WEBVTT - Antonio & Ralph - MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA - TV Personalities 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:01.760 It's in the news today, but it was actually on 0:00:01.840 --> 0:00:05.240 TV Reload the podcast last weep. Theirline welcome back guys 0:00:05.240 --> 0:00:07.480 to TV Reload. My name, as you would know, is 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:10.240 Benjamin Norris, and this is your podcast to get all 0:00:10.280 --> 0:00:12.720 the inside goss all the popular TV shows you may 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:16.080 be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:18.479 are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:21.560 very little is known about how our favorite shows get made. 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:23.880 So I've been finding guests that want to dive just 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:26.520 that little bit deeper into the shows they're currently making, 0:00:26.720 --> 0:00:29.040 so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:32.080 gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I 0:00:32.120 --> 0:00:34.239 want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:37.279 podcast however you've found it. I love hearing your feedback, 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:39.559 so make sure you leave a review or a comment 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:43.159 on your chosen podcast platform. This episode of the podcast, 0:00:43.200 --> 0:00:47.000 I'm joined by Antonio and Ralph, both eliminated from MasterChef 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:51.839 Australia twenty twenty three Secrets and Surprises. Antonio Cruz Vermond 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:54.279 is a thirty four year old software developer from New 0:00:54.320 --> 0:00:58.280 South Wales, originally from Venezuela, Antonio moved to Australia in 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:01.320 twenty fifteen and within search of a better life. He 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:03.640 said he wanted to attribute his love of food to 0:01:03.680 --> 0:01:06.160 his family and you know what, I really do feel 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:08.679 like that came across, so that's a big win for him. 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:11.560 Ralph Kehango is a thirty two year old auditor from 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:15.039 Western Australia. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. 0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:18.360 Ralph moved to Australia at a very young age. Than 0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:21.600 At university, he achieved a Master of Accounting degree, but 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:25.040 after five years as a government auditor, he's decided to 0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:28.840 pursue his passion for cooking. You will hear both contestants 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:31.040 open up about their time on the show and get 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.440 more insights into what really went down during production. I 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:36.959 will ask about their highs and lows and how their 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:40.880 families influence their time in the Master Chef kitchen. Antonio 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:44.360 Bulunpaki's final cook and we will talk about Maggie Beer's 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:47.480 appearance on the show. Ralph does discuss why it is 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.160 anyone's game at this point and what he really thought 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:53.840 about going up against a very tough competition. This week, plus, 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:56.280 we will get plenty of exclusives behind the scenes of 0:01:56.320 --> 0:02:00.000 Masterschef Australia Secrets and Surprises, which is currently on Network 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:02.520 and you can catch up on ten Play if you've 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:06.240 fallen just that little bit behind. Anyway, let's bring Antonio 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:09.000 into the podcast first and stick around for Ralph, who 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:13.200 will pop in straight after. Congratulations Antonio. I just want 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:15.920 to say, what an amazing achievement to make it to 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.280 the top ten of Mastership Australia. 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:21.000 It was definitely a dream and yeah, I enjoy every 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:21.960 second of the whole thing. 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:24.720 I was gonna say, it was a very emotional end 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:26.680 to your time on the show. How did you go 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:29.320 watching it back? I mean, was that a little stressful? 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:31.400 It was funny because I had all my friends around 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:33.840 me and I didn't tell them, so I wanted to 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:37.640 get their reactions. So but I need to admit I 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:40.720 got a little bit teary again. So but it's all good, 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.240 Like it was good to you know, see myself there 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.280 and yeah, just enjoy with my friends. It was lovely. 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:49.360 It's very common that people don't tell their friends and family. 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:51.360 I want to know, do the producers tell you that 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:53.359 you're not allowed to tell anyone or is that kind 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:54.440 of up to your own discretion. 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:57.760 They probably don't want you to say anything. But I 0:02:57.800 --> 0:03:00.400 think from my end, I wanted to get a you know, 0:03:00.600 --> 0:03:04.480 a very truthful reaction from them, so I was never 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:06.720 I never told them you know, how I went and 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:09.040 when I went, and because I really wanted to get there, 0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:11.520 you know, the proper reaction, which I think if I 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:13.440 tell them, I would have been robbing you from the 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:16.400 whole experience. So yeah, I don't know, like I think 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:18.880 they enjoyed it. They they call me names afterwards. 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:21.520 But I'm shocked that you told no one, not even 0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:21.920 your mom. 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:26.160 No, I didn't. Yeah, I did keep it all to myself. Wow, 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:28.480 not even my mom. I think he was like, oh you, 0:03:28.800 --> 0:03:29.960 why did you do this to me? 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:33.120 I mean, I feel like the only person I would 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:35.680 probably tell would be my therapist. 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:38.800 Because confidentiality agreement. 0:03:38.880 --> 0:03:40.360 Right, I guess you would have to worry about your 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:43.040 confidentiality agreement. It's probably a good way to play it, 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:45.880 you know. Watching you being so emotional last night, I wondered, 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:48.240 is there more tears and tantrums that we don't get 0:03:48.320 --> 0:03:50.320 to say, or are we saying everything that happens in 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:50.840 the kitchen. 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.600 Maybe I don't know, like there's definitely a lot of 0:03:54.600 --> 0:03:56.960 people and there I don't think there's enough cameras to 0:03:56.960 --> 0:03:59.960 go everyone. But I think they do try to keep 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:02.680 you know, keep true to what's happening in the kitchen, 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:06.400 and they I mean, they do want to show your emotions, 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:08.600 which is you know what I really like about this 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:12.720 this sort of show mastershaw It's very wholesome and they 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:14.920 always want to portray you as you are and not 0:04:15.200 --> 0:04:17.680 you know, like something you're not. And I mean if 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:20.479 you're a teary, if you're happy, if you're angry, I 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:23.920 think it'll well, you know, shine through the TV at 0:04:23.960 --> 0:04:24.320 some point. 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:26.200 I mean it's kind of the magic of this show. 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:29.559 I mean, Mastership Australia does feel I mean, I feel 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:31.880 like you can tell that there's less tricks to the edit. 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:33.719 And I think even if there was any sort of 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:36.320 trick create people could see through it. So I think 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:39.279 they're just you know, keeping themselves honest and just showing 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:40.839 who everyone is really. 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.600 This show obviously gets is pre recorded, so you've had 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:46.320 some time to recover. But what has that aftermath been 0:04:46.440 --> 0:04:48.719 like for you? Do you think that pushing yourself in 0:04:48.720 --> 0:04:51.320 the competition the way that you did has been good 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:51.640 for you. 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:52.480 Oh yeah. 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:56.080 I mean, look, it's it's an opportunity of growth every 0:04:56.080 --> 0:05:00.000 single cook. I think, you know, probably if I look back, 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:01.960 I would have said, oh, maybe I shouldn't have gone 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:05.159 with something too risky. But I mean I wanted to 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:08.600 have my full on mastership experience, and I didn't want 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:10.560 to repeat myself because you know, I could have just 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:13.920 done maybe an Eclaire a Federal because they like that 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:17.760 shoe patry comes really natural to me. But I wanted 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:21.240 to push the limit. And funnily enough, I practiced my 0:05:21.640 --> 0:05:25.600 raugh puff recipe probably like three days before that shoot, 0:05:25.640 --> 0:05:29.240 because I would keep practicing every single week because I 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:32.040 knew at some point I wanted to, you know, show 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:34.880 the judges. But yeah, that just wasn't my day to 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:35.760 make raft puff. 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:39.000 That's so crazy that you were practicing only just a 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:41.760 few days before with that particular dish. You know, it 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:44.080 is obvious to me at this point that there's very 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:46.000 little between everyone in the competition. 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.280 Yeah, exactly. I think, Look, once you're in the top ten, 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:52.120 I think it's the little things that can send you 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:55.360 home because everyone's just you know, raising the level every 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:58.760 single day and every single cook and you keep learning, right, 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:02.279 so you need to be on all your learnings and 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:04.960 of practicing all this stuff. And yeah, it's just as 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:07.400 you know, it could have been that I actually did 0:06:07.400 --> 0:06:10.120 the rough bull and amazingly and then Decline put in 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:12.279 an amazing dish, and I would you know, I could 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:14.039 have just gone home either way. 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:17.119 I thought when they said to Decline that this isn't 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:19.800 a top ten dish, I actually thought that was pretty 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:21.160 savage the way they spoke to him. 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:23.680 Look, I think the judges also want to push you, 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:27.080 like there's no point in playing it safe. So I 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:29.599 think what they we're trying to say is like, you know, 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:31.960 Declin has a lot of potential, and he should, you know, 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:34.200 just push you know, the envelope a little bit and 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:38.240 trying to come up with an amazing dish, which you 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:39.320 know he can definitely do. 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:42.160 Food brings people together, which is a mentor that I 0:06:42.200 --> 0:06:44.800 think you and I both share. Where did your love 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:45.760 of food come from? 0:06:45.880 --> 0:06:46.120 Oh? 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:47.920 Look, I think I grew up in the kitchen with 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:51.599 my mom and my grandma and when I was a kid. 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:54.920 It has to be from there. And I always kind 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:57.920 of you know, saw how you know, again, people like 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:02.880 food brings people together, Like every single gathering between the family, 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:05.599 it kind of always in my family at least, it 0:07:05.720 --> 0:07:08.240 ended up in the kitchen, like it's either the dining 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:11.200 table or the kitchen, and because that's where everything happens 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:15.040 in my family, So I think the lower food is 0:07:15.280 --> 0:07:18.880 it's definitely taken back from those memories. And when I 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:21.840 came to Australia, that was the way I found the show. 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:24.240 Love to the people I met here and that became 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:27.880 ultimately my family. So I cooked for them every single week, 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:31.000 sometimes just a couple of times a week, and it's 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:34.040 it's an experience for sharing. Really, what about. 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:36.120 Food when you first came here to Australia, Not that 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:38.480 we have that much that's really unique to our country, 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.640 but was there something that you ate when you first 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:44.160 got here that really stood out and you had a 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:44.840 reaction to. 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:48.080 Oh, it's gonna sound cliche, but I think VEGEMI like, 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:51.360 I was like not a big fan. Also, one of 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:54.600 my cousins is a bit of frankster, so when I 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:57.280 got here here, he was like, oh, you should try vegamine. 0:07:57.280 --> 0:07:59.680 It's like nutella. So I went in for like a spoonful. 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.520 I feel like with vegimite. The longer you're here in Australia, 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:03.920 you know, I've been here my whole life, so I 0:08:03.960 --> 0:08:06.200 love it. But even when people first try it, they 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:08.520 hate it when they come from overseas. But the longer 0:08:08.520 --> 0:08:10.680 that you hear in Australia, I feel like you get 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:14.200 more and more used to it, or you've appreciate it more. 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:16.400 It grows on you. Really, Like I enjoy you know, 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:19.960 a real you know, cheese sandwich with a little bit 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:22.720 of vegimite or vegimie and no abl like it's actually 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:26.000 pretty good, but like it's definitely an acquired taste. 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:28.680 It's a butt of veggimite ratio that is unique to 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:31.600 everyone that you've got to get right exactly. You did 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:33.559 say at the end of last night's episode that you've 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:35.480 learned so much from your time on the show. Can 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:38.480 we look into those small things and have a look 0:08:38.480 --> 0:08:40.160 at what you've taken out of the experience. 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:45.240 Look I think every time we got chef guests, especially 0:08:45.240 --> 0:08:49.559 when we were doing the Beat the Chef for all 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:52.319 the immunity challenge, I think I took that as a 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:56.079 learning opportunity And if you look back in the show, 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:58.400 maybe you want to notice it, but maybe if you 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:01.520 go back and watch it now. I was paying really 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:05.000 close attention to Hugh Allen and the way he did 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:07.559 his perfect and that was the exact same technique I 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:12.319 used to make my toblown and peanut ice cream sandwiches. 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:14.640 I think it just goes to show that you when 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:18.839 you're in in the whole experience, you do well if 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:21.360 you practice and you apply yourself, and you also pay 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:24.559 attention because there is always an opportunity for learning in 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:28.160 the show, which is what I found so amazing because 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.720 it's it would have taken me, you know, three years 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:34.080 cooking at home to achieve this level, but only just 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:36.200 a few weeks being on the show. You kind of, 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:39.880 you know, just catapult yourself in in but you need 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:43.160 to be one hundred percent in Mason in the experience, right, 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:45.040 so you get a lot back from it. 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:47.920 I thought Maggie Beer really brought a lot to that show. 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:50.840 She has a lot of energy, and she also really 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.240 seemed to connect with you. What did you learn from 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:54.360 your time with Maggie? 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:57.880 I mean the moment Maggie stepped into the Mastership kitchen 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:00.040 like she looked like a floating angel, right, so so, 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:02.720 so so happy to see her because you know, I've 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:05.480 seen him, I've seen her in previous seasons of the show. 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:09.000 She's just amazing, and she's just a sweetheart. And the 0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:11.640 fact that you know she could relate to me, you know, 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.400 being the same age when she found food, and I 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:17.560 thought that was very sweet of her, right, and you know, 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:20.719 hopefully it'll be a safe me. Right, maybe thirty four 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:23.160 is lucky. It is her lucky number, and it's going 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:24.079 to be my lucky number. 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:26.880 Two was the oranges instead of the olives. Do you 0:10:26.920 --> 0:10:28.960 think that that was the beginning of the end for you? 0:10:29.679 --> 0:10:33.160 I don't know. You know, it's it's always hard to 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:35.080 like look back and say, oh, maybe I should have 0:10:35.080 --> 0:10:38.040 done this, because right then and there you're under a 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:40.679 lot of pressure and you think, god, I'm going against 0:10:40.679 --> 0:10:43.679 these you know, nine amazing people, like eight amazing people, 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:45.920 So I need to bring my a game. So part 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:49.600 of picking what was on the clash was like, Okay, 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:52.240 maybe I'll have enough time to think during my cook 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:54.680 if I get stuck with a really bad ingredient. But 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.800 when I saw the oranges, I thought, Okay, this is 0:10:57.840 --> 0:10:59.560 my time to bring it home. I'll just put one 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:02.920 hundred of my effort into this, and it's also an 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:06.800 elimination day, so you want to bring your fourteen into 0:11:06.840 --> 0:11:09.320 the mix, right, So I could have gone for a 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:12.680 savory dish, but I thought, you know, not to play 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:15.360 it safe. But I thought maybe it was my time to, 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:17.480 you know, that day, to push a little bit the 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:18.520 limits with the olives. 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:21.600 You were the only contestant to lift that class. Would 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:24.360 you say that that was maybe too risky a gamble? 0:11:24.520 --> 0:11:26.200 Do you think that that might have been a setup 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:28.439 to say, who would take that kind of a risk, 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:31.720 and maybe that's frowned upon and away. I guess you 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:33.120 a gambler in real life. 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:35.440 I'm usually a person that plays it really safe in 0:11:35.520 --> 0:11:39.160 terms of you know, gambling, Like I don't feel I'm 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:43.240 very as an engineer. I'm informatics engineer by you know, 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:46.280 by trade, and I studied that so I'm very on 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:49.440 with the math. So I always calculate the possibilities of 0:11:49.480 --> 0:11:52.320 something happening and if you know, if the numbers don't 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:54.840 add up, then for me, there's no point of doing it. 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:57.920 But I knew what I could do with olives, and 0:11:58.000 --> 0:11:59.679 I just said, look, I'm just going to take the 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:02.200 risk and see what happens. And I was really glad 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:04.360 that I got oranges, So I think it kind of 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:07.440 paid off in that sense. It was just smilar element 0:12:07.480 --> 0:12:08.520 that actually took me down. 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:12.000 Then on that second cook, the pastry wasn't what you wanted, 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:14.200 and you know, Melissa really called you out for that. 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:17.080 Did you work out how to correct that pastry for 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:17.600 next time? 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:20.440 Yeah, one hundred percent. So I think what happened was 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:24.079 and that just goes to show it's the little things. 0:12:24.320 --> 0:12:28.440 So when you're working out your butter with your flour, 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:32.800 you like, I think I overmixed it by you know, 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.719 it could have been just fifteen seconds. And that's all 0:12:35.920 --> 0:12:38.240 because when you do that, you kind of remove the 0:12:38.280 --> 0:12:41.800 possibility of creating butter pockets into the pastry. So when 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:44.280 you folded in, you're basically just crushing all the layers. 0:12:44.360 --> 0:12:44.560 Right. 0:12:45.000 --> 0:12:48.959 So and since you know, since I've gone back home, 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:52.239 I've actually made it twice and it's it's come out beautifully, 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:54.360 So yeah, it's. 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:56.439 Did you take a photo of that recreation and send 0:12:56.480 --> 0:12:58.320 it to Maggie or at least you know Tager on 0:12:58.360 --> 0:12:59.040 social media? 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:01.480 Do you know what I'm gonna make the same dessert 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:03.600 that I did that day, and I'm going to tugger. 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:06.240 The judges did really try to warn you a few times, 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:09.040 and your fellow contestants were obviously yelling down from the gantry. 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:11.800 Had you packed too much into this? Like what could 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:12.640 you have done differently? 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:15.360 I think looking back there there's always a possibility of 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:18.640 changing something, and I think that's you know, that's how 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:20.640 you learn, and that's that's how you grow. But I 0:13:20.640 --> 0:13:24.360 think it's what felt right at the moment, and I 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:27.080 just I just went one hundred percent in and did 0:13:27.280 --> 0:13:31.719 as good as I could. And you know, maybe if 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:34.440 the rough buff would have turned out right, we wouldn't 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:36.240 be having this conversation. But at the end of the 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:36.959 season when I won. 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:39.720 This week, Master Chef has picked up a LOGI nomination, 0:13:39.840 --> 0:13:41.920 which I think is fantastic for this show it's been 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:44.720 going for so long. Do you think that audiences will 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:48.319 reward this series as maybe an acknowledgment. 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:50.960 To job look, I think yeah, I think it's going 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:53.840 to be very, very important just to see you know, 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:57.080 probably his last piece of work, like he he was amazing, 0:13:57.200 --> 0:14:00.400 he was like his mentorship meant a lot to all 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:04.880 the contestants. So I think, you know, people that have 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:08.440 seen the show and really loved him, they were probably 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:11.880 want to honor him in that way. So yeah, hopefully, 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:14.560 you know, it gets the recognition he deserves. 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:16.120 Who do you think is going to win? I mean 0:14:16.160 --> 0:14:17.959 the numbers and now are half of what we had 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:18.720 when he started. 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:21.720 Look, I think every single one of those guys can 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:23.920 actually pick up the trophy at the end of of 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:27.120 the season. I would love, you know, Declan, he's young, 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:30.640 he's so talented. I would love Rhiann and she's like 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.200 a gone in the kitchen and her flavors are amazing. 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:38.400 And yeah, I couldn't be ruling out my roomie Ralph. 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:40.160 I think there's so many people that could win at 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.920 this point. I mean, I'm pretty clueless. 0:14:42.600 --> 0:14:45.200 Exactly, And you know, it's all about not making a 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:48.040 mistake when it's really pressing, which is you know, that's 0:14:48.080 --> 0:14:50.160 I think that's the hardest bit of the competition. Really. 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:52.240 What about you and your journey after this show? Like, 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:53.640 what do you think is next for you? Where do 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:54.880 you want to take this opportunity? 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:58.800 Look, I think the most important thing is I've realized 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:01.360 that I definitely want to do something in food, Like 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:05.880 I think my food dream. It's it's definitely going ahead, 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:08.160 and I'm sure there's gonna be pop ups in some 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:12.560 sort of collaboration with my new master Chef family and hopefully, 0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:15.160 you know, that particiar dream will come true. 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:17.920 Everyone who joins this podcast gets asked this question, So, 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:20.680 what is something behind the scene, something that we might 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:22.920 not have seen on Mastership Australia kind of like a 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:24.400 behind the scene secret. 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:27.400 I think, I think, you know, I think what people 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:31.000 don't realize it's the amount of practicing you do. Like, 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.000 you know, living with Ralph, we practice a lot. Like 0:15:34.120 --> 0:15:36.360 there was a lot of studying, a lot of you 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:39.840 know researching, and of course a lot of fun. But yeah, 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.920 I think probably what you don't see or maybe you 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:45.520 see throughout the series is how much weight we gain 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:49.160 because we need to be tasting each other's you know, dishes, 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:52.600 and because we live in you know, dis places altogether, 0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:56.200 like everyone wants to like to, you know, try their 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:58.960 dish and like. So, yeah, there's definitely a lot of 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:02.120 good food going around and a lot of few extra pounds. 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:04.920 I never noticed the contestants putting on weight, but I 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:08.080 guess that does make sense if people want to follow 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:10.360 your journey on Instagram. What's the best way that they 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:11.560 can follow you? What's your handle? 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:14.120 Yeah, they can follow me at a cruise Vemon, which 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:16.520 is you know, the first layer of my name in 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:20.520 my two last names, and yeah, on Instagram and then 0:16:20.720 --> 0:16:24.120 maybe hopefully I'll keep them posted for whatever it's coming. 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:26.760 I want to say thank you so much for sitting 0:16:26.760 --> 0:16:28.720 down Antonio and having a chat with me. I love 0:16:28.840 --> 0:16:30.640 the series of the show. I think you did a 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:32.840 fantastic job and I'm pretty sure a lot of Austrains 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:35.160 are going to be following you after your Master Chef journey. 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:37.160 Yeah, thank you so much, Ben. Thank you for your 0:16:37.160 --> 0:16:39.160 time Antonio. 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:41.320 I thought was really sweet and it was interesting to 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:43.480 hear how he kept the outcome of his time on 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:46.120 the show a secret, even from his family and friends. 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:48.920 Now we have Ralph coming into the podcast, and like me, 0:16:49.040 --> 0:16:51.120 I'm sure you will love the silky sounds of his 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:55.920 voice as he calmly unpacks his time on Master Chef Australia. 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:56.920 Hey mate, how are you? 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:58.920 I'm good? Thanks yourself, I'm good. 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:01.000 I was looking forward to talking to you because I 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:04.480 think people listening to this podcast will be enjoying the 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:06.200 soulful sounds of your voice. 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:09.960 It's very soothing and relaxing. I've been told always. 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:11.159 I loved you on the show because of it. I 0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:12.840 was like, I just want you to read a bedtime 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:13.439 story to me. 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:19.960 That's a bit creepy, OKAYI has a bit much, but sure, just. 0:17:19.960 --> 0:17:22.440 Reading some recipes to me. That'll be fine, That'll be fine. 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:26.520 Congratulations you know, on your time on Mastership Australia. I 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:29.240 wanted to start by saying, you know what, I'm more 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:31.760 of a savory person than a sweet person. 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:33.080 I'm exactly the same. 0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:35.000 I wonder where does that come from, though, because you 0:17:35.000 --> 0:17:36.960 know what's funny is my brother and my sister are 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:39.199 exactly the same, and you know her mother has a 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:39.880 real sweet too. 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:40.240 Yeah. 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:42.800 I wonder where the love of savory comes from. 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:45.879 I guess growing up I was quite a hyperactive child, 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:49.080 and mom never really used to give me sugar or sweets, 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:51.359 just because obviously that would have made it much worse 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:53.159 to handle me as a child. It was ready a 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:55.480 bit much, so I think just growing up, I've never 0:17:55.520 --> 0:17:58.520 really found, I guess, any comfort or any sort of 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:02.320 happiness from sweet things. I've always kind of leaned towards savory, 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:05.240