MasterChef star Khanh Ong says he finally feels more confident being his ‘sassy’ self on the hit show as a proud gay man
He first appeared on season 10 of MasterChef Australia in 2018 and is now trying his luck on the Back to Win series.
And Khanh Ong has revealed that he finally feels much more confident being himself on the hit cooking show as a proud gay man.
Speaking to 10 Daily last week, the 26-year-old said that he’s not holding back this season and isn’t afraid to be ‘sassy’ or ‘show his personality.’
Finding his confidence: MasterChef star Khanh Ong told 10 Daily last week that he finally feels more confident being his ‘sassy’ self on the hit show as a proud gay man
‘Obviously I’ve always been very comfortable with myself, but when it’s your first time on TV, I was kind of like, “okay you’re gay but you’re not G-A-Y,” Khanh told the publication about his first time on the show.
He said he wanted to ‘stay a little quiet’ during his first stint on the show, but now he has complete confidence in himself.
‘I can be as sassy as I want to be and show my personality,’ he said, saying he just wants to focus on his cooking and doesn’t need to ‘impress anyone.’
That new-found confidence also extends to his fashion sense.
Khanh recently wore a ‘harness’ in one episode and admitted that he didn’t think he’d be allowed to wear it on national television, but wanted to ‘push’ the boundaries.
Daring! Khanh recently wore a ‘harness’ in one episode and admitted that he didn’t think he’d be allowed to wear it on national television, but wanted to ‘push’ the boundaries
He spoke about the cast reactions on set and said with a laugh: ‘On the day I did it, no one said anything! Jock [Zonfrillo] was kind of like, ”yeah… I’m just going to move forward.”
In July, the talented chef will be releasing his first cookbook, A Gay Guy’s Guide.
The humorous books delicious recipes will be broken up into categories including ‘meals to make for a broken heart’ or perfect ‘first date food’.
Coming soon! In July, the talented chef will be releasing his first cookbook, A Gay Guy’s Guide. The humorous books delicious recipes will be broken up into categories including ‘meals to make for a broken heart’ or perfect ‘first date food’
It comes after Khanh left viewers in tears on Wednesday night’s episode, after he revealed a touching story from his childhood.
The contestants opened boxes to discover old family photos and Khanh shared the emotional backstory behind the picture of him with his parents.
Khanh explained he was two years old, and it had been taken on the day they arrived in Australia.
‘I was born in a refugee camp. And that’s… after we got approved to migrate,’ he sobbed, calling it ‘a massive change in our lifestyle’.
New life: Khanh revealed his photo was of him and his parents when he was two years old and it had been taken on the day they arrived in Australia