MELBOURNE: A 31-year-old media lawyer of Malaysian heritage Sunday night won the finale of Australia’s MasterChef to cook up massive ratings, making the reality show the most-watched, non-sporting event ever shown on Australian television.
WINNER: Liaw enjoying his moment of success when he won on Sunday the final of Australia’s Master Chef to cook up massive ratings, making the reality show the most-watched non-sporting event ever shown on Australian television. — Bernama photo
A peak of 4.348 million viewers across the nation tuned in to watch Adam Liaw, whose parents come from Malaysia, beat engineering student Callum Hann, 20, to win A$100,000 and a cookbook publishing deal.
The show attracted an audience of more than 5.7 million.
Last year’s finale at which a Malaysian-born Poh Ling Yeow, of Adelaide, was runner-up, was watched by 4.1 million.
Liaw, who was born in Adelaide, beat Hann with advanced food knowledge and tasting skills, claiming the win with a score 89 to Hann’s 82 out of a possible 100.
Judge Matt Preston said Liaw had won because he was ‘highly skilled’ and had an ‘intellectual approach to food’.
Liaw will now turn his thoughts to relocating to Australia after six years living in Tokyo as a media lawyer.
Dedicating his win to his grandmother, Chew Kwei-Eng, who was by his side shortly after his win last night, a tearful Liaw said her influence on his cooking was ‘enormous’.
“She’s been there for me throughout my entire life and she’s been a huge influence not just in my cooking but in everything,” he said.
He was joined on the set by his girlfriend of two years, Asami Fujitsuka, and father Dr Liaw Sia-Lin.
When growing up in Adelaide, there seemed little doubt that Liaw’s world would eventually centre around cooking.
“I first remember cooking when I was eight or nine and living with my mum and stepfather,” said Liaw, a young protege who completed Year 11 at age 14, enrolled in university, two years later and graduated as lawyer at 21.
“With my step-brothers and sisters, there were eight of us kids in the house and once a month, it would be the kids’ turn to make dinner.
“We moved around a bit when I was younger, like over to Malaysia, and there would always be some kind of food that I had loved — and wanted to cook — for the whole family.”
Liaw’s mum and step-father moved to New Zealand when he was 14, but he stayed in Adelaide where he lived at his grandmother’s home.
He lists her as a food inspiration, but it wasn’t until he was studying science and law at the University of Adelaide that it became a passion. — Bernama