‘I’m so glad I said yes’: MasterChef favourite Reynold Poernomo reveals he almost turned down appearing on this year’s show because of the change in judges
He’s been hotly tipped to win the latest season of MasterChef: Back to Win, but Reynold Poernomo has admitted he almost didn’t even appear.
In an interview with News.com.au on Friday, the 26-year-old dessert chef confessed he was reluctant to return to the series without former judges Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris.
‘I said yes, then the judges got changed, and I said no, then I had to say yes again because I thought OK, this is actually an opportunity that doesn’t come around often,’ he told the publication.
No show: He’s been hotly tipped to win the latest season of MasterChef: Back to Win, but Reynold Poernomo has admitted he almost didn’t even appear
The MasterChef favourite said he was concerned about having to leave his family to go to Melbourne to film the hit cooking show.
Reynold runs the highly successful KOI dessert bar with his brothers, Ronald and Arnold, and admitted his job is demanding.
‘My time is really valuable in the business and to take that away I was worried would be a bit of a burden to my family,’ he explained.
New line-up: He said this year’s judges (L-R) Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo, have done a great job, adding, ‘It’s really refreshing to see new faces’
‘I guess I wanted to make my time on MasterChef really worth it.’
And while he was initially apprehensive about signing on for another series, Reynold said he’s ‘so glad’ he did.
He said this year’s judges, Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo, have done a great job, adding, ‘It’s really refreshing to see new faces.’
‘I said yes, then the judges got changed, and I said no, then I had to say yes again because I thought OK, this is actually an opportunity that doesn’t come around often,’ he said
Reynold confessed having Melissa, 38, on the judging panel – both the show’s first female judge and first Asian judge – had been ‘incredible’.
He said he’s really appreciated seeing the ‘diversity’ this year’s show has brought, branding it a ‘direction of such positivity’.
‘An Asian woman representing on national prime time TV, it’s incredible to see that strength. An Asian judge? I would have never expected that!’ he added.
High praise: Reynold confessed having Melissa, 38, on the judging panel – both the show’s first female judge and first Asian judge – had been ‘incredible’
The show inadvertently gave away the fact that Reynold won Thursday night’s immunity challenge ahead of the episode airing.
A teaser trailer before the episode showed a speckled bowl and described it as being ‘the greatest dish of the season’.
But when the episode aired, fans couldn’t help noticing that the bowl Reynold served his dessert in was the exact same one from the teaser.
Oops: The show inadvertently gave away the fact that Reynold won Thursday night’s immunity challenge ahead of the episode airing