Those of you who watched MasterChef Australia Season 7 on STAR World Premiere HD earlier this year know just where Billie McKay ended up on the much-loved competitive cookery format. (No spoiler alert for those who have just started watching Billie and co. on STAR World, Monday to Friday, 9pm, but for those too curious to wait, just... google!!) t2 chatted with the 24-year-old stunner from Bowraville in Australia’s New South Wales on her time on the show. 

What have you been up to since MasterChef Australia?
I have actually been doing a lot of travelling around the country. I have also spent a lot of time with my family. I am still cooking and it’s great to cook all the new things I learnt on MasterChef for my family. 

For weeks, audiences all over the world have watched you on MasterChef Australia. What kind of reactions have you been getting after the show?
It’s been so positive. Everyone’s been so lovely about it. They have all rallied behind me and made me the cook and the person I am today.

How has the MasterChef Australia experience enriched you as a cook and as a person?
It’s been such an amazing experience. I loved my time on the show and I have learnt so much, not only about cooking and its techniques, but about life as well… about being calm in the face of pressure, about the spirit of sportsmanship, about the need to be patient, about how to get back from being down and out. I think I went in as a really basic cook and I came out at the other end with much more knowledge and confidence.

From a viewer point of view, this seems like the toughest MasterChef Australia season so far. What were the biggest challenges for you on the show?
I have watched all the seasons and yes, this was, by far, one of the toughest. For me, the toughest challenge was towards the end when Heston (Blumenthal, British celebrity chef) threw that googly of a challenge at us (recreating the dessert Botrytis Cinerea). I really felt the pressure of that cook… it was really, really tough. But I think, as a person, these challenges have really helped me hone my skills. 

You have been the calmest contestant this season. Would you say that is the key for you doing well on MasterChef?
Ya, I suppose so. Though I felt quite frazzled underneath it all, people tell me that I looked calm all the time. I am glad about that because only I know what a bundle of nerves I have been throughout the season. The key to doing well on the show was focusing on what needed to be done without letting the pressure get to me. 

You grew up on a farm. How has that contributed to you being such a versatile cook?
Growing up on the farm has made me closer to nature… it’s made me appreciate our meats and our natural produce a whole lot more. I have been privileged to get the best of all ingredients growing right in my farm and that’s helped me discover my strengths as a cook and work on my weaknesses. It helped me on the show to realise where I want to go with my food dream.

Have you been in touch with the other contestants after the show?
Yes, almost all of them. We were quite a close-knit group this season. Reynold, Jessica…. Of the judges, I have been talking to George (Calombaris) a lot… we have been working on setting up a few food endeavours together. 

Are you aware that MasterChef Australia has a huge following in India?
I went into MasterChef thinking it’s just a cookery show and then when I got in, I realised it’s a much bigger deal… how people all over the world love and follow the show. I know that so many people in India are watching it. It’s such a high to be able to share my food dream with the whole world. It’s a really nice thought. 

Brent Owens, who won MasterChef Australia Season 6, was in India recently. Do you have any India plans yet?
I would love to be in India sometime. Unfortunately, I am heading off to the UK in a month to work at The Fat Duck (owned by Heston Blumenthal, who has offered Billie an internship at his Michelin-starred restaurant). But certainly afterwards, I plan to be in India.  

Priyanka Roy
Who is your favourite MasterChef Australia Season 7 contestant? Tell t2@abp.in