Laura Sharrad has been named the winner of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win 2025, securing the $250,000 cash prize and the title she has pursued since she was 13 years old.
Sharrad, who finished as runner-up in season 6 and season 12, said finally winning was a “full circle” moment. “Being part of MasterChef Australia has been life changing,” she said.
“To win, with my parents, my husband Max, and my daughter Florence there, was a very special moment.”
The season 17 Grand Finale was decided over two rounds, with both Sharrad and fellow finalist Callum Hann earning 38 out of 40 points in the first, which featured classic flavour pairings. In the second, they faced a four-and-a-half-hour pressure test set by pastry chef Miko Aspiras, recreating his intricate petits fours creation, Botanical Garden.
Sharrad’s near-identical replica scored 42 out of 50 points, bringing her total to 80 – seven points ahead of Hann. “I think things happen at the right time and for the right reasons,” she said.
“Whether you’ve applied once or four times, or you don’t win and get the opportunity to come back, keep striving for that goal because MasterChef really does change your life.”
“I think the more people who can experience that magic, the better the world will be.”