ANOTHER Tasmanian has emerged as contender for the Masterchef title.
Thirty-year-old Jamie Ward – brother of Tasmanian Australian Idol and X-Factor contestant Amali – is competing in the seventh season of the Channel 10 ratings winner.
Last week fellow contestants Amy Luttrell, of Launceston, and Kristina Short, of Mt Stuart, were unveiled on the show as Tasmanians but Jamie slipped through the net as he no longer lives in the state.
The aspiring sandwich shop owner now lives in Victoria but grew up in Kingston and New Town.
“Applying for MasterChef was a spur of the moment kind of decision,” he said.
“It’s a crazy feeling. I never, ever expected to get as far as I have, but it’s so awesome to be doing what I truly love to do every single day. It’s what everyone should be doing.”
Ward says he spoke to his sister in order to gain some advice about the reality TV experience.
“Amali was really pleased for me,” he said.
“[Her] main advice was to be 100 per cent myself. At the end of the day, the camera captures everything and if you’re trying to be something you’re not, the audience will know.”
Amali finished in 10th place on season two of Australian Idol in 2004 and was eliminated just before the finals on season six of The X Factor in 2014.
Jamie is one of 20 remaining contestants left in the Masterchef competition.
This article was originally written for The Mercury. You can read the published version here