Series 6 contestants

Find out more about the latest batch of MasterChef Australia hopefuls.

of 24

Amy Shields ? Age 37, Learning Systems Admin

Born in Johannesburg, Amy moved to Perth when she was 24.

In 2005, she faced one of the biggest hurdles in life after being diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. She fought hard and is now in remission and trying for a baby with husband Craig.

Having forged a career in Learning and Development, Amy thinks now is the time to pursue her passion for food and test her skills in the MasterChef Australia kitchen.

Amy describes her cooking style as homely and nurturing, with a focus on flavour. She loves cooking for Craig, who will often reject the idea of going out for a meal when he "can eat better at home".
Ben Macdonald ? Age 36, IT Systems Consultant

Ben grew up two hours north of Auckland, where he was a hands-on helper on his grandparents? farm.

Having lost his dad in 2009 to a sudden heart attack, Ben says it is his father who inspires him in the kitchen.

?One of the reasons I love to cook so much is it makes me think about good times with Dad ? my passion for food is one that he instilled in me.?

Ben's love of food intensified after he travelled to almost 100 countries including India, Thailand, Morocco, Egypt, Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Japan, Costa Rica and more. Along the way he enjoyed street food, fine dining and everything between.
Brendan Langfield ? Age 26, Retail Manager

Brisbane-based Brendan Langfield knows a thing or two about being in the limelight as he has spent a good deal of his life behind a bass guitar in pop-rock band Finabah.

Brendan credits his dad, Michael, with inspiring in him a love of cooking that stretches back to childhood. ?Food is what brings us together and always will,? says Brendan.

His father gave up a career in cookery to be a stay-at-home dad when Brendan was young and the two have shared lots of time in the kitchen.

Brendan sees a lot of similarities between music and food, he says: ?Both involve combining ingredients to give something to someone you love.?
Brent Owens ? Age 24, Bobcat Driver

Describing himself as a bad boy turned good, Brent might have a tough exterior, but he's a big softie at heart and maybe even a bit of a nerd deep down.

He lives with Madison, his girlfriend of six years, and enjoys trying to impress her with his creations. It was in fact Madison's influence which has brought Brent to the competition as the two made a pact that if he auditioned for MasterChef Australia, then she would audition for Australia's Next Top Model.

A completely self-taught cook, Brent became interested in cooking at age 16. When he gets behind the stove, he's all about big flavours. While he respects the origins of a dish, he also likes to deconstruct them, to shake it up, to modernise it.

Brent's idols include Jamie Oliver and the self-taught Heston Blumenthal and he would love to make his own travel series for TV, showing off global destinations, food cultures and traditions.
Byron Finnerty ? Age 27, Deckhand

Having spent the past two years travelling the world as a deckhand on a super yacht, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Owen Wilson, Byron has now turned his back on the high seas for his toughest challenge yet.

The Vermont South-based budding chef says his mother Bernadette is his inspiration in the kitchen and credits her for his love of health-conscious cooking.

A surf-loving nomad, Byron headed off on his travels in 2006 and embarked on a series of adventures including modelling work in Thailand and volunteering as a fire-fighter in Guatemala.

It was while working on the yacht that Byron's passion for the kitchen came into focus and, despite being talked out of a career in food by a careers counsellor, he is now ready to follow his dream.
Colin Sheppard ? Age 51, Winemaker

Ten years ago, Colin swapped the building trade for the winemaking business when he made an impulse decision and bought a vineyard.

He now makes wine under his own label and has won many awards - his 2008 Shiraz was voted seventh best in the world by one wine magazine.

It's such hard work that Colin hasn't had a holiday in nine years, but he says: ?When you've got the best view in the world, it's a hard place to leave.?

He yearns to combine his skill and passion for wine with that of food and he would love to open a restaurant at the vineyard.
Deepali Behar ? Age 30, Dentist

Hailing from Wigan in the UK, Deepali moved to Australia four years ago with her then boyfriend.

It was after the move that Deepali became serious about her cooking as it was a way to recreate her mum's much-loved home-cooked flavours.

While Deepali says husband Jordan is the ?guinea pig? for her food, she also loves to cook for friends and says: ?You've got to cook with love, if you are in a bad mood, it won't taste the same.?

Deepali's dream is to open a restaurant featuring delicious Indian food influenced by her Gujarati heritage and she would love her mum to be a part of it.
Emelia Jackson ? Age 24, Marketing Coordinator

Emelia ? aka the Dessert Queen ? was encouraged in the kitchen from an early age but it was an accident at the age of 14 that she credits with inspiring her love of cooking.

After being hit by a car, a badly injured Emelia had to endure years of rehabilitation, during which time she watched a multitude of cooking shows that would eventually lead her to MasterChef.

Despite studying psychology at university, it was always Emelia's intention to have a career in the food industry and she spent a six month holiday to Europe and the US researching the opposition.

Her dream is to open a café called Jackson & Friends, with a menu based on family and friends? favourite dishes and she also has an online dessert buffet and catering business in her five-year plan.
Emily Loo ? Age 31, Resort Sales Coordinator

Born in Borneo, Emily's Malaysian-Chinese heritage brings with it plenty of flavour and she is known as the Spice Queen among her friends.

Her journey towards a future in food hasn't been straightforward as she was bullied at school and found comfort in a cookbook which her aunt bought for her.

Ever since, Emily has lived and breathed cooking and says she learnt techniques by observing her mother and aunt in the kitchen.

She said: ?They are my inspiration and the people who have bought me so much joy and knowledge in supporting me and teaching me how to cook.?
Georgia Hughes ? Age 18, Physiotherapy Student

Having completed one year of her degree, Georgia has sacrificed her place on the course to follow her passion for food.

The budding chef recently catered for 100 guests at her grandparents' 70th birthday celebration and enjoys the challenge of creating macaroon towers for friends and family.

At primary school she won multiple first place ribbons in cooking competitions and her current part-time job working for a chocolatier has focussed her passion for chocolate and patisserie.

Georgia describes her cooking style as fresh and healthy and loves creative presentation of classic flavours. She adores preparing desserts and nominates chocolate as her favourite ingredient.
Jamie Fleming ? Age 25, Bar Tender

Jamie decided he wanted to be a chef aged six after being mesmerised by the kitchen prep in a family friend's restaurant.

After finishing school, Jamie lived in New Zealand for three years and has also spent time in Nepal and India.

He started working in the hospitality industry after returning to Australia and has worked his way up as a bar tender.

With a young daughter and another baby on the way, he hopes that he can win MasterChef to secure a good life for his family.

His ambition is to marry his passions for cooking and cocktails by opening his own business in Sydney.
Kira Westwick ? Age 31, Nutritional Coach

Mum-of-two Kira runs two health and fitness studios on the Gold Coast with husband Adam.

She's also an accomplished cook, focusing on healthy and nutritious ingredients and often incorporating raw food.

Kira loves preparing wholesome food, making it colourful, tasty and fun and her favourite cuisines include Mexican, Thai and Spanish.

She shies away from cooking with processed foods, oils, fats or sugars, and admits this could prove a challenge in the MasterChef kitchen.

She says: ?My passion is to create food that nourishes the body, mind and soul in unity. None of these should be neglected or separated when it comes to food.?
Laura Cassai ? Age 18, Health Science Student

Laura lives, breathes and dreams food.

With a rich Italian heritage, she grew up under the watchful eyes of her nonna Maria and nonna Rosa and her early memories include sliding a chair up to the bench and standing on it to help mix the pasta dough.

Her connection to her Italian roots strengthened as a child when the family lived in Tuscany for two years and she believes that cooking is in her blood.

Laura's food heroes include Jamie Oliver and Antonio Carluccio and she would love to open an Italian style café or dessert bar near the beach.
Nick Doyle ? Age 22, Law Student

At 6ft 4, Nick is a gentle giant.

Over the past year his attitude to food has changed as he has lost an impressive eight stone in eight months through diet and exercise.

He says he loves that food is ever changing and evolving, adding: ?Food is all about sharing and happiness and that is what I?m all about. It gives me such a sense of contentment and achievement."

His ambition is to publish a cookbook and he is already penning a novel.
Nicole Cleave ? Age 55, Inflight Manager

The eldest contestant in this year's series, Nicole is originally from Middlesex.

She became a flight attendant when she was 18 and moved to Sydney in 1988 to marry her long-distance partner.

These days cooking has become an obsessive hobby and she loves entertaining guests, saying: ?I think about produce, ingredients and cooking almost all the time. I like encouraging people and getting them excited about cooking.?

Her inspirations include MasterChef guest judge Kylie Kwong and her ambition is to open an Asian fusion catering company.
Rachael Ciesiolka ? Age 45, Data Manager

A tough character with a can-do attitude, Rachael has lived all over Australia, thanks to her father and husband's work: mines in the west, railways in the Territory and then Queensland for the Australian Army Corp and Royal Australian Air Force. By her count, she has lived in 24 different towns.

A family illness several years ago made Rachael and her husband re-evaluate their priorities and realise what really matters.

For Rachael, this is food and she loves whipping up impromptu feasts for big groups of friends and family.

She hates waste in the kitchen and her food heroes include Rick Stein as she admires his commitment to food ethics and sustainability.
Renae Smith ? Age 30, Brand Developer

Renae Smith lives by these simple words: ?If it doesn't make you happy then don't do it.?

After successfully building up a national legal assistance firm, Renae opted for a new career path and launched her own events, PR and brand strategy business last year.

She loves eating out with her daughters who are 100 per cent behind her MasterChef Australia bid.

Renae would love to open a unique café, as well as a healthy cooking school for kids and says: ?I don't need accolades or fancy restaurants. I just want to do what makes me happy: to cook for a good cause, give back and share my food.?
Sam Gant ? Age 26, Kids Wear Designer

Fashion designer Sam Gant grew up on a farm by the coast where she was able to indulge her love of both the water and the outdoors.

She pursued her career in fashion from the moment she left school and at 21 travelled and moved to Berlin, where she opened her own small clothing business.

Although she enjoys her current job as designer for a major chain store, she believes her love of food could be more than just a hobby and feels ready to push herself towards this new path.

Her cooking style is rustic, warm and spontaneous and a recent triumph was her best friend's 30th birthday where she cooked a whole pig.
Sarah Todd ? Age 27, Model

Fresh from traveling the world on glamorous modelling assignments, Sarah arrives on MasterChef with a point to prove and a new future to create.

Sarah was signed by a modelling agency at 18 and moved to Sydney to pursue her career. The past 10 years have seen her modelling on runways and shooting countless photo spreads for editorial and advertising campaigns.

Becoming a mother in 2011 made Sarah contemplate values in life. She says: ?I have realised my passion and that I want to pursue it and create a career in the food industry.?

With a vision of becoming a world-class chef, ultimately with her own restaurant, Sarah wants to lift the ratio of female chefs in the culinary world.
Scott Yeoman ? Age 32, Carpenter

Scott has had to put his career as a carpenter on hold several times due to torn discs in his back, a broken ankle and even a none-cancerous tumour on his foot.

The upside of his illnesses was that he watched hours and hours of cooking shows that awakened the budding chef within.

He says of the time: ?Sometimes bad things need to happen to realise your true passions in life.?

A self-taught cook and a quick learner, Scott loves nothing more than cooking for friends and housemates. He relaxes by playing both guitar and drums.
Sean Baxter ? Age 31, Brand Manager

Having grown up on a cattle farm, Sean learned to appreciate fresh produce at an early age and remembers making biscuits with his mum when he was just three-years-old.

His current job, working for an alcohol company, sees him judging cocktail competitions and he admits it is a dream come true.

Sean's own cocktail skills see him mixing with the likes of dry ice and liquid nitrogen and he is hoping to trial some of these techniques on the show.

If he could cook for anyone in the world, it would be the Celtic football team just before they take to the pitch for a European Champions League match. He says: ?I would die the happiest man in the world.?
Steven Peh ? Age 20, Commerce Student

Steven has seen some of the world's finest food thanks to his job as a waiter at Nobu in Perth.

His work at the top class restaurant has proved to be a real inspiration, igniting his creativity and excitement when it comes to food. But it's a passion that extends back to memories of his mum's home cooked meals.

Extra learning online has helped Steven develop his skills and it's within the past year that he has really thrown himself into the kitchen with gusto.

Even though he's studying commerce, Steven has realised that a future in finance isn't where his heart lies. He says: ?I feel as though food is my calling.?
Tash Shan ? Age 27, Social Media Manager

Born in Malaysia, Tash moved to Melbourne aged 19 to pursue a double degree in Law/Communications.

Her Chinese-Indian heritage meant that she was surrounded by big flavours growing up and special occasions always meant lots of food and the extended family laughing and exchanging stories around a shared table.

Fiercely competitive, Tash describes herself as a perfectionist and a food geek who throws regular dinner parties. Since 2012 Tash has also penned a food blog for which she cooks, reviews, styles and photographs food for a growing audience of fans.

Dubbing her cooking style as classics with a little twist, Tash's food has a strong Asian influence and her favourite thing to cook is dessert. She says: ?I've never met anyone who doesn't like dessert and even if I did, I?m not sure I'd trust them.?
Tracy Collins ? Age 38, Hairdresser

Tracy is an award-winning hair stylist and was named among the Top 10 colourists in Australia by Harper's Bazaar in 2012.

Cooking since she was eight-years-old, Tracy is self-taught and freely admits that her mum was a terrible cook whose idea of a meat timer was the smoke alarm.

Tracy dreams of opening a communal eating house that blurs the lines between restaurant and café, focusing on honest food, shared plates and bringing people together.

But she won't be stopping there as she envisages multiple food businesses, plus a range of products and cookbooks.