MasterChef star Alvin reveals surprising career pivot after elimination

He became well known for his stylish eyewear throughout this year’s season of MasterChef, and now Alvin Quah has revealed that he’s planning on releasing his own collection of glasses.

Chatting with Yahoo Lifestyle following his elimination during Sunday night’s episode, the returning contestant shared details about his future plans and says that the exciting venture is certainly “a work in progress”.

“It’s something that I'm passionate about,” he explains. “Coming from a nerd from way back, I actually think that if you're going to wear glasses, you might as well make it stylish. So I am working on that.”

In addition to the eyewear, Alvin reveals that he’s currently planning on releasing his own recipe book.

“I think there is so much of Malaysia’s food history and my stories from my kitchen and my mum's kitchen that's worth telling, and I cannot wait to do that,” he adds.

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Speaking about returning to the MasterChef kitchen 12 years after coming in sixth place on season two, Alvin says it was “a privilege” being asked back.

“I was honoured to be asked,” he remarks. “I was battling with a lot of self-doubt about whether I was good enough to do it and if I should do it again. But to be considered, I was quite flattered.”

He also reveals that he was previously asked to appear on both All-Stars in 2012 and Back To Win in 2020, but said no to both opportunities.

“I wasn't ready and I was in a different sort of headspace,” he says. “I don't know what it was this time around, I guess enough time had passed that I thought ‘Okay, this is great. I can reinvent myself again’.”

‘It’s just crazy’

Alvin went on to describe season 14 as “a complete roller coaster”, despite the fact that he had mentally prepared himself for what to expect.

“You have your ups and your downs, but what made the show is the contestants, the crew who are lovely, the producers and the judges,” he details.

“The human aspect of the show made it really, really worthwhile. I mean, it is a competition, we’re all there to compete, but I've made some lifelong friends. And the crew were just beautiful people making this magical television. I just think it's wonderful.”

He also jokes that he can’t believe he came in sixth place for the second time after being sent home for his hawker-style oyster omelette.

“I can't get past the number six, it’s just crazy,” he laughs.

“This could just be me trying to console myself, but I think top six in this season is slightly better than top six in season two because it's been such an evolution of the show, people are stronger and the competition is steeper. So I’d like to think that I've improved.”

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