Julie Goodwin makes her grand return to TV's favourite kitchen
he wait is over and Masterchef has finally delivered, complete with weird and wonderful dishes, emotional moments on screen and of course, spirited pep talks.
Featuring 12 MasterChef superfans and 12 past legends this season, Monday night’s premiere notably saw the return of Julie Goodwin - 2009's talented winner.
The pressure of measuring up against a new crop of contestants was not lost on Julie at all, who was a nervous wreck for much of the episode - complete with slicing her finger as her hands shook uncontrollably during the cook for a coveted week one Immunity Pin.
Fans on social media were surprised to see her in such a frazzled state, tweeting their appreciation for Julie during the episode.
Poor Julie, she doesn't believe in her abilities, I just want to give her a hug 😭 #MasterChefAU
— JEMMY (@jaamie0504) April 18, 2022
Aww Julie's so nervous. Someone give her a damn hug 😭 #MasterChefAU
— ... (@DaydreamerAus) April 18, 2022
I thought it would feel nice but I didn’t anticipate it would feel this special. Welcome back into our homes Julie #MasterchefAU
— Franko (@_thebruz) April 18, 2022
Admitting she felt “intimidated” by the new generation of home cooks, the mum of three stuck with family style cooking for the first challenge, creating a delicious Lebanese feast.
Reflecting on her first MasterChef journey over a decade ago, Goodwin was doubtful her style of cooking would be a worthy match for the new comers.
“One of our first skills challenges was chopping onions … You think about the things that they’re doing now, it’s just insane,” she told producers.
“The standard of cooking has gone through the roof.”
Noticeably anxious while presenting her dish to the judges, Julie admitted of the first cook: “I loved it and I felt that fantastic adrenaline rush, but also those nerves man, they just came back like no time had passed at all.”
On tasting her dish, Jock, one of the judges, quelled her fears with encouragement.
“I feel that you think that because you are the OG and you were the winner from such a long time ago, that you feel as if you’re not at the standard of the years that have come after you,” he mused.
“You’re not an OG, you’re a winner. But what you are, most importantly, is a classic, and classics never get old. Classics are very hard to beat,” he said.
“Julie, you have every bit as much chance of your name on that trophy again, and with food that tastes that good, and looks that good, I’m banking on it.”
Image: Instagram