MasterChef Laura Sharrad breaks down in tears after fan backlash gets to her

Laura Sharrad broke down in tears after wowing the judges with her stunning tortellini dish on MasterChef.  

Over the weeks, the 24-year-old – who owns a pasta restaurant in Adelaide – steered clear of serving up pasta dishes after copping intense criticism from viewers for being a ‘one-trick pony.’  

But after returning to what she knew best on Monday night’s episode, Laura welled up with emotion as she revealed the pasta dish took her back to her childhood, as it was what her ‘Nonna used to make for her.’  

Laura revealed: ‘I haven’t put up a pasta dish in a long time in this competition. I made lots of pasta at the beginning of the competition and then I decided to push myself using different techniques and skills.

‘But I felt like today was the day. This dish is a childhood memory for me. It was the perfect time to pull it out. So, when my Nonna used to make this dish for us, I think it was my favourite thing. 

Detailing the importance of the dish further, Laura explained: ‘It was just like the best hug you could ever get. That’s what I want to do today.’

She continued: ‘This is my childhood, and it’s getting me all emotional … Happy emotions, you know? Brings back nice memories.’

Judge Andy Allen asked Laura why they hadn’t seen a pasta dish from her in a ‘long, long time’

Laura responded: ‘I spent two years as a kid living in Tuscany… I’m gonna [sic] get all emotional.’    

Taking to Twitter, impressed viewers also leapt to the defence of Laura following her weeks of backlash. 

One said: ‘People are so ridiculously harsh about Laura, why are you so angry she made pasta? And why does it bother you that she has an emotional origin sorry for her dish? Move on guys, she’s a human being with feelings and she’s a damn talented chef. #MasterChefAU.’

Another viewer said: ‘I just don’t understand all the Laura hate. She’s human. She has feelings. Leave her alone keyboard warriors. #MasterChefAU.’

A fan also tweeted: ‘These Laura haters better see what their trolling has done to her. Those tears are because she’s been unnecessarily bullied for being great at her job! Laura we all know your an absolute legend and a gun chef whether it’s pasta or #NotPasta.’ 

Last month, Laura responded to viewers accusing her of cooking too much pasta, telling TV WEEK: ‘We’ve all got our specialities. And I do own a pasta restaurant so it would be weird if I didn’t cook pasta on the show.’

This comes after Chris Badenoch told News.com.au that the criticism levelled against Laura this season for focusing on pasta was unfair because several other cooks were also making the same types of dishes over and over again.

‘Poor Laura’s copping it and I don’t understand it. I don’t understand why people decide to pick on certain individuals on a certain topic when others are guilty of the same thing,’ he said.

Chris argued that the backlash against Laura was ridiculous, saying: ‘She owns a f**king pasta restaurant, of course she’s going to do pasta! It’s what she’s best at and if she can do it, she will.’  

‘I don’t know why people are giving [Laura] a hard time.’

Another eliminated contestant, Hayden Quinn, also defended Laura from her pasta critics. 

He tweeted: ‘My opinion is you should think before you tweet sometimes. These are real people, with real feelings and real lives. Just because they are on TV doesn’t mean you need to take them down.’

Laura and her husband, fellow chef Max Sharrad, opened their own Italian restaurant, Nido, in Adelaide’s Hyde Park last year.

The couple had met in 2015 while working in the kitchen at Jock Zonfrillo’s Orana restaurant.  

They got engaged in 2017 and tied the knot in the Barossa Valley the following year.