WEBVTT - UNPACKED REALITY - MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA - JAMES 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:01.760 It's in the news today, but it was actually on 0:00:01.800 --> 0:00:02.920 TV Reload. 0:00:02.600 --> 0:00:04.000 The podcast Last Weep thereby. 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:07.200 Hey guys, welcome back to TV Reload. I want to 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:10.200 thank you for clicking and downloading on today's episode with James, 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:14.000 the first eliminated contestant from Master Chef Australia twenty twenty four, 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:16.840 which is on Network ten from Sunday through to Thursday 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:20.279 at seven point thirty. Having forged a successful career in 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:23.520 primary teaching, family man, James is a father to son 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.920 Benji and daughter Goldie. Becoming a parent has changed his 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:29.840 perspective and he told me that his kids remind him 0:00:29.840 --> 0:00:32.840 every day on how to always find the joy in life. 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:36.159 James was determined to lead by example, which in so 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:38.559 many ways I feel like he was able to achieve 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:41.479 in showing his own kids, along with those he teaches, 0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:44.640 that you can go against the grain embrace a challenge 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:48.200 with nothing to lose. While he was eliminated this week, 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:50.920 I think it's an amazing achievement to actually get onto 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:53.600 this show and I look forward to unpacking his time 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:56.840 in the Master Chef kitchen. James does reveal which of 0:00:56.880 --> 0:00:59.440 the judges style he connected to most and if he 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:02.120 noticed a shift into making sure we as an audience 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:05.280 hear the instructions being offered to all of the contestants 0:01:05.319 --> 0:01:07.920 with tips that we can actually use at home. We 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:11.640 will discuss his early departure from his calamari to how 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:15.360 the kitchen's are allocated and what advantages he learnt while 0:01:15.400 --> 0:01:18.720 filming the first five episodes of this series. I will 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:21.479 get his opinions on the way in which contestants can 0:01:21.520 --> 0:01:23.840 stand out on this show and if having a bigger 0:01:23.920 --> 0:01:27.480 backstory helps you stay in the competition longer. There are 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:29.480 some tips along the way on how to be Master 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:32.400 Chef fit, and of course where he hopes his food 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:35.520 dreams may still take him. There's so much to unpack 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:38.280 with James, and he's very lovely and very generous with 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:41.440 his time. So sit back and relax as we unpack 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:46.559 the wonderful world of Master Chef Australia. Hello, hey, James, 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:47.000 how are you. 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:48.120 I'm well, thank you? 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:51.000 How are you? I'm doing very well. I was just 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:54.000 saying I am so excited with Master Chef being back 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:56.920 because as the weather gets colder, you just need the 0:01:56.960 --> 0:01:59.960 comfort of the food and that's definitely what this show. 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.120 Vibes definitely, definitely. 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:04.880 I have many a memory of doing the same in 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:08.240 wintery England and well, this is the kind of closest 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:09.440 we get to winter here in person. 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.840 I just wanted to say win or lose. At least 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:16.480 you had fabulous hair on national television. And I couldn't 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:18.919 stop thinking about it. 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:20.560 It has a life of its own. I don't do 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:21.880 anything to it. 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:23.679 It's what happened, and I don't think I could try 0:02:23.680 --> 0:02:24.880 and get anything else from it. 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:27.120 No, I think that people wanted to mimic it, they 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:29.679 couldn't do that. Like it's it's got its own personality. 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:33.280 So the kids in my class used to do impressions 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:35.600 of me, and it was always involving kind of flicking 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:36.160 back the frind. 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:38.720 I guess you know your daughter Goldie is a bit young. 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:41.280 But what did your son Benji think of his dad 0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:42.280 being on television? 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:45.200 You know what they're watching it right now? Well, last 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:47.639 the night, it was a little bit, it was a. 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:49.840 Little bit late last night, but I went through kind 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:52.400 of the photos with him and explained kind of what happened, 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:54.560 and you know, he was a wee bit sad, but 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:57.520 I explained that, you know, I felt super proud of myself, 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:00.040 and he said, you know, but I wanted you to 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:02.480 get that cafe and under Up and I said, well, 0:03:02.520 --> 0:03:04.480 you know what, We've just been in under Up for 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.760 the holidays and I got to cook the lots there 0:03:07.800 --> 0:03:11.040 in our own place, and that's what I love about cooking. 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:13.840 So you know, I'm hoping it feels very proud about it. 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.280 I explained to him. Some days things don't go your. 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:20.160 Way, and you know you gonna be proud of how 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:22.120 you approach things as well, if not the outcome. 0:03:22.320 --> 0:03:24.720 Of course, over the weekend, I was teaching one of 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:27.400 my best friend's kids how to play Uno. The skill 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:30.320 in teaching kids on the importance of winning and losing, 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:33.120 I think is really important. You've probably taught a very 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:34.359 vital lesson to Benji. 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:36.320 Yeah, I hope so, and I hope so that you 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:38.440 know the kids I teach at school as well, I 0:03:38.520 --> 0:03:40.560 think maybe I'll do it. I'll do an assembly for them. 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:42.720 And though I went on Master's Jeff and I failed 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:44.800 and then put a question mark in the end and 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:47.480 talk about you know what is failure? Was it a failure? 0:03:47.520 --> 0:03:49.360 Because I feel like it wasn't for me. 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:51.920 Yes, you know, it was shorter, but I felt like 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:54.360 I got a lot out of it, and you know, 0:03:54.440 --> 0:03:56.400 I think there's kind of lessons there that I can 0:03:56.600 --> 0:03:58.640 can pass on. So hopefully one day one of those 0:03:58.720 --> 0:03:59.960 kids might just go and give it a go. 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:03.000 You know, the Food Dreams Cook Elimination that had some 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:06.200 pretty big stories being established by some of the other characters, 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:09.600 and establishing those characters for the audience. Is having a 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:13.040 good story just as important as being a good cook 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:14.640 when it comes to being on the show. 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:17.880 Yeah, it's interesting. I think what really kind of strikes 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:19.640 me is the people that. 0:04:19.640 --> 0:04:22.320 Stand out and the kind of the stories that they 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:25.520 have are the ones that come out so naturally, you know, 0:04:25.600 --> 0:04:27.880 explaining to my wife that, you know, Juan is this 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:31.840 incredibly exuberant person, full of life, and he's like that 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:35.840 for everything, so it's so genuine but never feels force. 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:38.279 If you were shopping in a Supermark with him, he'd 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:40.000 have the same reaction for, you know. 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:44.000 A beautiful tomato. And that's what I think. 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:46.760 Kind of helps you connect to those people, is that actually, 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:48.840 when they're really being themselves and. 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:51.039 They're being kind of open and vulnerable. 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:54.279 About perhaps their experiences in their past, that's what helps 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:56.600 with the story so I'd say, you know, anyone that's 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:59.040 thinking about it, you don't need to conjure anything up. 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.520 As long as you, you know, being real thing that 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:03.320 will come across. 0:05:03.440 --> 0:05:03.600 Well. 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:07.000 I think it's always Authenticity is the currency for the audience, 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:09.080 you know, if you're wanting to connect through to anybody, 0:05:09.400 --> 0:05:12.080 and that is just being authentically yourself, which I guess 0:05:12.160 --> 0:05:14.520 you know is a really important lesson to be again, 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:17.760 you know, teaching people and especially young people. You're not 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:19.800 going to just win a show or do well on 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:22.520 a show by being authentic. I think being authentic and 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:25.080 being true to yourself is so important just day to day. 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:27.120 Yeah, it's incredibly important. I think. 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:29.359 You know, then you can be proud of how you 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.520 conduct yourself. You can be proud of your efforts, can 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:33.919 be proud of how you've interacted with other people, you know. 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:37.520 I think of the team Challenge on the Tuesday. You know, 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:39.200 we had a lot of us trying to do a 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:42.760 lot of things, and you know, I picked leaves and 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:44.640 I cut dough and I made a broth. 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:46.680 I did the jobs that needed to be done to. 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:49.680 Support other people create the dishes that they wanted to do. 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:52.200 And I think that in itself is something that I 0:05:52.279 --> 0:05:54.680 think is important as well, that sometimes you just got 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:56.760 to be, you know, a part of it rather than 0:05:57.520 --> 0:05:59.200 you know, the shining star at the front. 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:01.919 When did you start to get the sinking feeling that 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.880 you might be going home? Because I'm assuming, you know, 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:08.200 with so many people cooking in that dream cook, you 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:10.599 know eventually going to start to think, oh, it's going 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:11.279 to be somebody. 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:13.320 I think I'd made a real kind of decision that 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:16.039 morning that I was ignoring the black apron and just 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:19.080 going to really enjoy myself. And you know, you know, 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:21.839 I hope I don't feel a bit of foolish to say, actually, 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:25.480 like I really enjoyed the cook And up until seeing 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:28.520 Andy peering at the squid, up until that point, I 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:30.839 was feeling really good. I was hoping i'd taken on 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:32.720 board what the judges said earlier in the week to 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:35.680 other contestants about being kind of intentional and you. 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:38.000 Know, not kind of trying to overdo it. 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:40.279 So I was feeling good and then you see Andy 0:06:40.400 --> 0:06:42.919 kind of peering at the squid, in my heart sank. 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:45.880 That's when you go, yeah, that's the sinking feeling. If 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:48.040 I was to be sent home on one of these shows. 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:50.760 I always wonder if I would ever try and make 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:52.520 that dish at home again, to see if I could 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:55.280 do a better job, or whether I would be like patistic, 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:56.320 could never see it again. 0:06:56.400 --> 0:06:56.920 Do you know what. 0:06:57.000 --> 0:06:59.560 I had the same thoughts, and I thought, you know, 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:03.440 maybe it'll be a long time before before I tackle 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:03.920 a squid. 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:06.599 But actually, you know, I cooked it the other day. 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:11.240 My nieces wanted to have a look at it, so 0:07:11.320 --> 0:07:14.000 I did some cooking with them and kind of, you know, 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:17.320 adjusted it based on the judges feedback to think, you know, okay, 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:19.800 you know, Poe wasn't a fan of the the you know, 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:21.120 the filling mixed with us all. 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:23.440 So what should I do differently? And I think that's 0:07:23.480 --> 0:07:26.680 important too, to kind of not be stubborn and think, oh, 0:07:26.720 --> 0:07:28.640 you know what, you know, I did what I. 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:30.520 Wanted to do and that's the way to do it, 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:33.000 to actually think, okay, you know what, these these judges 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:35.440 know what they're talking about. So I gave it another 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:39.240 go with taking their feedback on board, and yeah, I'm 0:07:39.240 --> 0:07:41.360 sure it's not the last time I'll cook it. 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:43.000 Was it something that you'd made before? 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:43.160 Though? 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:45.080 Because I always think of these shows like if I 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:47.640 was cooking, I'd have like about ten dishes that I 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:50.240 knew really well. If I was on Ruphoul's drag race, 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:53.840 i'd probably have a few outits made. You know, were 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.440 you prepared with meals? I mean, was this the one 0:07:56.480 --> 0:07:57.360 you were going to go with? 0:07:57.600 --> 0:07:59.440 I think, you know, I've got I've got my little 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:02.280 kind of pads, and I've got like different ideas. 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:05.360 It's kind of scribbled down and different dishes that you 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:06.120 cook for friends. 0:08:06.120 --> 0:08:09.000 And you know, I had actually cooked this for friends before, 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:10.840 So I think it was probably there kind of sitting 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:12.280 in my mind, and I felt. 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:15.640 That it suited the food dream. Perhaps there's a bit 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:16.320 to me the things. 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:18.400 Maybe I should have gone for something else, But I 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:20.320 think kind of also with its link to kind of 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.040 Greek holiday memories with me, I was I was going 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:25.040 to go down that path anyway, and I was I 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:27.080 was pleased with the choice, just not the execution. 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:29.720 How long were you filming for, like to make five 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:32.240 episodes of this show? You know, it's you know, which 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:34.600 are very long episodes. I'm assuming that you're there for 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:35.680 a very long time. 0:08:36.000 --> 0:08:38.760 Yeah, so we've obviously we've got that kind of what 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:41.800 comes across the week filming, but there's you know, time 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:45.079 before it as well, perhaps even looking at kind of 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:47.760 the equipment and how how we do things, and obviously 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:48.679 you've got to get across the. 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.000 Melbourne So I was there kind of what would have. 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:53.640 Been about two weeks or so, perhaps you know, might 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:56.440 not feel that long, but also when you're two weeks 0:08:56.440 --> 0:08:59.120 away from your your wife and your kids does feel 0:08:59.160 --> 0:08:59.840 like a long time. 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:02.040 And also you know the days are long. 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.559 It's a huge, huge production and you can see the 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:07.120 quality of it. 0:09:07.120 --> 0:09:08.959 It looks fantastic on TV. 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:11.679 You know, my family back home kind of looking at 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:15.120 the English one, which perhaps you know, I assume a 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:17.840 different budget, so they've got to make sure they get 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:19.520 things right. They've got to make sure that they kind 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:21.920 of don't miss kind of reactions and angles. 0:09:21.960 --> 0:09:24.400 So you know, they're big pays too, so not just 0:09:24.480 --> 0:09:26.359 kind of you know how many weeks. 0:09:26.120 --> 0:09:28.960 It is, but yeah, each day is long and you've 0:09:28.960 --> 0:09:30.959 got to be you've got to be Master Chef fit. 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:33.960 What was your journey with Master Chef Australia, Because you know, 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:36.160 a few times you've sort of related back to what 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:38.960 it looks like overseas where you're from. Had you thought 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:41.000 about applying for that series, so it was this the 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:43.480 first time you applied for this one? Did someone see 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:44.559 you cooking on Instagram? 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:44.760 Like? 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:46.000 What was the lead up? 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:49.360 So we watched it in England for years as well. 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:52.320 My wife's Australian, so you know, we'd kind of tuned 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:55.040 into it there. And then I was watching last season 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:57.560 and at the same time I was thinking, you know, 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:00.120 did I want to go to Tafe and maybe do 0:10:00.280 --> 0:10:03.320 like a commercial cookery or culinary arts course. And then 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:06.199 I saw you can't apply to Master Chef once you've 0:10:06.240 --> 0:10:09.760 done formal training because obviously it's for amateurs. So I thought, well, 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:12.400 you know what, I'll apply for Master Chef just to 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:15.160 kind of not have that wad if hanging over me 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.400 in the future. Nothing will come of it, and then 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:19.320 I'll go and I'll go and do my course. And 0:10:19.360 --> 0:10:21.520 then it kind of snowballed from there that, you know, 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:24.800 I did the application and things started going. 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:26.400 And I, you know, up until the point of you know, 0:10:26.440 --> 0:10:27.480 getting the phone call to. 0:10:27.400 --> 0:10:28.880 Say that I was going to be going across the 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.559 Melbourne it all felt quite surreal and. 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:32.720 Kind of happened quite quickly. 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:34.800 Well, the return of Master Chef comes with you know, 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:38.440 some people talking about the usual critiques and the contestants 0:10:38.440 --> 0:10:40.960 please wear hair nets and you know, no, it's done 0:10:41.080 --> 0:10:44.160 casting and make the food that we can cook at home. 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:46.920 I feel like all I want to see is relatable 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:49.439 people on this show. What do you think the magic 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:51.400 of MASTERSHEF Australia is for you? 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:54.600 Yeah, I think it's it's kind of that marriage of 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:58.560 all those different elements. You know that these are everyday people, 0:10:58.679 --> 0:11:00.960 These are the people you work in the office with, 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:05.160 your kids, teachers, and that they've all got this little 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:08.240 kind of passion and they just want a platform to 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:10.800 try and experiment with a bit more and see where 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:14.040 it can go. And to see the quality that a 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:16.960 bunch of amateurs have is quite special. Like seeing some 0:11:17.000 --> 0:11:19.800 of the food that's produced and people at home perhaps 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:22.920 thinking could I do that, or being inspired by that 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:23.920 or having a go at that. 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:26.440 I think it kind of really connects and resonects with people. 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:28.600 Are there any tricks that you've learned along the way 0:11:28.600 --> 0:11:30.240 from being on the show, Like if they asked you 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:32.800 to go back to do it again, like would you 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:35.200 be like, oh, I kind of understand this, and I've 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.760 seen some secrets from behind the scenes that you have 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:40.360 helped or would help me do better next time. 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:42.480 Yeah, I think a lot of it is kind of 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:46.840 how you approach the first five minutes and getting yourself 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:49.720 sorted and then giving yourself time at the end, because 0:11:49.760 --> 0:11:52.400 obviously you want it to look great as well, and 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:54.520 perhaps we don't always do that when we're cooking at 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:55.760 home with friends. 0:11:55.480 --> 0:11:57.960 Or you pause to go and sort out the kids fast. 0:11:57.760 --> 0:12:00.280 Time, or you have a glass of wine that you 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:03.760 don't often have that kind of concentrated time on a dish. 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:06.880 So setting that preparation time at the beginning at the end. 0:12:06.720 --> 0:12:07.840 I think is really important. 0:12:07.960 --> 0:12:10.160 You could see those people that only had to go 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:12.760 to the pantry once or only had to race to 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.320 the back to get all their equipment wants are really 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:17.840 going to kind of maximize their time, and it's going 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:20.120 to come across in their food rather than you know, 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:23.439 everyone kind of doing a half jog trying to look 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:26.400 as calm as possible, but wanting to know that actually 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:28.480 they feel like they should be sprinting to go back there. 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:30.640 Again, do people get sad about where they get placed 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:33.040 in the kitchen? I mean, obviously the producer whoever you know, 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:35.400 come over and say you've got to stand certain places. 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.440 Does that become something that people become conscious of, like, 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:40.680 oh no, I've been put in the back row because 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:42.640 it's something I've always thought with Master Chef, you know, 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:45.480 when the series first started, there's so many contestants there, 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:47.760 you know, does the placement of where you are in 0:12:47.800 --> 0:12:49.520 the room become important to anyone? 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:49.960 Do you know what? 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:53.120 I always assumed that it was, you know, it was chosen, 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:56.000 or that people there for certain places, but it really 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:58.600 is a bit of a free for all. Oh wow, Yeah, 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:01.319 it's whoever you know, you to go wherever you go. 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:04.680 So I think some people definitely prefer the back bench 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:07.040 because then you're close to the equipment, so anything you've 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:09.240 forgotten you can just nip across, and it's like being 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:11.240 at home where you can reach down to your cupboards. 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:14.200 Other people, therefore, perhaps choose the front you're closer to 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:16.040 the pantry, and then everyone else. 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:17.880 You get what you get and you don't get upset. 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:18.640 You know. 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:21.440 I think about yesterday, I was, you know, next to 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:25.040 Lily and Jill, and you kind of you have that 0:13:25.080 --> 0:13:27.760 little bit of kind of support from each other. You're 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:29.640 trying to focus on your dish, but also you're kind 0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:32.680 of chatting away or giving words of encouragement, So I think, 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:35.319 you know, you get all those different elements and you're thinking, oh, 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:37.400 should I be choosing place, or should I be looking 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:39.760 at person? Or have I just been too long in 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:41.480 the pantry and there's only one spot left. 0:13:41.559 --> 0:13:43.880 I mean, it's all just would be so surreal because 0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:46.120 as well, when you're in the moment with this sort 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:49.000 of stuff and the tensions on the clocks, obviously ticking 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:50.520 people will behave differently. 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:53.640 We all kind of respond to a pressure in different ways. 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:56.520 Some people absolutely thrive from it, and I'm sure they're 0:13:56.520 --> 0:13:57.800 the ones that will. 0:13:57.679 --> 0:13:58.480 Go the furthest. 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:02.040 It's funny, like the moment when you're you know, perhaps 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:04.520 the judges come over and you feel like time has 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:08.120 slowed right down beforehand, and then when they're talking away 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:09.600 to you and you feel like you've got to get 0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:10.439 in with something, you. 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:12.360 Look up and time has flown by. 0:14:12.640 --> 0:14:15.640 And then also obviously that physical representation of a huge 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:18.320 clock hanging above you, that thing really. 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:20.240 Absolutely enough, that's just thee of for me, I'd be 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:22.240 looking at that clock more than I need to. I 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:23.880 don't know whether or not this is hard for you 0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:26.520 to pick because you were there. This lineup of judges 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:28.440 that are there this year, they seem like they're helping 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:31.000 you guys a little bit more with some tips that 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:32.120 people can use at home. 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:34.120 Yeah. I think that's a really interesting point. 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:37.600 I think, you know, obviously they are judges and they 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:40.800 are judging, but I think they also are acknowledging that 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:45.360 we're amateurs in a completely alien environment, both in the 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:47.440 set of a kitchen you've never cooked in before, but 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:48.920 also a TV set. 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:51.040 You know, they want you to succeed. 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:52.760 No one wants to be eating a bad plate of 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:54.680 food at the end, and you can see it. 0:14:54.920 --> 0:14:56.520 You know, it's a lot of them. 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:58.640 Why they've taken these parts is because they want to 0:14:58.640 --> 0:15:02.560 share their knowledge or share those experiences. Probably like in class, 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:04.480 if I see a kid, you know, making a mistake, 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:06.560 I'm not going to walk past and go, oh, that's 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:07.840 wrong and then just leave them. 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:11.760 You want to you want to say to them, you know, 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:12.840 have you thought about this? 0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:15.800 And I think that's the interesting balancing act that the 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:19.080 judges get in that they're not telling you exactly what 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:21.360 you need to do, but they're giving you kind of 0:15:21.520 --> 0:15:23.960 questions to draw out that knowledge from you to get 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:25.440 you to kind of reflect about it. 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:29.080 Jean Christoph and Po particularly, I've picked up in the 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:32.560 first five episodes that there's moments that they're they're really 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:35.040 offering you some new skill sets, you know, And I 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:37.680 think that that that's something maybe I hadn't even noticed 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:38.880 on this series before. 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:41.080 Yeah, I think I think it probably kind of speaks 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:44.640 to their personalities. They're both kind of very generous spirits. 0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:48.360 They probably kind of can't help themselves. Yeah, true, but 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:50.920 also you know, again they want the very. 0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:52.280 Best from everyone that you know. 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:54.480 I know, Jean Christoph spoke to me about kind of 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:56.960 being respectful of a squid and kind of, you know, 0:15:57.040 --> 0:15:58.200 being careful with it. 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:01.120 Perhaps too careful. 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:02.840 In the end, but you can see he really wants 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:05.520 to impart that knowledge. You know, He's got so much 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:07.600 experience that you know, he wants to share it and 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:11.000 it'll be interesting kind of perhaps as the competition moves on, 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:14.400 whether they get to a point where they feel like 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:17.280 contestants should be knowing these things now, or whether they 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:19.200 keep sharing that information. 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:21.280 I know this is a terrible thing to ask contestants 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:23.080 because it puts you on the spot, but all I 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:25.040 want to know is these two things. And the first 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:28.360