MasterChef Australia star shares heartbreaking life update: 'Profound, transcendent love'

MasterChef Australia judge Sofia Levin has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her father Greg after he passed away on July 8. Sofia has posted over the years about her beloved dad's battle with motor neuron disease since he was diagnosed in January of 2022.

Sofia shared a carousel of sweet photos of herself and Greg alongside a stunning photo of her parents on their wedding day. In a lengthy and beautifully written caption, the food critic described what an amazing man her dad had been and how lucky she felt to have been his daughter.

"Five days without the best person I’ve ever known. The burden of enormous love is that when someone dies, the sorrow is proportional," she wrote.

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"Our family has never missed an 'I love you' or left anything unsaid. Despite dad’s MND diagnosis in January 2022, we have travelled, laughed and held each other tightly. I feel indescribably lucky to have had 34 years of Greg as my father. We shared more than most could ever dream of in twice that. Lots of people think they have the best dad or the best husband; the difference with our family is that everyone else thought that about Greg, too."

Sofia also described a conversation she and her family had enjoyed a few months earlier where they were taking turns to reveal who they would most like to come back as if they passed away.

"When it came to dad’s turn, he said without hesitation, from his wheelchair, 'I’d come back as me'. The hardest part about dad not being here is that we know how much he loved his life," she wrote. "He didn’t believe in heaven, but in his memoir, published just before he died, he wrote: 'My family and my friends, that’s heaven for me.' He was our heaven, too.

"I wrote this the day after he died in hospital with his soulmate by his side, showing the kind of bravery no one should ever have to bear."

She concluded the post with a poem that read, in part, "If in the days and years to come I am recognised as Greg’s daughter I hope it is in his effortless calm, embodied kindness and profound, transcendent love."

Sofia's touching tribute to her late dad was flooded with messages of sympathy and support, including from several MasterChef contestants.

"So sorry for your loss Sofia, sending lots of love ❤️," wrote Mimi Wong.

"Oh Sofia. Loss is never easy. Sending you so much love and hugs xoxo," added Lachlan Whittle.

"So sorry Sofia my Dad passed away this week 2 years ago and it’s still very raw and even more that you’re Dad was just 4 years older than me too soon ❤️," wrote Steve Dennis.

Sofia also received messages of condolence from her fellow judges with Jean-Christophe Novelli writing, "Sofia, we are sending our heartfelt condolences to you and your family and lots of love to you all at this difficult time 💔."

Andy Allen also shared his support, simply posting, "❤️❤️❤️."

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