WEBVTT - NO KRAP, LETS CHAT MASTERCHEF WITH MAX 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:01.720 It's in the news today, but it was actually on 0:00:01.800 --> 0:00:05.080 TV Reload the podcast last week Aylight. Welcome back to 0:00:05.160 --> 0:00:05.920 TV Reload. 0:00:06.160 --> 0:00:08.960 My name's Benjamin Norris and on this podcast I go 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:12.920 behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. Each 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:15.840 episode you will get a front row seat with content 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:21.160 makers like executive producers, writers, editors and casting agents, plus 0:00:21.200 --> 0:00:24.760 the talent that we see on our screens. TV Reload 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:28.200 reloads the shows that you are currently watching and gives 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:31.640 you a better insight at our television industry and streaming 0:00:31.720 --> 0:00:32.800 services today. 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:33.880 On the podcast, I have. 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:37.640 Max from the current series of mastershef Australia. Max as 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:40.440 a testament to one of my favorite theories to never 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:44.160 give up and try and try again, as his persistence 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:46.839 to getting onto the most successful cookie show in the 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:49.960 world is more than at reball and I think a 0:00:50.000 --> 0:00:53.159 lot of budding contestants would take a page or should 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:56.160 take a page from his book or maybe a recipe 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:59.720 from his cookbook. The competition is in its fourteenth series 0:00:59.760 --> 0:01:02.920 on panele ten and Endibill Shine have served up an 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:07.080 impressive cast of fans versus favorites, and this week we 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:10.320 well and truly settle into the competition. There is so 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:13.240 much to take home from today's chat and I really 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:16.640 hope you enjoy us as we unpack Week two on 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:21.160 Mastershef Australia. However, let's get started with this week's episode. 0:01:21.280 --> 0:01:25.000 I'd like to welcome Max, affectionately known as Crap to 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:26.040 TV reload. 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:28.920 You've got mates in the kitchen, but you are what 0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:30.440 is it? What's to say? And keep your friends close 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:33.200 for your enemies closer. Muster Sheriff has produced some of 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:37.160 the biggest names of food. My dad was actually put 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:39.199 forward to go an audition on the show for the. 0:01:39.120 --> 0:01:43.039 First time ever. It's funds versus favorites. 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:47.000 I'd love to get on in another season. The most 0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:50.440 talented team of fans that we've ever found. We were 0:01:50.440 --> 0:01:53.240 in hysterics. We were crying both times, but for very 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:53.800 different reason. 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:57.440 These fans have been watching season after season at Mastersheff 0:01:57.480 --> 0:01:59.400 and now it's their time. 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:02.320 Yeah. It's a really eclectic dinner to go along with 0:02:02.360 --> 0:02:03.480 an eclectic group of people. 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:05.520 Hi, Max, how are you? 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:07.200 I'm very well? Thank you, Ben. 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:10.560 You know that was a pretty emotional ride on Master 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:12.639 Chef Australia. 0:02:12.280 --> 0:02:13.640 We can we start at. 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:15.040 The beginning, Yes, how far back. 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:17.920 Are you going like, mum, who's the magician that they 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:20.600 used to say when I was born, David. 0:02:20.840 --> 0:02:22.560 Las Vegas King himself. 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:25.080 Anyway, we're going off on a tangent. 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:27.880 So you know you have to talk to me about 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:31.720 your first relationship with the show. How did Master Chef 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:34.880 involve itself in your life or how did you involve 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:36.400 yourself in Master Chef? 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:40.480 Yeah, we're going way back here. Coming home from school 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:44.320 when I was probably fifteen sixteen, my favorite thing to 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:47.360 do was get home and switch on UK Master Chef. 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:50.080 That was probably my first introduction to the show and 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:52.760 it was my favorite shong t me. Absolutely loved it. 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:56.320 And then when season one came along, my dad was 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:59.000 actually put forward to go an audition on the show 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:03.000 by my childhood friend, his dad, Marcus Moore, who was 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:05.800 the executive chef at Crown Casino at the time. He 0:03:05.919 --> 0:03:08.480 was like, I'm not going on the show because they 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:11.040 wanted him to come in and audition as a judge actually, 0:03:11.360 --> 0:03:12.760 but he's like, no, it's not for me, but I've 0:03:12.800 --> 0:03:14.960 got the perfect contestant for you. So my dad went 0:03:15.000 --> 0:03:17.799 an audition same season as Julie, but he didn't get 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:21.000 anywhere near as far as she did. I think he 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:24.160 got a snippet of point two of a second on 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:27.600 the televised auditions. So that's my That's my intro to 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:29.760 Mass Chef Australia. 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:31.360 And your dad. Is he disappointed that he didn't get 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.040 on all those years? Are you avenging him? 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:36.360 I am avenging his position in the show? 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:36.600 Now. 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:40.320 Look, I think if the executives had a decision between 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:43.200 gorgeous Julie and my dad, I think they made the 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:45.760 right call. So yeah, and now going on was a 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:49.200 bit of a bit of a family proud moment. 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:50.440 Oh unbelievable. 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:52.840 We won't let him listen to this podcast, though, after 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:54.280 you've just made that comment. 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:56.920 He can listen. He knows my stance on it all. 0:03:56.920 --> 0:04:01.960 He knows how much I love Julie Maas. Welcome back, 0:04:02.280 --> 0:04:04.040 not your first time in this room. 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:06.680 No, you almost made it last year. 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:07.920 You were so close. 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:09.600 How are you feeling? 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:16.360 Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. Top twelve. I think we're calling. 0:04:16.040 --> 0:04:21.960 It what happened last year though, because you came so 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:24.919 close to getting an apron, so you know what was 0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:25.440 happening there. 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:29.040 Yeah, So last year was an incredible experience. I made 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:32.240 it through to the Top thirty six televised auditions, and 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:33.960 I cooked a dish for the judges to get into 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:36.680 the show, which was a Middle East and inspired lamb 0:04:36.720 --> 0:04:39.920 ribbed dish. I ended up getting two out of three yes's, 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:42.000 but Mel wanted to see a little bit more from me, 0:04:42.120 --> 0:04:44.280 which I was more than happy to have another chance 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:46.559 to cook in the kitchen. And then on the second 0:04:46.640 --> 0:04:50.680 chance cook, I stuffed it. I completely self sabotaged, detonated. 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:53.320 Thought I could cook a two hour tat tan in 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:56.320 forty five minutes, and I came pretty bloody close to 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:59.000 actually pulling it off. But there were just five better 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:01.560 cooks at that stage. Every one of them deserve their 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:03.080 spot ahead of me in the competition. 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:07.040 Do you think the excitement as a true fan does 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:10.279 intercept with you, know, your progression or your time on 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:12.960 the show. Is there too much of an excitement factor 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:13.560 that kicks in? 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:16.440 Yeah, I think so. I think they speak a lot 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:21.080 about I think in sports mainly about peak stress versus performance, 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:23.480 and you need a little bit of stress and anxiety 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:26.000 and excitement to form at a really high level. But 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:28.880 maybe too much actually is detrimental, and I think that 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:31.680 may have happened in that second chance cook, you know, 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:34.360 having the clock above my head and cooking alongside. I 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:36.560 think there was another fifteen at that stage, Like the 0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:39.680 adrenaline was just insane, and yeah, it can lead you 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.320 down the wrong path with your thinking, which is something 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:44.520 I really wanted to come into this season with and 0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:47.960 have really clear thought processes and understand that don't try 0:05:48.000 --> 0:05:50.360 and cook a two hour edition forty five minutes. It's 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:51.599 probably not going to work. 0:05:52.040 --> 0:05:54.360 I guess the best question to ask you about this is, 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:58.159 I mean, you've had the full mastership experience now, so 0:05:58.240 --> 0:05:59.920 how do you feel, like? How do you feel about 0:05:59.920 --> 0:06:00.480 that whole thing? 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:04.599 I feel extremely blessed and fortunate to have had the 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:06.839 opportunity to come back again like it could have ended 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.080 last season, but to be chosen as one of the 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:13.200 twelve fans we're calling it the top twelve, was a 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:16.040 huge moment for me. And look, I don't know if 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:18.200 I would have tried out again had I knock gone 0:06:18.200 --> 0:06:21.560 on this season, but the perseverance to come back again 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:23.800 and again actually get what I was working for is, 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:26.880 you know, only reinforces that notion that if you really 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.159 want something, you don't try until it works. 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:31.680 I love this about you. I loved it right from 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:32.200 the start. 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:34.719 I just get knocked back time and time and time 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:38.840 again from things, and then the persistence has always led 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:40.960 me to my greatest moments, and I think that's so 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:44.080 important to teach young people as well. So I think 0:06:44.080 --> 0:06:46.200 you should be really proud of yourself. And I want 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:48.400 to thank you as well for something you've taught me 0:06:48.400 --> 0:06:51.279 in the kitchen, which is a strategy of follow the 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:56.000 recipe and move on, because I quite often get bogged 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:58.960 down in trying to perfect things where I should just 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:01.039 be like, right, I've done that, age, move on. 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:03.960 Oh I'm glad. I'm glad that came through because I 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:06.680 was thinking about it as well. And I'm not a 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:09.840 I'm not usually a recipe guarded cook. That's not what 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:12.760 I do at home. But thinking about that, how often 0:07:12.800 --> 0:07:14.520 do you cook something at home and it turns out 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:16.840 perfect the first time? So for me to think that 0:07:16.880 --> 0:07:19.400 I could make a recreation of Reynold's dish that would 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:21.960 have been perfect the first time would have been almost 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:24.720 too much pressure. And seeing it back again yesterday, I'm 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:26.880 just really proud of what I put up that first time, 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:28.400 and I'm sure if I tried it second, and a 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:30.600 third and a fourth. It only gets better and better 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:31.080 as it goes. 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:34.120 How much do you appreciate having those, you know, the 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:38.000 advice of Andy, Jock and Melissa, Like as a chef 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.240 in that kitchen, I guess they can only give you 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:41.080 little bits of advice. 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:43.960 They can't give you too much advice. But while you're there, 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:46.360 how much you're appreciating and listening to every single thing 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:46.800 they say? 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:48.880 Oh very much. So Like, that's one of the biggest 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:51.280 things that I took away from actually auditioning last season 0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:54.040 was Melissa saying that, you know, she just wanted to 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:56.200 see a little more finesse and refinement from my cooking, 0:07:56.440 --> 0:07:58.800 And there's something I really worked on and honed over 0:07:58.840 --> 0:08:01.360 the year up between seasons. Those three are great, but 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:03.880 also having they are judges, so they have to be 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:06.520 relatively impartial and they can't give you too much feedback 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:08.960 during the cooks, but having someone like chann and Bennett 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:11.000 come in and the learning that came from him in 0:08:11.040 --> 0:08:14.120 one cook in that team service challenge that was just 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:16.520 that was insane. Like the guys are one of the 0:08:16.560 --> 0:08:19.880 top chefs in Australia and was really the tuition that 0:08:19.920 --> 0:08:21.600 he gave was just invaluable. 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:24.520 You know, it's interesting if someone reached out to me 0:08:24.640 --> 0:08:30.000 from America. They write for The New Yorker, and they said, amazing, Can. 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:31.000 I ask you a question. 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:34.600 I'm watching this series of Master Chef in America and 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:37.800 I can't get over how amazing it is to have 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:41.680 the caliber of chefs willing to come in and collaborate, 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:44.280 and then also have the fans come in and work 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:46.480 with These people have been on the show. And he's like, 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:50.920 is this the biggest TV show in Australia Because we 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:54.559 Americans would never have the confidence to do something like this. 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:55.760 Isn't that amazing to hear? 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.040 Oh, it's absolutely incredible. It's the thing that sets Master 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:03.240 Chef apart from aside from other cooking TV shows, not 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:07.200 only in Australia but globally. It's the collaboration between well 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:13.040 renowned chefs, incredible cooks, previous contestants, you know, flocking to 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:15.520 come back. We only just had the allstar season a 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:17.480 few years ago, and it's to be part of that 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:19.560 now to say I'm part of their Mass Chef alumni. 0:09:19.880 --> 0:09:21.760 I don't take that for granted at all. 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:23.920 Did you feel like you'd won over one judge in 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:25.160 particular more than another. 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:28.280 That's a good question. I don't know. I think out 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:31.679 of the three, look considering Mel was one last year 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:33.600 that wanted to see a bit more. I felt like 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:37.479 Mel and I had some really cool moments through the 0:09:37.600 --> 0:09:40.520 season of mass Chefs so far, especially the little vegetable 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:42.760 number that I did. I think it was episode three 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:45.120 called it a sex edition. I was. I was pretty 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:45.720 happy with that. 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:50.839 Well, Reynolds desserts are incredible and incredibly hard to recreate. 0:09:51.120 --> 0:09:54.439 What kind of training can you do before a show 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:57.240 like this? Did you have your nearest and dearest set 0:09:57.280 --> 0:09:59.480 up some pressure tests for you at home? 0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:03.360 Yeah, we did a lot of We did some little 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:05.960 practice tests, some prack runs at home, but they were 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:08.640 mainly just mystery boxes where you know, a friend or 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:10.520 my barner would get a few items for me and 0:10:10.559 --> 0:10:13.200 I'd have to cook something. Trying to recreate a Renold 0:10:13.240 --> 0:10:16.280 dish that is there'll be ours. That's a lot of equipment. 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:17.959 There was a piece of machinery that we used that 0:10:18.080 --> 0:10:20.600 was eight thousand dollars. So I don't think we're touching 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.520 many of reynolds more intricate desserts, but I did try 0:10:23.559 --> 0:10:27.440 out doing his Snickers tart, which was delicious and worked 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.800 really well. So definitely some trial and error runs at home, 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:32.920 some practice runs at home, but there are just some 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:34.320 things that you need to be in the Master Jeff 0:10:34.400 --> 0:10:34.840 kitchen to do. 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:36.640 Did you swear more at home? 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:40.080 I could feel myself being on a Master Chef kitchen 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:41.640 that I would be like, I can't swear. 0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:46.000 Yeah, I think they. I think they stopped showing a 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:48.640 little bit when some of the twill leaves broke, and 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:51.760 I'm pretty sure the next words out of my mouth were. 0:10:51.880 --> 0:10:54.480 Some twittlesticks, that's what you should say. 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:58.319 Yeah, exactly, exactly a lot of fire trucks getting thrown around. 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:00.319 It. 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:04.360 What was the biggest take home from this week's pressure test? 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:08.160 I mean, the flavor versus presentation debate was definitely on 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:09.480 the table. Yeah. 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:13.920 The big take home was to consistently taste and taste 0:11:14.040 --> 0:11:16.400 and taste your food, and it was something that I 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.240 was trying to do more and more so throughout the competition, 0:11:19.280 --> 0:11:21.960 and I'm really conscious effort of tasting as I went 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:25.199 through yesterday. In yesterday's cook the hard thing was to 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:27.600 actually try and combine all the flavors and taste them altogether, 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:29.520 which was really difficult just with the nature of this 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:32.360 cook You had, you know, your sphere, your cubes that 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:35.240 need to be done aside, you had your gel inserts. 0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:37.160 Like a lot of these things you could taste, but 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:40.240 could taste individually. And that's a skill of being able 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:43.440 to gen said it really well yesterday, being able to 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:45.440 almost store it in your memory and be able to 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:48.120 reference back to what you taste and how it worked together. 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:50.160 And that's a skill that I really need to work 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:53.280 on and refine. Is almost like this memory bank of 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:57.160 a palette, which is a really cool thing, but I 0:11:57.160 --> 0:11:59.320 think it will take years and years to home. 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.520 Maximi alone, by saying this, I kind of feel like 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:05.800 your Master Chef experience is not over. 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:07.320 I mean, I don't know. 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:09.120 I don't think they're going to bring you back this year, 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:11.520 because I mean, obviously you'd know by now. But do 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.320 you feel like you're going to do another season of 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:16.280 Master Chef and are we going to get that progression 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:19.240 of your learning ability and do you think that's important? 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.160 Look, I'd love to do that. I'd love to get 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:24.679 on in another season. One of my very good friends 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:28.280 from last season, Connor Current or Creamy confusion, as he 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:30.600 likes to be called, that's the brand. Now. I think 0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:34.680 he's out there campaigning for a duo's Mastereff duo's season, 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:36.439 and I don't know if it would be any good 0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:37.679 or if it would just be a good laugh for 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:40.239 a few episodes, but doing something like that would be pretty. 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:40.480 Cool, you know. 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:44.040 The emotional outburst from John was pretty dramatic this week, 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.680 Fairly dramatic for a Master Chef kitchen. Were you guys 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.000 told to stay in your kitchens? I mean, why did 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:52.160 no one run after him and make sure he was okay? 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:54.840 I mean, it was very dramatic the way it played out, 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:57.280 But I mean maybe it would have been like high school, 0:12:57.320 --> 0:12:58.959 but I felt like I would have just ran out 0:12:59.040 --> 0:12:59.800 after him. 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:02.680 To make sure he was okay. Producers there to say 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:03.840 just leave him. 0:13:03.960 --> 0:13:06.480 It was. It all happened really quickly, you know, when 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:08.559 someone's quite upset and it almost feels like they need 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.760 a little bit of space to digest it and process 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:13.440 what's going on, rather than just going up to them 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:15.840 Stralia and being like, are you okay? You okay? You okay? 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:20.160 It felt a bit like that. I hope it's all 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:25.360 right too, Can you want to be anymore. 0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:29.000 Oh, Han, why it's just not. 0:13:31.679 --> 0:13:34.000 I just feel like everything I was just not hitting 0:13:34.040 --> 0:13:42.960 the look. I'm not that's not you should plan. But 0:13:43.120 --> 0:13:45.800 even in the episode, you could see Manoli wasn't sure 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:48.200 whether she should go or not. And that's just because 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:51.040 Mel went off straight away. So Mel was really good. 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:52.160 She was the one that just went, you know what, 0:13:52.240 --> 0:13:54.240 I'm going to go check up on him, so we 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:57.000 knew there was someone there with him and someone talking 0:13:57.440 --> 0:13:59.800 through what, you know, the critique that he had just 0:13:59.840 --> 0:14:02.720 gone and that he had just received, and probably best 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:05.160 with Mel rather than any of the contestants anyway. 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:07.400 Yeah, I feel like I want Mel to be my 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:10.120 best friend? Can she not just bear my life? Like, 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:14.360 beyond the cooking, she just has an unbelievable warmth and 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:15.800 empathy about her. 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.440 She's just a really genuine, really nice person. 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:20.960 Being on the show and being a super fan and 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.600 then watching you know, now you've got this ultimate experience 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:25.520 of being able to have watched it for years and 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:27.640 then now that you're on it. What was the most 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:32.680 exciting parts for you to be having that moment? Wow, 0:14:32.880 --> 0:14:33.880 I'm on Mastership. 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:37.520 Yeah, I guess for me, there were two moments like 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:38.720 a bit of a high moment and a bit of 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:41.840 a low. The first episode, it was getting towards the 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:43.880 end of episode one and I just wasn't sure if 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:46.200 they were going to show my cook and I'd like, 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:47.880 I had a really fun time that cook. I had 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:50.560 a really positive put up a really positive dish and 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.040 got some amazing feedback, and as it was getting close 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:54.320 and close to the end, I was like, oh God, 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:55.520 I just don't know if they're going to show it. 0:14:55.520 --> 0:14:57.600 It was just going to break me after so long 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:00.760 to not have that dish up there to show, you know, 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:03.400 Australia what I made for that first cook. And then 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:05.880 it came on and I got some quick feedback and 0:15:05.920 --> 0:15:07.720 it was all really positive and I was just on 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:09.160 the couch and I just like got on the ground 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:12.200 and just was very very very emotional with my wife 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:14.720 at that stage. And that was a really cool special 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:16.440 moment and I was a bit of like, yeah, you 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:19.000 are here, you have done this. And then on the 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:22.080 flip side of it, knowing the episode the mystery Box, 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:24.600 first mystery box, when I stuff up my annulody and 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:27.120 pour water on top of the pasta, knowing that that 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:29.160 was coming up and not knowing if they got it 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:31.760 on camera, and then seeing that fold out or I 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:34.120 poured half a liter of water on top of I 0:15:34.120 --> 0:15:36.160 already prepared past the sheets and just sing there like 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:39.040 you idiot, what have you done? I got the flip 0:15:39.080 --> 0:15:41.600 side of it, being that person at home being like, 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:44.120 what are you doing? Mate? Haven't you been practicing this 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.960 long enough? So that was that was a lot of fun, 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:48.880 and it was just we were in hysterics. We were 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:51.560 crying both times, but for different, very different reasons. 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:53.400 I just love that you have a sense of humor 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:55.360 about that stuff, and you've moved on. You can sit 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:57.600 there now you got it, and you can watch yourself 0:15:57.640 --> 0:15:58.200 being a dial. 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:02.480 Yeah. Completely, I think I had the recorder piped out 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.040 so beautifully on this prepared pass of sheets, and then 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:07.840 just a little sabotage was amazing. 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:09.240 Who do you think is going to win? Not who 0:16:09.240 --> 0:16:10.400 do you think is going to win? Now? 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.280 But like when you came out of the competition, so 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:16.680 take your mind back to that point. Who was it 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:18.800 that you were thinking is going to win this competition? 0:16:19.240 --> 0:16:23.920 So I was fortunate enough and I'm still fortunate enough 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:27.880 to call Harry, my very close friend. We bonded immediately 0:16:28.240 --> 0:16:30.040 when we got into the competition over food, but just 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:33.080 more so just as people. And she freaks me out 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:35.000 the way she thinks about food, like it's something that 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.600 I can't see, Like I just don't have the palette. 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:40.560 I don't I don't have her palette. I don't have 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:43.200 her way of looking at flavors and ingredients and coming 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:45.680 up with a dish. And that's something that I find 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:49.520 incredibly incredibly. I find it astounding, and I find it 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:54.600 incredibly impressive. So yeah, Harry, Harry was my pick at 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:57.600 that time. You're like, bring it home, bring it home, 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:00.440 and we call it ever since I first should call 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:02.320 a cabbage. So I want I want cabbage to bring 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:02.680 it home. 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:05.040 I love the nickname. 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:07.520 You know something I ask everyone who joins the podcast 0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:09.840 is what's something from behind the scenes that we did 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.119 not see that we won't see that you can reveal 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:15.840 as a behind the scenes moment that didn't make it 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:16.400 to air. 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:21.000 Of course, Oh that very first signature cook. I'm cooking 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:23.920 next to Harry, and she made this chili oil with 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:27.159 quite a lot of Chinese black vinegar in it. She 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:28.720 made it, she was tasting along the way and I 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:31.359 was doing my past the stuff and she's like, Max Quick, 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:34.800 how old? She actually said, crap. That's I call a cabbage. 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:36.920 She calls me crap, so crap. Have a taste, And 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:38.840 I had a taste. I wasn't expecting it to be 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:42.800 as vinegar heavy as it was, and so I took 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:45.680 a huge spoonful and then I just like coughed it 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:47.840 up and it was coughing for the next ten minutes. 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:50.440 Could barely concentrate on my cook because I was just 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:52.919 like wheezing. And she thought that it was the funniest 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:54.440