it's your son, it's it's your
Speaker 2: you know, I'm guided by you. I want you to
Speaker 2: be comfortable with however you want to go about this
Speaker 2: kind of thing.
Speaker 6: So yeah, and you know, even though it may look
Speaker 6: like it's fast, it's been very thought out.
Speaker 4: You know, each step that we take and everything that we.
Speaker 6: Do and decision we make, we've talked about it endlessly
Speaker 6: and thought about it.
Speaker 4: And even this you know, slow.
Speaker 6: Transitions with Phoenix and you know that essence that's all
Speaker 6: been spoken about before you know, making any decisions.
Speaker 4: So everyone's comfortable. And he is a smart boy.
Speaker 6: He's really intelligent, both intelligence but also emotionally and he
Speaker 6: you know, you do have to be delicate with that.
Speaker 4: He's fourteen year old boy, and.
Speaker 6: I don't want to be bringing people in his lives
Speaker 6: in his life.
Speaker 1: And taking itching them away.
Speaker 4: He doesn't deserve that.
Speaker 6: Yeah, so, you know, I think there's been a lot
Speaker 6: of thought that's gone into all of it.
Speaker 3: So you've left, but you're immeshed in the family. You're
Speaker 3: continuing to cook. You're continuing to cook astoundingly by the way,
Speaker 3: oh thank you, and looking beautiful while you do it,
Speaker 3: which is not necessarily important, but it is television and
Speaker 3: very beautiful to watch, Like, I've never seen anyone run
Speaker 3: to a pantry and look graceful.
Speaker 1: Sort of did.
Speaker 3: Amazing to make these extraordinary to take these risks with
Speaker 3: food when you do you think that part of the
Speaker 3: reason that you were so alive in the show was
Speaker 3: because you had the extra wind beneath your wings.
Speaker 6: Oh absolutely, I think that I am, even though I
Speaker 6: don't often show it. I'm a highly emotional person and
Speaker 6: for me, that balance needs to be there in order
Speaker 6: for me to perform and to do these crazy things.
Speaker 6: And there was days where it sucks so much creative
Speaker 6: energy and emotional energy out of me that I did
Speaker 6: need to refuel and walk back into the kitchen and
Speaker 6: I'd come home and it was it was like walking
Speaker 6: even though it is my home. It was walking into
Speaker 6: a home where it felt like, you know, it was
Speaker 6: full and it was really beautiful. It was Decline, it
Speaker 6: was sol the dog. It was Phoenix, it was dog.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: From I was like, what sort of dog.
Speaker 5: Here's a Hungarian vislock.
Speaker 3: Really hunting dog, pointing.
Speaker 5: Yeah, right, yes, but it was yeah, like I was.
Speaker 2: I was there to drop Sarah off on set in
Speaker 2: the mornings, you know, so she could get all the
Speaker 2: makeup done in the car on the way and we're
Speaker 2: up the bay, so it was it's about an hour
Speaker 2: drive on a good day to get to the studio.
Speaker 2: So you know, like Sarah leave it saying getting there
Speaker 2: at seven, you know, you'd leave at six in the
Speaker 2: morning and then coming home at nine at night, but
Speaker 2: there've been food there, like, you know, so she can
Speaker 2: refuel or like you know, brainstorming ideas and staying up
Speaker 2: to all hours of the night like helping her you know,
Speaker 2: think or practice like I remember us, you know, making
Speaker 2: buddy milk buttons at eleven pm at night, which you know,
Speaker 2: I like just and it was that and I just knew,
Speaker 2: I'm like this, this is only for a short period,
Speaker 2: Like it doesn't matter if I'm burning myself to the
Speaker 2: absolute end. I know the grand finale date is on
Speaker 2: this date, whether she's in it or not, Like I can,
Speaker 2: you know, I can absolutely drive her to the end.
Speaker 3: This is interesting because you've had such you know, as
Speaker 3: Declan said, you had a very established life, but a
Speaker 3: lot of it you had.
Speaker 1: Done on your own.
Speaker 3: Was how did it feel and what was the point
Speaker 3: at which you went? You know that a part of
Speaker 3: you can relax into the fact that there's someone there
Speaker 3: that is solid and stable and there for you.
Speaker 1: Was there a moment.
Speaker 3: Where you where you just felt the ease of that.
Speaker 4: I think there's kind of two sides to it.
Speaker 6: I feel like that was very hard for me to
Speaker 6: do because I have always done everything and managed everything
Speaker 6: and found a way, no matter what it did to
Speaker 6: me physically emotionally, I'd always get up and you know,
Speaker 6: put the pieces back together. And there was the other
Speaker 6: side where it was like, you know, I felt like
Speaker 6: this was just so real and it was like it
Speaker 6: was this kind of one side trying to let go
Speaker 6: and relax into it. But the other side just going no,
Speaker 6: I can't, I can't let myself do that because I've
Speaker 6: never done it before and it was really nice, and
Speaker 6: it's it's like probably still happening now.
Speaker 5: Like like.
Speaker 3: That that a relationship takes a kind of surrender.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it does.
Speaker 3: And if you're someone who's been fiercely independent, that requires
Speaker 3: a different set of muscles.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Absolutely, And in.
Speaker 1: What way were you resisting that, do you think? Oh?
Speaker 4: Probably in every way.
Speaker 6: Like I think just like letting him just make the dinner,
Speaker 6: you know who, like even as small things, and then
Speaker 6: for him to you know, pick Phoenix up from you know,
Speaker 6: from school. I was like, I've never I've never asked
Speaker 6: anybody to do that before other than you know, my
Speaker 6: mom or my dad. That's the only people I've ever asked.
Speaker 6: I've never had babysitters or anything. You know, it's kind
Speaker 6: of in Australian blood to just go you have to
Speaker 6: do it all yourself, you know, it's not only just
Speaker 6: being single, it's an independent it's also our makeup. Yeah,
Speaker 6: so I think, yeah, like it's still kind of happening.
Speaker 3: And so Declan strikes me as being quite patient. Yeah,
Speaker 3: or did he move things along in that regard.
Speaker 6: Look, he's just I think that everything that Declan does,
Speaker 6: he does it without expecting anything in return.
Speaker 4: He just genuinely and.
Speaker 6: It's not just for me. I see it with all
Speaker 6: of his friends, his family. You know, he'll give his
Speaker 6: time and he'll do these small things, whether it's you know,
Speaker 6: a little message in the morning to you know, brighten
Speaker 6: your day, or something extra for his family, Like, he'll
Speaker 6: always go out of his way to do that.
Speaker 5: A lot more would so.
Speaker 3: He gets a special Yeah, because you said something really
Speaker 3: lovely in the episode where Declan left, and that was
Speaker 3: interesting as well, that the only person that they asked.
Speaker 3: I mean, obviously probably it was edited that way, but
Speaker 3: they left your.
Speaker 1: Commenting and I wrote it down. I didn't get a word.
Speaker 3: For word, but it was so beautiful what you said
Speaker 3: when they asked you to discuss what Declan had meant
Speaker 3: to the show, and you said, he's a light for
Speaker 3: everyone in the room and he lifts everyone up. Yeah,
Speaker 3: that's such like I find this quite moving. Your that
Speaker 3: surrendering thing I think is very hard for women who
Speaker 3: have been stoic and used to doing things.
Speaker 5: On their own. Yeah, definitely and I see.
Speaker 2: I'm aware that how hard that is for Sarah because
Speaker 2: I can see it at times, you know, her wanting
Speaker 2: to do everything. And I've come from a family with
Speaker 2: three fiercely and independent women as well, so I think
Speaker 2: that's kind of helped me adjust to that. And I
Speaker 2: let her do things like and then you know when
Speaker 2: when she see I let her see herself exhausting herself
Speaker 2: that little bit more, maybe in a way where I
Speaker 2: could have helped, and then she's like, oh no, I
Speaker 2: might let deck do that, or I might ask just
Speaker 2: once and say I'll do this, and if she says no,
Speaker 2: like I respect that, but then she might come to
Speaker 2: me the next week and be like, oh, maybe you
Speaker 2: can do that.
Speaker 5: Like I don't want to be.
Speaker 2: Controlling in any way whatsoever, but I feel like, you know,
Speaker 2: like Sarah said, we're still figuring all this out, yes,
Speaker 2: and I think it's like we, you know, we really
Speaker 2: just threw ourself into the thick of it.
Speaker 3: Don't go anywhere. Sarah and Declan have plenty more to
Speaker 3: share right after this. So then the show finished, You're
Speaker 3: obviously on this path now. I mean, you've gone to Factor,
Speaker 3: You've gone to Factory and then.
Speaker 1: You go overseas together.
Speaker 5: Yeah, we move in, we go oversee And what was.
Speaker 3: The trip originally? Was it a trip that was that
Speaker 3: you had planned together? Was a trip you were originally
Speaker 3: going to have or how did that work?
Speaker 1: Well?
Speaker 2: How many.
Speaker 1: Of Paris? I know?
Speaker 5: Paris, Europe, Dubai, India.
Speaker 2: We've just spent three weeks on the road driving around Australia.
Speaker 6: We've kept the first trip was actually a work trip
Speaker 6: of mine, and then it was to India. And I
Speaker 6: was like, you need to come and experience India because it.
Speaker 3: So because you're massive, because Master she is a huge
Speaker 3: India and you're huge in India.
Speaker 6: Wells, yeah, I mean I have a big, long career
Speaker 6: in India. And it was nice to I think that
Speaker 6: I have such a love of India and I've been
Speaker 6: seeing it through my eyes for so long. It was
Speaker 6: really beautiful to show decline and to see it for
Speaker 6: the first time through his eyes. And just I think
Speaker 6: that we had the most beautiful trip and the places
Speaker 6: that have become familiar to me.
Speaker 4: And what do they.
Speaker 2: Call us again, the jujiuji as husband of a sister.
Speaker 6: Yeah, so I'm they calling me a sister of India.
Speaker 6: And him like, you know my husband, which is I
Speaker 6: was like, oh my gosh, well that was kind of
Speaker 6: a moment for me to realize that India is calling
Speaker 6: me a sister. Yeah, I feel and they're like, oh,
Speaker 6: you know, it's like, you know, I've been there always,
Speaker 6: and I think that the food scene I've been you know,
Speaker 6: speckled through it for the last eleven twelve years and
Speaker 6: it was nice to yeah, to kind of just see
Speaker 6: the response of Declan coming to India and yeah, and
Speaker 6: it was beautiful, Like I think it was really well
Speaker 6: received also by the media and and you know, everyone
Speaker 6: reaching out to us while we're there.
Speaker 4: It felt really special.
Speaker 3: And because you know, sometimes I think relationships that have
Speaker 3: started in a covert sort of way because you know,
Speaker 3: it wasn't for public consumption at that time, sometimes when
Speaker 3: they step into the open, the nature of the relationship
Speaker 3: changes because the secrecy has added an extra little fits
Speaker 3: on to it, and when you are walking in the light,
Speaker 3: it can change a little bit. Did you have any
Speaker 3: moments where you were like or you were like, oh,
Speaker 3: this is an unexpected aspect of this person.
Speaker 2: I think that's the special thing is from the moment
Speaker 2: I met Sarah we were just in sync and that
Speaker 2: we obviously have differences, but you know, whether it's our values,
Speaker 2: our morals, like her speaking of what I do in
Speaker 2: the morning, she does it as well. And she is
Speaker 2: such a fiercely independent woman. I feel lucky that you
Speaker 2: and I've swept off her feet and I've.
Speaker 5: Ended up with her.
Speaker 2: But it's just like it's it's honestly so special to
Speaker 2: have met someone that is so on the same page
Speaker 2: with me with morals of life, with values, which I
Speaker 2: think is really important in the cause of a relationship,
Speaker 2: Like is you know you want to be best friends?
Speaker 5: And I can call herm a best friend. Like it's like,
Speaker 5: you know, we do.
Speaker 2: We're we've thrown ourselves in the deep end where we're
Speaker 2: working together, we're living together, we did the show together,
Speaker 2: we're traveling together. Like there's not not and you know,
Speaker 2: don't get me wrong, I'm sure I drive her up
Speaker 2: the bloody wall sometimes.
Speaker 3: I did see in one of yours you're saying him,
Speaker 3: don't be lazy.
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's just banter.
Speaker 2: And it's like we have such a such a good friendship,
Speaker 2: which I think is something I haven't had in the past,
Speaker 2: and it's going into Master Chef without those intentions to
Speaker 2: find someone, and I was kind of on a journey
Speaker 2: of like not wanting to be in a relationship for
Speaker 2: a little while.
Speaker 5: I was like, all right, and then and then.
Speaker 1: Sarah, and just focus on the bistro dream.
Speaker 5: Yeah that, but just focus you know.
Speaker 2: I absolutely love building, and it's like I just didn't
Speaker 2: want I went on Master Chef and then I'm like sweet, Like,
Speaker 2: you know, if I win this, I can really get
Speaker 2: a quarter of a meal behind myself to capitalize on that.
Speaker 2: But my goal is to you know, have a portfolio
Speaker 2: on build my homes and like you know, build a
Speaker 2: family and stuff like that. And it's you know, I'm
Speaker 2: I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to be on
Speaker 2: Master Chef.
Speaker 5: This is my first podcast I've ever been on as well.
Speaker 5: I've never done anything like this before. But I come
Speaker 5: in here with a couple of butterflies.
Speaker 2: Holy shit, much like Sarah, like never never spoken so
Speaker 2: personally about my life, which I think this is this
Speaker 2: is a big step for us.
Speaker 3: When you were saying before the things that you've shared together, yeah,
Speaker 3: you left something out. Yeah, When I said, hell, are
Speaker 3: you too? When you walked in, yeah, that was not
Speaker 3: strictly true.
Speaker 5: No, I couldn't be more excited, like and.
Speaker 4: About what.
Speaker 1: Are you excited.
Speaker 5: About having a baby?
Speaker 2: But like the buns in the ovens and it's it's
Speaker 2: kind of it's all that I've ever wanted in life,
Speaker 2: and I can just see an endless future with Sarah
Speaker 2: and us growing together and starting this beautiful family together.
Speaker 3: Was this intentional int well, that was the pregnancy, do
Speaker 3: you know what I mean? Were you like, let's let's
Speaker 3: make a baby or do happen? And it was it
Speaker 3: a happy accident.
Speaker 6: We've spoken about everything, and I think we spoke about
Speaker 6: you know, obviously you mentioned age as well, and you know,
Speaker 6: if we start this journey together in a relationship, and
Speaker 6: you know we obviously Declan wants to build a family
Speaker 6: and I, you know, I know how beautiful it is
Speaker 6: having my son, and I've always wanted more children, and
Speaker 6: we spoke about all aspects and you know.
Speaker 5: I think from an early stage, yeah, and.
Speaker 4: You know, it was really beautiful.
Speaker 6: Like Declan also said, like, we spoke about the options
Speaker 6: if I couldn't as well, and you know there was
Speaker 6: both sides, so we we really did speak about everything,
Speaker 6: and you know, we knew this is what we wanted.
Speaker 3: Well, it's interesting because your age difference is similar to
Speaker 3: me and my husband, so I do believe.
Speaker 5: I don't know.
Speaker 3: For me, it's really kind of a non issue. But
Speaker 3: when we first meet, we were in such different stages
Speaker 3: of our life. I just started working in television and
Speaker 3: he was working in a cafe and he was really
Speaker 3: clucky at this.
Speaker 4: He really sounds very simil.
Speaker 3: And I was frond him in a vague yeah one
Speaker 3: day and then now.
Speaker 4: We've got four children, amazing.
Speaker 3: But it was because there was a driver of us
Speaker 3: and Peter was very similar to Declan in background as well,
Speaker 3: really in that he was like, this is what life
Speaker 3: is about.
Speaker 6: Yeah, and that's exactly what Declan says. And I believe
Speaker 6: it as well. And you know, I think the you know,
Speaker 6: family is everything.
Speaker 1: And who did you tell first?
Speaker 4: Oh my gosh, who did me?
Speaker 5: I think my mum?
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, And that was a big moment as well.
Speaker 6: I think, you know, I think we have been so
Speaker 6: overwhelmed with how how many beautiful messages from our family
Speaker 6: and friends and how happy everyone is for us. But
Speaker 6: it's like it's such a big thing and it's a lot,
Speaker 6: you know, again like going back to the fact that,
Speaker 6: like I'm sure you know, I'm a very close person.
Speaker 6: I don't share a lot of my personal life and
Speaker 6: and you know this is all new to us to
Speaker 6: now be sharing it all, and there's so many people
Speaker 6: to share, so.
Speaker 3: Many people are invested in it, which is beautiful. And
Speaker 3: also because the story of you two, I mean, you're
Speaker 3: so Yin and Yang, You're so the the energy is
Speaker 3: so male and so female.
Speaker 1: It's so lady in the tramp, do you know what
Speaker 1: I mean? Yeah, sharing that.
Speaker 3: That beautiful thing that it's a very beautiful story that
Speaker 3: a lot of people, like I said, are invested in.
Speaker 2: I think neither of us expected that we'd come into
Speaker 2: each other's lives. And it goes back to the part
Speaker 2: where you know, we've created this friendship before even you know,
Speaker 2: having a kiss or something. Ca Serah goes into an
Speaker 2: elimination and then I'm like, ship, this could be the
Speaker 2: last time I see her.
Speaker 5: I just got to bite the bullet and do this.
Speaker 2: And I'm walking in, I'm walking in, She's walking in
Speaker 2: front of me, and I'm like, do this, let's do it, let's.
Speaker 1: Do it, And what did you say?
Speaker 2: And just tap her on the shoulder and I'm like, like,
Speaker 2: we're walking in a group of twenty thirty and then
Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, I'm like Sarah, I'm like I just
Speaker 2: want to ask you, like, you know, in case you
Speaker 2: get eliminated today, did you maybe want to go on
Speaker 2: a date with me?
Speaker 5: And then she just looks at me and she's like
Speaker 5: she's like what. And I'm like, you want to go
Speaker 5: on a date with me? And she's like you're an idiot?
Speaker 5: Like you ready to go in for it?
Speaker 1: Why was he an idiot?
Speaker 6: Well, it was just like it's like thirty seconds before
Speaker 6: I'm about to get eliminated.
Speaker 1: I was like this, yeah, and that.
Speaker 2: Was there's like people side by side, and once you
Speaker 2: get eliminated, you're out the door, you pack your bags
Speaker 2: and you go yeah.
Speaker 1: And Sarah and you're taking Phoenix to school. This was yeah.
Speaker 3: Good.
Speaker 2: So this was you know, very early, and I'm like,
Speaker 2: I can't skip on this opportunity. And I'm like I
Speaker 2: always my whole life have told myself, do you just
Speaker 2: need twenty seconds of curry with whatever it is you're doing,
Speaker 2: whether it's applying for that job, quitting that job, you know,
Speaker 2: asking someone on a day to Kis. So you know,
Speaker 2: all it is is just shut out everything in your
Speaker 2: life and just have twenty seconds of courage to do it.
Speaker 5: And I had that twenty seconds of courage and she.
Speaker 2: Left me, you know, yeah, and then I went back
Speaker 2: that night because she didn't give me an answer, and
Speaker 2: I was up all night and I was just laying
Speaker 2: in bed staring at the roof, like laughing at myself, like, wow,
Speaker 2: I just asked Sarah Sarah Todd on a date and
Speaker 2: she laughed at me, got me.
Speaker 5: And then it wasn't until.
Speaker 3: Like uncomfortable like situation, And then how was that night
Speaker 3: for you?
Speaker 1: What was going for your mind?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 6: Like you know, I was still kind of yeah, I
Speaker 6: was still like is that what he meant?
Speaker 4: You know, I was kind of like, is it a date?
Speaker 2: Date?
Speaker 1: Yes?
Speaker 6: He was like really okay, you know, because I feel like,
Speaker 6: you know, we had become friends, but obviously, you know,
Speaker 6: we had moments where I like, I was excited for
Speaker 6: him to be there, you know, doing something, and he
Speaker 6: walks in the room and you know, I knew that
Speaker 6: the spark was there, so.
Speaker 1: He knew that you had those feelings.
Speaker 6: Yeah, definitely, it wasn't just a mate. Yeah, exactly. You know,
Speaker 6: you don't know where that might go, or you know.
Speaker 3: When did you get back to him? When did you
Speaker 3: get back to the idiot?
Speaker 4: I don't know exactly when, but.
Speaker 5: Yeah, just two days later, vividly remember two days later.
Speaker 2: But it was like, you know, I just I sent
Speaker 2: her a message and I was like, I apologize, like
Speaker 2: if it was very forward. She obviously didn't get eliminated,
Speaker 2: and we had to spend you know, the next indefinitely
Speaker 2: seeing each other, like I don't want to make you
Speaker 2: feel uncomfortable, and I hope you know, I just want
Speaker 2: to remain your friend. I'm sorry if I was an idiot.
Speaker 2: And then she come up to me and she's Sarah's
Speaker 2: like she's like, oh, no, what you asked me the
Speaker 2: other day? Like, yeah, I'd love to go on a
Speaker 2: date with you.
Speaker 5: And then and then you.
Speaker 1: Had to plan a date, yeah, which was so.
Speaker 2: I drove my car down from Sydney to be on
Speaker 2: the show and packed it with all my knickknacks and
Speaker 2: my books and my posters and made my room feel
Speaker 2: like a home, not wanting to live out of a
Speaker 2: suitcase for six months.
Speaker 5: And then so I had my car and I was
Speaker 5: had a.
Speaker 2: Weekend booked in at the Grampians, and then so I'm like, oh,
Speaker 2: I'm actually going to the Grampians this weekend. Do you
Speaker 2: want to jump in the car and just come for
Speaker 2: the ride? And then and then we went away for
Speaker 2: two nights and stayed in the lodge in the middle
Speaker 2: of the Grampis.
Speaker 5: Yeah, and then it was history from there.
Speaker 3: Okay, So you you've shared with us that you're expecting
Speaker 3: a baby.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what was the moment when you did? You obviously, first.
Speaker 2: You're the one trying to squeeze into it dress and
Speaker 2: bloody boobs first.
Speaker 6: Of all, bos so before you did a teaste, Yeah,
Speaker 6: my boobs grew. But I had to go over for
Speaker 6: a trip, a work trip to India, and then we
Speaker 6: were meeting in cans for like a trip at the
Speaker 6: end of my India trip, and I'm going through customs
Speaker 6: in the airport and out of nowhere, I just vomit
Speaker 6: in a binh.
Speaker 1: Like, is this coviding?
Speaker 6: And so that was kind of yeah, the moment where
Speaker 6: I was like, oh gosh, I just vomited in a bin.
Speaker 1: So at this point you.
Speaker 2: Were coming back to cans I was there waiting up
Speaker 2: in cans, and I'm like, I'll go to the pharmacy.
Speaker 2: I'll buy one of those bloody tests and.
Speaker 6: Really fancy one with like the weeks on it and
Speaker 6: everything up the toilet.
Speaker 5: And then she comes out of that at the yeah, pregnant,
Speaker 5: holy ship.
Speaker 2: Well would you jump on the water skis because we're
Speaker 2: meant to go water yeah?
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 4: And we're there with friends like Rhianna and everything.
Speaker 6: We've just figured out this news and we've gone there
Speaker 6: to go waterskiing.
Speaker 4: Right, and so I go straight on the water.
Speaker 6: Ski and then it like I fall back and it
Speaker 6: just scrapes all the way in between my legs.
Speaker 4: And I've got these.
Speaker 6: Gigantic like dashes.
Speaker 5: On my Maybe we shouldn't do that.
Speaker 4: Yeah, just hold off on this now.
Speaker 1: Wow? And then when did you share? Did you share
Speaker 1: it with them on that trip?
Speaker 5: I kept it. It was really between family, you know.
Speaker 4: A little was one of the first people we told.
Speaker 1: How was she so excited?
Speaker 5: Everyone, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 2: Everyone's been so excited and it's been such a nice response,
Speaker 2: and I'm so excited for all the little moments, you know,
Speaker 2: the late night feeds, you know, getting up with sair
Speaker 2: even now.
Speaker 4: The leg eggs and all of that started. I slipped
Speaker 4: about two hours last night as well. The sleepless I
Speaker 4: just kicked.
Speaker 3: That's so cruel, it's so so weird. And that's nature preparing.
Speaker 3: Why can't nature prepare?
Speaker 1: Yeah, getting good sleep?
Speaker 5: Yeah, so no, it's I'm so excited for it all.
Speaker 1: Coming up.
Speaker 3: Sarah and Declan reveal how they went from Master Chef
Speaker 3: rivals to building a family together and so like, geographically
Speaker 3: now you're going to be a family, where are you
Speaker 3: going to be based to Melbourne?
Speaker 7: Right?
Speaker 6: Yeah, so we're bayside and yeah we've got a bigger
Speaker 6: house now and everyone settled in.
Speaker 2: But every every day honestly just feels like a dream
Speaker 2: and a dream come true.
Speaker 5: Like it's so it's so special.
Speaker 2: We've got you know, we we bit the bullet and
Speaker 2: got a bigger house together. And you know, I moved
Speaker 2: from Sydney to Melbourne and is in school in Melbourne.
Speaker 2: So I'm prepared to stay here for you know, until
Speaker 2: he finishes his school certificate, but you know, I'd love
Speaker 2: to love to move eventually. And you know then now
Speaker 2: I've got another little one on the way, like I think,
Speaker 2: you know, having them experience the rest of the world
Speaker 2: or the rest of the country. It's the opportunities are endless.
Speaker 2: But we're both also open to change, which is really nice.
Speaker 2: And this is obviously the biggest change in both our
Speaker 2: life is trying to merge our families together.
Speaker 6: And people think our lifestyle is crazy, but we're very
Speaker 6: similar and we love it and I.
Speaker 4: Think it's so nice.
Speaker 6: We both love the small things in life. Yeah, those
Speaker 6: little in between moments, and I feel like it's, yeah,
Speaker 6: we've we're very like minded in that sense. So we
Speaker 6: can do totally different holidays if it's a campavan or
Speaker 6: something like that. You know, it's it's been really special
Speaker 6: and I think, yeah, we've had a really fun jam
Speaker 6: packed ye.
Speaker 3: I mean, obviously you've got a massive project coming up.
Speaker 3: How far off, by the way, roughly when it wins
Speaker 3: your baby.
Speaker 1: A summer a summer baby.
Speaker 6: Yeah, around around the end of the year, right around
Speaker 6: like early early next year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, right, yeah, And so what have you envisaged what
Speaker 3: you know, what you'll be like when you're hunkered down
Speaker 3: for that or is are you going to hit the
Speaker 3: road with with the with the whole circus.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think for us, we we definitely like I'm
Speaker 6: a person that trusts my intuition and I'm not going
Speaker 6: to set anything in stone in terms of what we're
Speaker 6: going to do. Who knows what it might look like
Speaker 6: at that moment. So I think we're both open to
Speaker 6: whatever might come our way. But in saying that, you know,
Speaker 6: we we obviously have, you know, different things that we
Speaker 6: want to do and what we think and prefer, yeah, professionally,
Speaker 6: what we would like to kind of get back into
Speaker 6: and you know, worked out in a way that you know,
Speaker 6: if it's Decklan's work, that we all go together and
Speaker 6: he does his work or vice versa, so to manage
Speaker 6: it in that way that we'll be doing it as
Speaker 6: a family.
Speaker 3: And how has the pregnancy been, by the way, because
Speaker 3: the experience, so it's fourteen years ago, Yeah, how is
Speaker 3: it this time?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 4: Definitely different.
Speaker 6: I think I was we were driving below the Eiffel
Speaker 6: Tower and I'm puking in.
Speaker 4: The gutter in all sorts of places.
Speaker 6: So I've definitely got a lot of mourning sickness this time.
Speaker 6: And yeah, like just different, Like it's definitely Also I
Speaker 6: feel like you probably know this after the first baby.
Speaker 6: You only remember the good stuff. I don't remember any well,
Speaker 6: otherwise no one would.
Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3: So it's a remarkable thing about the human psyche. It's
Speaker 3: a really brilliant thing that we only remember the book.
Speaker 6: Yeah, so I think back I was like, oh, I
Speaker 6: had a beautiful pregnancy.
Speaker 1: Nothing.
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, maybe it did, I just can't remember now.
Speaker 6: So there's definitely been ups and downs with how I've
Speaker 6: been feeling. But I, you know, just surrender my body
Speaker 6: to it and whatever happens and needs to happen. I
Speaker 6: know my body will kick in and do what it
Speaker 6: has to. So just letting that happen.
Speaker 5: And doing such a good job.
Speaker 1: And what are you thinking about being a dad?
Speaker 2: I'm so excited, especially, you know, being a parent with Sarah.
Speaker 2: I think it's I've never envisioned it to be like this,
Speaker 2: and it is. It's all I've kind of ever wanted.
Speaker 2: And this baby is already coming into a house that's
Speaker 2: so full of love.
Speaker 4: There's so much love.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I feel like Sarah is already such a
Speaker 2: great parent, and she's it's only going to become a
Speaker 2: better parent day by day. But I think, you know,
Speaker 2: I look at things that I put my parents through
Speaker 2: and it makes me a little bit nervous of you.
Speaker 1: Know what, it's not straight.
Speaker 5: No, I'm so.
Speaker 2: Excited for you know, just like having a little baby
Speaker 2: in my arm and you know, being being able. I
Speaker 2: think Sarah is a bit a bit nervous she's not
Speaker 2: going to get enough time. Yeah, it's it's so beautiful
Speaker 2: and I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else other
Speaker 2: than Sarah.
Speaker 1: And I just who was the first person that said
Speaker 1: I love you? Have you not said it every day?
Speaker 5: Yeah? Yeah, I went with that moment that.
Speaker 2: Was Sarah went were laying in bed and and she's like,
Speaker 2: I love you, and I'm like it hit me and
Speaker 2: it's like I just say you idiot, but I just said,
Speaker 2: I'm like it's I don't want you to say this,
Speaker 2: and it's like it's got a lot of power. Mind it,
Speaker 2: and Cheese like you're an idiot. I love you And
Speaker 2: I'm like I love you too. And you know, we
Speaker 2: we say it, you know, all day every day to
Speaker 2: each other, and we just remind each other like, you know,
Speaker 2: it doesn't matter how many times I say I love
Speaker 2: you or how many times I say you beautiful, I
Speaker 2: always will mean it, Like I never want it to
Speaker 2: just become something you say out of habit. I want
Speaker 2: you to know that every time I look at you
Speaker 2: and I say you're gordgeous, you're beautiful, I love you.
Speaker 2: I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
Speaker 6: And I think it's you know, for me, obviously the
Speaker 6: words mean a huge amount, but it's mostly actions for.
Speaker 4: Me and feeling it.
Speaker 6: And I feel it, and I feel that love in
Speaker 6: our house and from Declan, and.
Speaker 4: It's yeah, it's really beautiful.
Speaker 3: How extraordinary that both of you went looking for something
Speaker 3: and ended up with something completely different and yet exactly
Speaker 3: what was meant for you.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I think it's just a reminder, you know, to everyone,
Speaker 2: you can't put yourself on time limits, or you can't
Speaker 2: tell yourself you have to do this by this age
Speaker 2: or have.
Speaker 5: This accomplished in your life by now.
Speaker 2: I think just like everyone needs to chill out a
Speaker 2: bit and just enjoy the little things, because you know,
Speaker 2: we've all lost friends, we've all lost family, we've all experienced.
Speaker 1: You know, times are tough.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's like what, you can't wake up every
Speaker 2: day and be moaning and groaning.
Speaker 5: You need to wake up every day and just be.
Speaker 2: Grateful that you know, our feed are on the floor,
Speaker 2: we've got roof over our head hopefully, and food on
Speaker 2: the table. And I think, you know, we're both very
Speaker 2: driven with our work ethics, and you know, there'll never
Speaker 2: be a moment where I wouldn't provide that for my family.
Speaker 1: I love it. You just such a delight. I'm very
Speaker 1: happy for your happiness.
Speaker 5: Thank you to you.
Speaker 3: So do you disagree on things? Oh, definitely, of course,
Speaker 3: like micro macro.
Speaker 6: Oh, it could be everything. You know, We've got a
Speaker 6: lot kind of going on. But yeah, Declin is a
Speaker 6: good communicator, and I think that I'm a very probably
Speaker 6: I don't know, quite diplomatic. I suppose I like to
Speaker 6: look at all situations and sides of the story, and
Speaker 6: I think we just talk.
Speaker 5: Yeah, we're just talking.
Speaker 2: I think communication is key and and and well that's it.
Speaker 3: It's interesting watching you two. Neither of you really seem
Speaker 3: to have a temper. Yeah, that's interesting because some people
Speaker 3: are very reactive.
Speaker 1: But yeah, both of you seem to be quite sort
Speaker 1: of considered.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I've like since becoming a man, like
Speaker 2: I used to be very angry person and a very
Speaker 2: rattled young man, and I've put so much effort into
Speaker 2: becoming the man I am today.
Speaker 5: I've certainly had to, you know practice.
Speaker 1: Do you think that anger was to do with the family,
Speaker 1: and that the.
Speaker 2: Definitely I think, you know, as a as a young
Speaker 2: hormonal fourteen year old boy, thirteen year old boy that
Speaker 2: I was when I went through that, you know, could
Speaker 2: jumping back and forth from homes and you know, having
Speaker 2: one parent say one thing about the other and just
Speaker 2: being a middleman at that age, Like I think, you know,
Speaker 2: having sisters you wanted to.
Speaker 5: Look after, and I think all of it.
Speaker 2: But I think, you know, I've really put so much
Speaker 2: effort into self development and you know, physical emotional empathy,
Speaker 2: and you know, Mum always just instilled that in me,
Speaker 2: like you know, look up empathy, look up humility, and
Speaker 2: that's what I'll be saying to you know, my kids
Speaker 2: in the future.
Speaker 5: And you know what gets thrown around the house is.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I was probably the opposite.
Speaker 6: I was very quiet, bottle it all up and deal
Speaker 6: with it myself and find a way to kind of
Speaker 6: figure things out. And I guess I realized that that's
Speaker 6: not a good way to be. You need to just
Speaker 6: hit problems head on, sort it out, communicate, you know,
Speaker 6: if one of us is feeling a little bit you know,
Speaker 6: maybe hurt or you know, you don't want to say
Speaker 6: something in frustration and anger that you can't take back.
Speaker 6: So I'm always the one to kind of say, you know, well,
Speaker 6: let's take a breath and have a think about what
Speaker 6: we really want to say to each other and what we.
Speaker 4: Mean, yeah, and then talk about it and you know,
Speaker 4: get to the bottom of it.
Speaker 2: And I think, you know, living together, holidaying together, doing
Speaker 2: business together, and there's certainly big things to come in
Speaker 2: the future, you know, outside of our personal life, going
Speaker 2: into work and stuff like that. Like, I think you're
Speaker 2: always going to come across hurdles and it's just how
Speaker 2: you deal with it.
Speaker 5: And there's there's no point in being.
Speaker 2: Speaking from anger or speaking from a place of hurt
Speaker 2: or anything like that.
Speaker 6: And I think life has very high eighths and very
Speaker 6: low lows, and it's okay to feel really really low.
Speaker 6: And I think, you know, we don't force each other
Speaker 6: to instantly just be happy.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's a big thing.
Speaker 3: And also I think in relationships, I mean, everyone's good
Speaker 3: when it's good times. Yeah, it's how you navigate the
Speaker 3: bag exactly. And when there's a challenge how you rise
Speaker 3: to meet the other person and you.
Speaker 4: Have to deal with it.
Speaker 6: You can't just you know, fight it out, or you
Speaker 6: can't just push it under the rug. You have to
Speaker 6: feel low, you have to feel frustrated, work on it,
Speaker 6: see what the problem is, and find a way out
Speaker 6: of it.
Speaker 4: And that makes you take time.
Speaker 6: But I think we both also have really spoken about
Speaker 6: that a lot, that we want to work through the
Speaker 6: hard times.
Speaker 4: We don't want to run away when it's difficult.
Speaker 6: We want to make sure that we both understand that
Speaker 6: relationships take work and that we will hit hurdles and
Speaker 6: that will be you know, days where things happen that
Speaker 6: you know, are really hard to cope with, and we're
Speaker 6: going to try our best to just hit it head
Speaker 6: on and figure it out.
Speaker 5: So many good days.
Speaker 2: I think you know why I'm so attracted that to
Speaker 2: Sarah is her ethos on life and it and it
Speaker 2: resonates with mine.
Speaker 5: And and yes, I can't wait to spend the rest
Speaker 5: of my life ford.
Speaker 4: Back at you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's probably people saying all there's probably people throwing up, but.
Speaker 1: You know, everyone loves love.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you've both been just so exquisite to.
Speaker 1: Witness.
Speaker 4: Thank you.
Speaker 2: We appreciate it, and we appreciate the support from you know,
Speaker 2: our following.
Speaker 5: I think it's so beautiful.
Speaker 2: But we've both lived very interesting lives and and and
Speaker 2: here we are. We've found each other and and we're
Speaker 2: creating a family together, and it's it's a beautiful period
Speaker 2: of our life.
Speaker 1: Congratulations. I can't wait to see.
Speaker 4: We're so excited.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 3: So that was Sarah Todd and Decklan Cleary, two people
Speaker 3: who thought they were signing up for a cooking competition
Speaker 3: and ended up finding a whole new life together, from
Speaker 3: the Master Chef kitchen to a blended family and now
Speaker 3: with a baby on the way. It's clear that for
Speaker 3: Sarah and Declan, timing really was everything.
Speaker 1: And it's so.
Speaker 3: Lovely to feel nothing but happiness for other people whose
Speaker 3: happiness is infectious. Thank you so much for listening to
Speaker 3: No Filter. The executive producer of No Filter is Nama Brown.
Speaker 3: The senior producer is Breed Player. Audio production is by
Speaker 3: Jacob Brown and video editing is by Josh Green. This
Speaker 3: episode was recorded at Session in Progress Studios, and I
Speaker 3: am your host.
Speaker 1: Kateline Brook.
Speaker 3: Thank you again for sharing this with us.