Darren Purchese was eliminated during the Dessert Masters 2024 bubbles challenge. His dish, named ‘Careless Whisper’ was a chocolate mousse with a fancy rice crispy base, choclate bubbles, a blood orange jelly and a blood orange ice cream.
Sadly, his delicious creation did not keep him in the competiton and he was eliminated alongside Alisha Henderson.
Darren spoke exclusively to Chattr about his time on the show, what he found challenging and what is next for the chef.
Darren felt a double elimination in the air
This was the first time a double elimination happened in this season, and Darren said he felt it “looming”.
“I always thought that if I just concentrate on making the best dish that I can then I would have a chance. Still not great odds though but that’s what makes this competition so exciting for the audience and us contestants of course,” he said.
Being eliminated so close to the semi finals was frustrating for Darren but he said he was taking it one challenge at a time.
“Always focussing on the job at hand but being near the end means you have one eye on finals week. It was not to be, but I was proud of my achievements nonetheless,” he said.
He told Chattr that he did think he would make it into the semi finals.
“The announcement [of elimination] took me by surprise to be honest but the standard was so high the judges had to make a call, and I respect that. I have been a judge on reality cooking shows for many years and it is not always easy to make those decisions,” he said.
While he may have been eliminated, Darren is proud of his work and said he “learned heaps and had lots of fun”.
Darren has zero regrets from his time on Dessert Masters
Darren said he was happy with his dish on the day and wouldn’t change anything too drastically.
“It is a competition that comes down to who the judges prefer on the day,” he explained.
“I certainly would not play it safe or change my strategy of going all out and working as hard as I can in every challenge. I can hold my head high and know I did everything I possibly could in the time allowed.”
What Darren found most challenging on Dessert Masters
It wasn’t all smooth sailing on Dessert Masters, Darren opened up about the biggest challenges he faced on the show.
“Probably all the running and trying to remember what ingredients I need when going to the pantry! I think I visited the pantry more than any other chef and tried to make sure I was always on bench one closest to the pantry,” he said.
What is next for Darren?
Darren is an accomplished chef in his own right and has a very busy schedule!
“I have the best job in the world as judge on The Great Australian Bake Off and I am also concentrating on building a community of food lovers and baking enthusiasts through my recipe platform Studio Kitchen. I am excited for the future,” he said.
Dessert Masters airs on Sundays 7pm and Mondays 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Want to CHATTR with us? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more entertainment news.
