Meet MasterChef Australia 2023’s Malissa Fedele — A Nutritionist With Her Own Line Of Wellness Journals

While many MasterChef Australia contestants' careers are worlds apart from the culinary industry, food is already quite aligned with Malissa Fedele's day job.

As a clinical nutritionist based in South Australia, the 28-year-old has always been aware of the connection between food and health. Focusing on women's health needs, her practice offers nutritional consultations to help support women’s emotional and physical health and wellbeing.

Food has also been a big part of Fedele's upbringing, with her parents having owned a fruit and vegetable store where she and her siblings worked. She's keen to add an "Italian flair" to some of the dishes she whips up in the MasterChef kitchen, and particularly enjoys the therapeutic process of making pasta and sauces from scratch.

Competing on a reality TV show like MasterChef is a new and fast-paced experience, and during filming, Fedele relied on some of the practices she's previously used to manage her anxiety. These include daily journalling, as well as running, yoga and Pilates. She's also developed a line of wellness journals to support people in managing their anxiety, using nutrition as a key tool.

Fedele is one of 18 new faces on the show this year, different to last year's season MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites, which featured 12 returning contestants from previous seasons and 12 amateur home cooks.

The other contestants are Adi Nevgi, Alice Han, Amy Tanner, Andrea Puglisi, Antonio Cruz Vaamonde, Brent Draper, Cath Collins, Declan Cleary, Grace Jupp, Jessica Perri, Larissa Sewell, Phil Conway, Ralph Kahango, Rhiannon Anderson, Robbie Cooper, Rue Mupedzi and Theo Loizou.

In addition to MasterChef judges Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo (who recently passed away), this year there's a star-studded lineup of guest judges including Jamie Oliver, Curtis Stone, Maggie Beer, Rick Stein and Peter Gilmore.