KIWI MASTERCHEF STAR BEN - 'I'M DOING IT FOR MY GIRLS'

The Whangarei-born cook reveals his family motivation and a battle with cancer

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Ben Macdonald never expected to return to the MasterChef Australia kitchen, but when the call came, he couldn't say no. Now based back in New Zealand with a young family and a life far removed from the TV spotlight, the former café owner has stepped back into the pressure cooker for the show's new Back To Win series.

With his two daughters and his partner Sandy cheering him on from home in Auckland, this second chance is about more than just cooking - it's about showing his kids what it means to chase a dream.

“It's pretty unusual not only to be invited back, but that they let me back on,” laughs Whangārei-born Ben.

Now 47, the self-taught cook came sixth on the sixth series of MasterChef back in 2014, when he was based in Brisbane. These days, he's swapped restaurant shifts for software coding. But the opportunity to return to reality TV wasn't something he could easily ignore.

“I was really keen,” he says. “It was something I loved doing last time. It was such an experience. Since then, I've had two daughters, so it wasn't exactly easy to arrange, but they encouraged me to do it.”

Ben's girls, Layla, nine, and Alexa, seven, are massive