MasterChef Australia’s YoYo Yang becomes the second contestant to be eliminated from the competition after failing to recreate Nigella Lawson’s iconic marshmallow and rhubarb cake
YoYo Yang became the second contestant to be booted out of MasterChef Australia on Sunday night.
The 19-year-old, from South Australia, failed to wow the judges after British chef Nigella Lawson tasked her with recreating her iconic toasted marshmallow and rhubarb cake from description alone.
Medical student YoYo looked visibly upset as judge Melissa Leong delivered the news, saying: ‘I’m so sorry, but you are leaving us today. It’s such a shame, but the food world is at your doorstep.’
Another one bites the dust: YoYo Yang became the second contestant to be eliminated from MasterChef Australia on Sunday night, after being in the bottom two with Conor Curran (both pictured)
Yoyo replied: ‘It’s been a short but very sweet time. I’m not sad about leaving the kitchen, I’m sad about leaving you guys.’
As her fellow contestants wiped tears from their eyes, she added: ‘I hope I get to see every one of your smiling faces in the future.’
The judges – Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo – then enthusiastically cheered on YoYo as she left the building.
Speaking to the camera after her departure, YoYo added: ‘I’m very disappointed that it’s ended, but my overall MasterChef experience was short, sharp and shiny.
‘I’m very proud that I put something up today and I was able to persevere.
Farewell: The judges – Andy Allen, Melissa Leong and Jock Zonfrillo – enthusiastically cheered on YoYo as she left the building
Farewell: Speaking to the camera after her departure, YoYo added: ‘I’m very disappointed that it’s ended, but my overall MasterChef experience was short, sharp and shiny’
‘It just really emphasises the point that even though some things might go wrong along the way, you’ve just got to keep pushing through until the very end and just don’t give up.’
After a cutthroat cooking task earlier in the episode, the bottom five were given one last chance to determine who would be going home.
They faced the incredibly difficult challenge of attempting to cook a cake from Nigella’s description alone – but YoYo failed to find the right balance with her finished product.
‘There’s not much positive to say about it. It’s not holding it’s shape. The rhubarb is very… under.’ Andy Allen said upon tasting the dish.
Final words: ‘It just really emphasises the point that even though some things might go wrong along the way, you’ve just got to keep pushing through until the very end and just don’t give up,’ she added
Nigella – who video-called in live from London for the show’s Superstars Week – first introduced a task in which the contestants were asked to identify the ingredients to 18 types of biscuit in 15 minutes.
The five who identified the least – YoYo, Conor Curran, Brent Draper, Maja Veit, and Tom Levick – then had to bake Nigella’s beloved cake from scratch.
Prior to YoYo’s departure, Trent Vu was the first contestant to be eliminated on Thursday night.
Gone: Trent Vu (pictured) was the first contestant to be eliminated on Thursday
This year’s Superstars Week will also welcome a host of other internationally renown chefs, including Yotam Ottolenghi, Massimo Bottura and Clare Smyth.
Last year Nigella and Heston Blumenthal were forced to miss out on their scheduled appearances due to coronavirus travel restrictions and border closures.
Gordon Ramsay, Curtis Stone and pregnant popstar Katy Perry were able to film separate segments before Australia shut its borders in early 2020.
MasterChef continues Monday at 7.30pm on Channel 10
The Queen has arrived: On Sunday, Nigella introduced a task in which the contestants were asked to identify the ingredients to 18 different types of biscuit in 15 minutes, before having to recreate her favourite cake