Being on MasterChef Australia this year is different in many ways for Poh Ling Yeow. The 50-year-old has returned to the cooking series as a judge after finishing as runner-up in 2009 and appearing in the all-stars Back To Win season in 2020.
Not only is she now tasting the delicious dishes and imparting wisdom to the contestants, but she’s strengthening her connection with viewers as a beloved household name. Besides her critiques of the food and entertaining expressions, audiences are also enjoying Yeow’s experimentation with different fashion – something she herself says is a form of self-expression.
“I love fashion, I do a lot of vintage because it's just a habit from being back in our uni days and not being able to afford anything,” she laughs during an interview with Missing Perspectives. “I've always had this habit of being creative with not much.”
Yeow’s only dabbled in more high-end-style fashion in recent years, saying she prefers to buy pieces that are “classic and effortless”.
“It’s been so fun to play dress ups and also to wear things that I probably might not wear normally. It does express a different side to me,” she adds.
Yeow also praises the show’s resident stylist, Charmaine De Pasquale, who has been across the MasterChef star’s sense of personal style since her previous guest judge appearances in recent years.
“She just gets me and she's a really creative stylist, but she's also very respectful of your personal style.”
Following last night’s premiere episode, several fans took to social media to share their thoughts about Yeow’s on-screen style.
“Poh's stylist is doing a good job so far!” one person wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), while another gave props to her accessorising by writing, “Magnificent earrings from Poh tonight”.
Poh's stylist is doing a good job so far! #MasterChefAU
— Simples 💕 (@seemasvarma) April 22, 2024
Magnificent earrings from Poh tonight #MasterChefAU
— Mandy Cheevers 💉💉💉💉💉 (@MandyCheevers) April 22, 2024
Love Poh's dress! #MasterChefAU
— MRB - mrenb7.bsky.social (@mrenb7) April 22, 2024
Above all else, Yeow’s fashion is also a way to connect with her late mother.
“It’s actually the thing that has made me miss my mum so much more because mum loved fashion,” she tells us. “Every day I wish I could send her a text and show her what I was wearing because she would just love it so much.”
Yeow joins the show in 2024 alongside fellow first-time MasterChef Australia judges, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli, as well as Andy Allen who’s been a judge since 2020. The new panel comes after previous judge Jock Zonfrillo’s death last year, and Melissa Leong’s departure to focus on the MasterChef: Dessert Masters spin-off and other creative projects.
In addition to the regular judging panel, every season features a lineup of well-known celebrity chefs who either do cooking demonstrations, set creative challenges or appear as guest judges.This year’s guest judges include Anna Polyviou, Jamie Oliver, Mikiko Terasaki and Vincent Yeow Lim (AKA DimSimLim).
In 2024, 22 home cooks will go head-to-head in the kitchen for a chance to win $250,000 in prize money. They are Alex Crisp, Darrsh Clarke, David Tan, Gillian Dinh, Harry Butterfield, James Holmes, Jonathan Hooper, Josh Clarke, Josh Perry, Juan De La Cruz Torales Villarreal, Khristian Walker, Lachlan Whittle, Lily Davies, Lourdes Leschen, Mimi Wong, Nat Thaipun, Savindri Perera, Snezana Calic, Steph Griffen, Stephen Dennis, Sue Bazely and Sumeet Saigal.
MasterChef Australia 2024 coninues at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10 Play.
Jean-Christophe Novelli, Jamie Oliver, Sofia Levin, Poh Ling Yeow and Andy Allen on MasterChef Australia 2024. Photo: Channel 10