She may be the original MasterChef Australia queen but it appears Julie Goodwin is a lil’ bit stressed about competing in the upcoming Foodies VS Favourites season.
13 years after her OG victory, the 51-year-old will step into the kitchen once again to battle it out against fellow MasterChef alums and a number of die-hard fans.
However, despite her successes, one very reliable insider has dished that Julie is quite “worried” about throwing on her apron again.
2012 winner and current judge Andy Allen revealed that the ever-changing food scene has the Queen of the Kitchen rattled.
“[Julie] won 13 years ago and she’s very aware of how the food scene has changed over those 13 years, partly to do with the success of MasterChef and how it brings food into everyone’s lounge room on a nightly basis,” he told Yahoo! Lifestyle.
“But then also, Julie’s gone out into the industry, she’s really just stuck to cooking honest home food.”
The judge added that there are “no bells and whistles” about Julie’s meals, which may come as a hindrance in the revamped competition.
“It’s not the technique-driven food that has kind of morphed into MasterChef over the last 13 years,” Andy said. “She’s very open about that.”
Julie Goodwin’s Return Is a “Special Experience”
Andy also revealed that Julie’s return sees a “powerful” conversation started about the foodie’s recent struggles with depression and anxiety.
“To see her open up and to see how raw and emotional she is about her past, I’ll never forget how powerful it was,” he recalled.
Andy continued: “Her journey over the past 13 years all adds up to why she’s actually come back on this show. She hasn’t just thought, ‘Oh well, I’m in my mid-50s, I suppose I’ll do it’.
“There’s so much that adds up to why Julie Goodwin is actually back on MasterChef, so it’s a pretty special experience.”
The mum-of-three previously opened up about her mental health battle, revealing in 2020 that she’d undergone treatment in a mental health facility for five weeks.
When Did Julie Goodwin Win MasterChef Australia?
In 2009, Julie was the first-ever contestant to be crowned the winner of MasterChef Australia.
She beat out fellow celebrity chef Poh Ling-Yeow in the finale, going on to host television and radio shows and write multiple cookbooks.
Julie was also featured in the inaugural Aussie series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2015.
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