Aaron Exits the MasterChef Stage

Despite surviving the elimination round against the show’s hot favourite, Marion Grasby, band manager Aaron Harvey, 37, takes his bow after failing to impress the judges with soggy chips.

How did you feel when you were eliminated?
It wasn’t a shock at all. To me, progressing through each round of the competition was the real shock. I didn’t ever expect to get this far so it’s been a whirlwind ride. Alvin is a talented cook and surviving the elimination round showed that he deserves to go forward in the competition.

How did you feel when you survived the elimination round against Marion?
When I was up against Marion, I had resigned to my fate and thought I didn’t stand a chance against her. The fact that I expected to lose made me more relaxed during the challenge, which I think made me cook well. I ended up surprising the contestants when I survived, but I think I was more shocked than anyone else at her departure.

Did you feel responsible for her being booted?
I was devastated to see her go. I certainly didn’t expect to win against her because she was such an inspirational contestant who we all looked up to and expected to win. With her gone, I felt like there was definitely less competition among the contestants, because she really made us push our limits with our cooking.

Who do you think will win?
I think after Marion left, we all expected Jonathan to win. But with him gone, I guess each contestant is on an equal footing and deserves to win. I bonded with all the contestants, so I’m looking forward to who takes out the title.

Why didn't you, Claire and Jonathan take part in the celebratory drinks when the eliminated contestants returned to the show? Were you being mean-spirited?
I was actually out having a cigarette at the time! It’s TV, so you don’t always get to see what goes on in the show and what gets edited out. I did see the episode again and I saw my shocked expression, but I guess we were all shocked to see them return. When I look back, I think I could have handled the situation better and kept up a poker face, but I didn’t personally have anything against them returning and they know that.

You’ve been one of the more “controversial” contestants. Would you agree?
I wear my heart on my sleeve, so at times I might say things that I shouldn’t. We’re all people and we all get caught up in emotions from time to time!

You recently popped the question to your partner of 11 years, Natalie. Did your love for cooking come with finding the love of your life?
We both share a passion for cooking and it’s a part of our lifestyle. I wouldn’t say that she accepted my proposal just because I love cooking, but I do think that people appreciate a partner who can cook!

How hard was it to leave Natalie and postpone your wedding plans for the sake of being on MasterChef?
It was a tough decision to make, but we worked it out together and decided that going for the competition was the best thing to do. Opportunities like this don’t come often – they’re once-in-a-lifetime – so Natalie was incredibly supportive and said ‘this chance won’t be here tomorrow’. But she will be!

Have you set the date yet?
No, not yet. I’m still in post-MasterChef mode, so we’re waiting for things to settle down before we go forward with making the plans. I’ll be involved in the plans just as much as her and we’ve decided simple and classy celebrations will work best for us.

Any plans to start a family?
I’m looking forward to starting a family later down the track, but we need to get married first!

What are your plans for the future?
I can chew gum and walk at the same time, so to speak, so I’m going to keep up with my commitments to music, as well as developing new tastes in the kitchen. Opening up a pasta restaurant and developing a line of pasta sauces has been a dream, but for now I’m looking forward to where my cooking can take me.

Do you have a message for the viewers?
To those who liked me and for those who didn’t like me, I’d say my favourite line throughout the competition: "Rock on!"

MasterChef airs Weeknights and Sundays, 7.30 pm, on Network Ten

For WHO Magazine's shoot and interview with the final six MasterChef contestants, see this week's issue, on sale Friday, July 16