MasterChef star wanted to quit halfway through the competition

When the coronavirus pandemic struck partway through MasterChef's filming earlier this year, one contestant was ready to pack his bags and return home.

Callum Hann has revealed that when he was faced with potentially being away from his wife Chrystal and their baby girl Elle for what could have been many weeks, he seriously reconsidered his spot on MasterChef.

Speaking with TV Week, Callum explained that he was shooting the show in Melbourne and his family were in Adelaide with South Australia looking to close borders, making it impossible for him to visit his family.

"It was really difficult," he said. "When the South Australian border looked like closing, I had to really think about what I was going to do. I couldn't face being separated from Chrystal and Elle for weeks."

Without the pandemic, it was already a huge decision for Callum to return to the show, so throwing that into the mix made things very difficult.

"I love being a dad – it's such a special time," he said, adding, "I take the competition very seriously, but there's more to life than cooking."

Because missing out on his daughter's early milestones was a non-negotiable for Callum, his wife and daughter rushed to Melbourne and stayed at his hotel room while he was filming.

"We were given special permission to be together so I could stay in the show," Callum explains. "That was a big part in me being able to carry on."

Callum, who won MasterChef All-Stars in 2012, is hoping to take out first place once again.

"The major threats are Reynold and Laura," he told the publication. "But because it's All Stars, anyone would be a deserving winner. I'm just glad I'm still here to have a shot."

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