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

EXCLUSIVE: Gareth Whitton spills on what viewers didn't get to see on TV.

Lachlan Guertin
·Senior Entertainment Reporter
Updated ·3-min read

Dessert Masters’ Gareth Whitton has revealed what really happened when the medics were called into the kitchen during Tuesday night’s grand finale.

At one point in the two-course service challenge, it appeared Gareth had accidentally cut his thumb while chopping rhubarb for his first dessert.

Dessert Masters’ Gareth Whitton with a bloody finger.
Dessert Masters’ Gareth Whitton has revealed the truth behind his medical emergency. Photos: Channel 10

The pastry chef has now called out the “cheeky edit”, telling Yahoo Lifestyle that the incident was actually very different in real life.

“On TV I was cutting rhubarb and then next thing I cut my hand and I was bleeding. But actually, I was de-moulding the entremet, the wattleseed and chocolate mouse,” he shares.

“When I froze them, in my haste there was a little bit of overspill of the mousse so it wasn’t a perfect disc, there was a bit of a foot around the bottom. So I just got a paring knife and I was using that to sort of trim the edge. I was holding the entremet like a woodworker whittling away the foot of the mousse.”

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Gareth explains that he’s not used to working with sharp knives as a pastry chef, but the utensils in the Dessert Masters kitchen were all brand new.

“I caught the edge of my thumb doing it, I must’ve hit a vessel, and blood went everywhere,” he recalls.

“There was no pain, I’m not squeamish, I don’t have a fear of blood or anything, none of that. I was just sort of like, right, I need there to be less blood because I can’t stop and deal with this now.

“So I was shoving gloves on there and everyone started noticing and yelling. And then I think because of OH&S purposes they pulled the nurse out and got me treated straight away, but I actually just wanted to be able to continue on with the cook without getting blood everywhere.”

Dessert Masters' Melissa Leong, Gareth Whitton and Amaury Guichon.
Gareth was announced as the first-ever winner of Dessert Masters. Photo: Channel 10

'Incredible'

Despite the brief disruption, Gareth was praised by judges Melissa Leong and Amaury Guichon for his “smart, solid cooking” in the challenge.

He received a score of 35/40, beating Reynold Poernomo’s 28 points and Jess Liemantara’s 27 points to become the first-ever winner of Dessert Masters.

“What it’s already done for my business has been incredible,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle following his win.

“We’ve seen such a spike in sales and we’re now being presented with new opportunities. I’m having this great opportunity to now launch myself as an individual brand on the side of the business, which is something I never really aspired to do.”

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Gareth adds that one of his biggest takeaways from the show is his close relationship with his fellow competitors.

“A lot of people who go on these reality shows always say the friendships are the biggest takeaway from it, which I always thought was a load of bulls**t if I’m being frank,” he laughs.

“But coming out of this now and seeing the relationships I have with these people is truly just the best thing ever, it’s just incredible. I've made some of the best friends I think I’ll ever have coming out of this.”

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