Dessert Masters' Emelia Jackson teases major on-screen meltdown: 'Pure panic'

With this year’s season of MasterChef Australia done and dusted, viewers are now eagerly awaiting the return of the show’s popular spin-off Dessert Masters. The series, which features Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon on the judging panel, stars 10 of the country’s best pastry chefs competing for the culinary crown and $100,000.

Channel 10 has so far revealed that the season two cast includes Darren Purchese, Katherine Sabbath, two-time MasterChef contestant Reece Hignell, and former MasterChef champion Emelia Jackson. While Emelia turned down a spot in the competition last year because filming kicked off on the same day she was due to give birth to her second child, she tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she instantly said yes when she got the call from producers this time around.

“I knew they were going to call me back, I just didn't know when,” she shares. “And then also, I didn't know if I was ready to actually launch myself into that chaos again. So I was like, if I don't get the phone call, is that a bad thing? If I do get the phone call, I'm obviously going to say yes. So I was unsure about the whole thing and very nervous about it.”

RELATED:

• Dessert Masters star speaks out about 'illegal' ingredient used on the show

• Dessert Masters star reveals truth behind medical emergency: 'Cheeky edit'

• Dessert Masters' Kirsten Tibballs reveals truth behind 'heartbreaking' disaster

Despite competing in the MasterChef kitchen twice before and winning the title in 2020 for the show’s ‘Back To Win’ series, Emelia admits she found Dessert Masters “really, really challenging”.

“I'm not sure how much of it they're going to show on TV, but I had a little bit of a freak out during the very first cook,” she details. “I don't know what it was. I was mentally preparing myself going into it and in my head I was kind of like, I've done this so much, I'm just going to go in there, have fun, get it done and go home. And the very first cook took me straight back to the feeling of the grand finale of ‘Back To Win’.

“It just felt really overwhelming to me, like, pure panic. And then I kind of found my feet after that. I had my meltdown very early on, and then I was like, okay, this is muscle memory now, I know this, I can do this.”

Emelia spills on 'ridiculous' cast

Emelia also teases that the standard of desserts in season two is “elite” and the cast is a “really great mix of talented people”.

“I think people looked at me and were like, ‘This girl knows what she's doing’ because I had competed in that kitchen before,” she says. “But for me personally, I was looking at all the competition going, there's no way I can take on any of these people. Walking in with Darren Purchese I was like, ‘This is ridiculous’.

“I actually can't wait to watch it because when you're cooking, you're so focused on what you're doing and battling the clock and trying to do really well personally. So I really didn't get to see anyone's desserts other than a fleeting moment of them being walked past to be presented to the judges. So I'm really excited to watch it as well.”

SHOP:

• The simple ingredient that will keep you warm all winter long

• The nutritious and dairy-free snack option perfect for fussy eaters

• Fan favourite chicken restaurant offering 20% off meals

Outside of Dessert Masters, Emelia is set to release her second book 'All About Cookies' on October 31 and will appear at The Good Food & Wine Show in Perth this weekend, 19-21 July.

"The Good Food & Wine Festival is one of my favourite food festivals in Australia,” she remarks. “I'm going to be doing some savoury cooking which is fun because I don't get to do too much of that to the public anymore and I’ll be doing book signings. There’s so much going on and I'm very excited to meet everyone.”

Learn more about Perth’s Good Food & Wine Show here.

Want the latest celebrity news? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.