Billie McKay (born 11 July 1991) is an Australian cook, known for winning the seventh series and the fourteenth series of MasterChef Australia.
Billie McKay | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 July 1991 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Television cook |
| Predecessor | Brent Owens (series 6) Justin Narayan (series 13) |
| Successor | Elena Duggan |
| Spouse | Haydn Suridge[1] |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Winner, MasterChef Australia 2015 , 2022 |
Early life
McKay was raised on a dairy farm in Bowraville, New South Wales[2] and attended Macksville High School.[3] Prior to competing on MasterChef, she was a restaurant manager in Ballina, New South Wales.[4]
Career
She is best known as the winner of the seventh series of MasterChef Australia. Her prizes included $250,000, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and a monthly column in Delicious., an Australian food magazine. Following the final, guest judge Heston Blumenthal offered her a job at his restaurant The Fat Duck,[5] which she accepted.
In 2019, McKay returned to MasterChef Australia's eleventh series as a mentor, sharing the position with season eight runner-up Matt Sinclair and the first series' runner up, Poh Ling Yeow.[6]
In 2022, McKay returned to compete on the show's fourteenth season, which featured a mix of returning contestants and new contenders. She won the title for the second time defeating Sarah Todd in the Grand Finale.
References
- ^ "Billie McKay". popsugar.com.au. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Ramsey, Britt (7 May 2015). "Bowraville's Billie McKay to cook for chefs". nambuccaguardian.com.au. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- ^ "Macksville High School Magazine 2009" (PDF). macksville-h.schools.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Broome, Hamish (11 May 2015). "Ballina cook will make Masterchef final 22". northernstar.com.au.
- ^ "MasterChef winner scores cash, car, column AND a new job with Heston Blumenthal". news.com.au. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Houston, Melinda (25 April 2019). "'The anxiety's still there': Former MasterChef Contestants Return". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 July 2019.