ELIMINATION 16 – THURSDAY 24th JUNE

Joanne Zalm

She has worn her heart on her sleeve during the series but no amount of heart could save Joanne Zalm tonight, with the mum-of-two becoming the 16th contestant eliminated from MasterChef Australia.

“When I was told I was going home, I was actually quite happy,” says Joanne. “For me it wasn’t depressing how I left; I left on a high note in London. I have faced some of my cooking fears on this show and it’s given me the confidence to walk away and say that I can do anything.”
It’s been a massive week of MasterChef, with the series travelling to culinary powerhouses of Britain and Paris. But it was au revoir from Joanne after landing in an elimination pressure test when she and Paris challenge teammate, Jonathan Daddia, failed to impress the judges while cooking on the banks of the Seine.

After the pair was deemed to be the least impressive in the challenge that saw the eight contestants dash across the English Channel in MasterChef’s most visually stunning challenge ever, they went head-to-head in London’s Michelin Star restaurant The Ledbury.

“I was horrified when I saw the pigeon,” admits Joanne. “I’m quite squirmish and I don’t like to see dead things. The first thing I thought of when I saw the pigeon was that ‘oh no, they’re going to make us break down the bird and I’m going to have to cut its head off.’

“I was quite scared and terrified, especially when you’re in a restaurant like The Ledbury, but I thought that if I’m going to do it, then I’ve got to give it all I’ve got. The whole point of me coming onto MasterChef was to give everything a try, so I put up my family photo in the kitchen and looking at them reminded me why I was in the show. After a while my confidence started to build and I thought I had a chance.”

The pressure test was the battle of the eliminators, with this being Jonathan’s seventh time staring down elimination, and Joanne’s sixth time. But any contestant that’s gone up against Jonathan in an elimination round can attest that it’s a hard ask to beat him. However, being known as The Eliminator has left Jonathan fearing he’s become a marked man.

“I might have the reputation as being known as the eliminator and it might put a bit of fear in the other contestants,” admits Jonathan. “But at the same time it could also mean it’s a big victory if you’re the person who knocks me out.”

Unfortunately for Joanne, however, she just couldn’t land a fatal blow to Jonathan, and her dish – though praised by the judges – had some faults, including an undercooked onion tart and overcooked winglets.

“When you reach the top eight, everyone is such a good cook and gives it a go but someone has to leave,” says Joanne. “And the judges decided it was my time, but I’m happy and proud of what I’ve achieved.”

Now back at home in Sydney with her husband Richard and daughters Faith, six-years-old, and three-year-old Archella, Joanne looks back fondly on her time on MasterChef Australia.
“Being part of MasterChef has been amazing,” she says. “My daughters are so proud of me and they love seeing the opening credits of the show. They wait for it and jump and up and down when they see me. Both of them have been cooking with me – we’ve made heaps of meals together since I’ve been home.

“My husband’s chuffed to have me at home again. He lost a bit of weight while I was away and I think their range of meals have expanded since I’ve got home!”

The down-to-earth mum has polarised viewers throughout the series, but she is quick to shrug off any personal jibes.

“Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion,” she says. “I’m loved by my family, my husband, my daughters and my friends. And that’s all that matters at the end of the day. I’ve had lots of good feedback in the street and people are generally lovely and really interested in the show.”
While Joanne has slipped comfortably back into domestic bliss, her world will never be the same. She is keen to follow her food dreams and is working towards reaching them.

“I’m just keeping it real at the moment, take it for what it is, and not get ahead of myself,” she says. “My long term goal is to work for a magazine, developing recipes and getting into food styling.

“I’d like to do a few things as opposed to concentrating on one thing – and I really want to continue learning about cooking. Just because the competition has finished for me, doesn’t mean I need to stop learning, and I’m planning on doing work experience in various restaurants just to get more knowledge.

“I’d also love to do cooking demonstrations at a cooking school. Teaching people how to cook would be wonderful and a dream come true.”