Mimi Wong is the vivacious, energetic and magnetic MasterChef Australia 2024 contestant who started off the competition as somewhat of a dark horse, but is now thriving in challenge after challenge.

Although Mimi wasn’t able to secure immunity during the show’s visit to her home city of Hong Kong, she’s undoubtedly a talented cooked, and she’s looking to lean on some of those talents to get her to the final.

Here’s everything we know about MasterChef Australia 2024’s Mimi.

Where is Mimi from?

She was born in Hong Kong but moved to Sydney when she was just one year old. At age 11, Mimi returned to Hong Kong for seven years, following her parent’s divorce.

During that time the MasterChef contestant and her brother lived in Hong Kong public housing in a small apartment with their grandma, who instilled in them the philosophies of being a nurturer, cook and caretaker. Mimi moved back to Sydney in 2016 for university.

Mimi told South China Morning Post that she still instils the Chinese traditions she learnt during her time in Hong Kong.

“It’s me and my brother in Australia, and everyone else is back in Hong Kong, so there had to be someone to take on that matriarch role of enforcing tradition on somebody else, like: ‘I don’t care what you’re doing, you just have to come to my house’. We have to eat nian gao [rice cake] on Chinese New Year, we have to make soup on this day,” she said.

“My brother wasn’t going to do it because he’s lazy,” she says with a chuckle. “So I was like, ‘I’m going to call mum or ah por and figure out how to do it’, so that there’s still reason and purpose, and something to keep the culture and family alive between my brother and I.”

What is Mimi’s job?

Mimi works as a high school English teacher.

How did Mimi end up on MasterChef Australia?

According to her interview with South China Morning Post, Mimi was scouted after a casting producer spotted her delectable looking food on Instagram.

Although Mimi filled out the application form, she didn’t save it and consequently lost it. On the last day of applications, her boss sent her home early and she submitted hers just 45 minutes before the deadline.

“I still think back to that time, and how surreal it all felt,” says Wong. “The students were so supportive, my colleagues were super excited. It gives me goosebumps.”

Watch MasterChef Australia from Sunday – Wednesday on Channel 10 and 10 Play.

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